A number of years ago I got a call to officiate a funeral for an old farmer whom I’d never met before. When I went to visit his widow and gather information for the eulogy, I asked her to tell me about her late husband. She paused for such a long time that I wondered if she heard me. So, I rephrased by asking, “What made your husband special to you?” She looked at me in a way that I knew she understood the question, but then she peered out the window and quietly contemplated. After what felt like an eternity, she finally muttered, “Well, he never hit me.”
I immediately thought to myself, “What an odd answer to that question,” and I waited for her to clarify on her response. But that was it! She offered no explanation or elaboration! And nothing more! Not knowing what else to say, I replied, “That’s a great start, so what else made him special to you?” She simply responded, “That’s about it.” I tried asking about a dozen other questions, but she seemed disinterested, even somewhat annoyed. So, I eventually gave up.
When I got home and told Jennifer about this strange encounter, I wrapped my arms around her, kissed her on the forehead, and whispered tenderly, “If I die first, you better have more to say about me than, “I never hit you.” Thankfully, I knew some of the farmer’s friends and they filled me in on other aspects of his life. I was thankful to just get through that eulogy!
The word eulogy is interesting—it comes from two Greek words—“eu” which means well or good—and “logos” which means “word” or “speaking.” Consequently, eulogy simply means “good words” or “speaking well of” someone or something. It is peculiar that the only time you ever hear the word “eulogy” is in the context of a funeral service. You never hear of a person eulogizing someone while they are still alive—it would almost seem eerie to do so. But I suppose, in a way, we do eulogize people whenever we send them a birthday card or offer them a toast on a special occasion.
Some people are good at verbally praising other people’s attributes; they are quick to say things like, “You look lovely today! You’re so smart! Or you are the kindest, most considerate, hardest working, and most handsome husband in the world! (By the way ladies, husbands really appreciate their wives’ use of superlative speech!)
Unfortunately, instead of speaking good words, other people find fault easily and are quick to criticize. Some people verbally condemn others when they fall short of their expectations. Do you remember what your momma used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!” That is pretty good advice, but the problem is that some people would never have anything to say—like the widow I spoke to about her husband’s eulogy.
I don’t want to sound morbid this morning, but if you were going to write a eulogy for your spouse or one of your children, what good words would you use to describe them? Which characteristics and qualities would you mention? What attributes would you reference? Here’s a question: If you were going to eulogize God, which of his attributes would you highlight?
Along with the unity of God and the Trinity, the attributes of God comprise one of the key categories of Theology Proper or the Doctrine of God. They are the aspects of his nature and character that make him God. They are the qualities that define who he is. As I eulogize God today, I will highlight eight of his divine attributes which we find in Scripture. Hopefully, as we learn more about God, we will come to know him better!
1. God is omniscient (all-knowing).
Hebrews 4:13 — And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
When we say God is omniscient, we mean that He knows all that there is to know. There is nothing that is outside the scope of his attention or understanding. God neither studies nor learns—for he cannot increase a knowledge that is already insurmountable. Neither does probability exist for God; all things either are or are not in his perspective. There is no maybe! There is one reality and God knows it in its entirety, as it exists. He is neither surprised by the way the world works, nor is he shocked by the choices we make.
A group of children were lining up for lunch in the cafeteria of a Catholic primary school. At the head of the table was a bowl of juicy apples. The supervising nun wrote a note and placed it next to the apples: “Take only ONE. God is watching.” At the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate coated cookies. A child had written a note and put it next to the plate: “Take as many as you want. God is watching the apples.”
God’s omniscience should be both comforting and alarming to us. He knows and sympathizes with our every sorrow, but he also sees every sin that we try to conceal. How would it change our lives if we were more cognizant of God’s omniscience?
2. God is omnipresent (present everywhere).
Psalm 139:7-10 — Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your Spirit? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utter most parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
By omnipresence, we mean that God is everywhere present in the fullness of His being. This allows Him to interact in any places at any times (even in multiple places simultaneously). God is not spatial or dimensional in existence as we are; if he were, we would constantly be bumping our heads on him.
Being in all locations present in the whole of His being, there is no place we can go and not be in his presence. Like omniscience, God’s omnipresence is a solace for Christians who know that he is always with us, but it is a torment for those who try to run or hide from God. Do you remember the divine frustration Jonah felt when he tried to flee God’s presence? It is never wise to run from an omnipresent God!
3. God is omnipotent (all-powerful).
Jeremiah 32:17 — “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.”
God has the unlimited power to accomplish anything that can be accomplished. The things God does are neither difficult nor easy for God; they are only either done or not done. This is because difficulty is a factor that comes about only through the potential for not accomplishing a task. This does not apply to God for potentials do not apply to Him — only actuals. God’s power to do all that He desires is the fuel for the engine of sovereignty, which accomplishes His providence.
Oftentimes in life, we face situations that seem impossible. But we must remember that God has the power to turn our impossibilities into realities!
4. God is eternal.
Psalm 102:12 — But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
Not only will God exist everlastingly into the future, but He has existed identically throughout the infinite past. He has always been and always will be. Before the foundations of the world, God ordained the creation, the fall, the incarnation and resurrection, and the salvation of his people.
Everything in creation is confined by time—stars burn out, mountains crumble, and flowers fade—even our time here on earth is limited. We are always hurrying because we don’t have enough time or procrastinating because we have too much time. Isn’t it good to know that God unlimited by time because he is eternal?
5. God is holy (morally perfect).
Isaiah 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”
Holiness is synonymous with God’s total purity and separation from the rest of creation. Holiness is a moral purity, and different from human holiness, God’s is eternally incorruptible. This holiness so sets God apart from fallen humans that in his natural state, no human may approach the incorruptible God (for man is tarnished, dirty, and corrupt, and true holiness cannot bear such) — this is evidenced by the special commands to those who would approach God. God’s holiness is one of the primary reasons why the coming of Christ is so incredible: it allows people who were once unable to come before God the ability to kneel before the throne of God and worship forever and ever.
6. God is just.
Psalm 99:4 — The King’s strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
The Father of justice, God is the ultimate judge over the lives and actions of men. There seems to be so much injustice in the world (men lie, cheat, steal, and kill all the time with no seeming repercussions), but true justice is not meted out in this earthly realm, but in the true realm (the eternal heavenly realm). In the end, each person will receive his just deserts at the hands of a God who cannot be persuaded or bribed. Christ will look at each person’s heart and if it is the least bit corrupted by sin, that man, not being pure, will receive the justice of hell.
In God’s justice, we can find consolation for all the wrongs perpetrated against us and against mankind. We know that our cruel boss who cheated us for so many years will receive what he deserves. We know that the politician who did wrong to gain personal power will receive justice. We know that killers like Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot will receive justice. And we know that we will receive justice as well. That can be scary for one who truly knows his heart’s deceitfulness and is not a believer, but Christian’s rest in their faith in Christ, knowing that since they are judged in Christ, their salvation is thus secure.
7. God is loving.
Romans 8:35-39—Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We all have a basic understanding of what love is, but we are unable to comprehend the depths of true love. This is the love that God embodies. God is the genesis of love; he is its source; and it is by him that we experience love. God’s love is based in a supreme desire to glorify himself, for he is the being most worthy of love. By seeking his own glory, God pours forth his love upon his creation that it might better give glory to him. God loves his creation and his people—those whom he will take with himself into eternal glory!
8. God is gracious.
Ephesians 2:8-9—For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Grace is the bestowal of blessing unearned or unmerited. When we speak of God’s grace, we speak of those wonderful gifts that no person deserves but God grants anyway. There are several types of grace that God bestows upon us. There is what we call “common grace” — this is that grace that God shines upon everyone—life, health, beauty, family, friends, good weather, pinot noir, etc.); God doesn’t have to give any of these things to anyone, no one can demand them from him, and he can take it when he pleases.
The other kind of grace is that special grace which God demonstrates on those whom he inexplicably chooses to be his people. Just as he did with national Israel, God chooses his children not because they are more powerful, wise, intelligent, charismatic, pious, or handsome, but simply because that is what he wanted. This grace is amazing for it relies not at all upon us, but solely upon God and his will, rather than any service or good we are capable to render. This grace also causes us to throw ourselves at the feet of the Lord in praise and rejoicing for His pleasure in granting us salvation.Conclusion
I don’t have enough time in this sermon to tell you about God’s transcendence and immanence, his sovereignty and providence, his wrath and his mercy, or the other attributes of God that we find in the Scriptures, but this eulogy of eight attributes helps us to understand his nature better and to love him more!