Attributes of God

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HammondCheese

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What would you consider the most important attribute of God?

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God changeth not.
 
Top 3: Holy, holy, holy...

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God is perfectly who He is...every attribute is perfect and necessary and therefore equally important. There is no variation or less attribute of God.
 
T-Bone said:
God is perfectly who He is...every attribute is perfect and necessary and therefore equally important. There is no variation or less attribute of God.
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T-Bone is correct. I was taught in Seminary that the main attribute was God's holiness.

However, God is NOT a sum of His attributes, therefore, it is not proper to prioritize one over the other as if they are greater/lesser. Dangers come from making this artificial prioritization. The holiness crowd wants to focus on holiness. The love crowd wants to focus on His love. Human beings have a tendency to get out of whack when they do this.
 
The honorable Rev. FSSL said:
T-Bone said:
God is perfectly who He is...every attribute is perfect and necessary and therefore equally important. There is no variation or less attribute of God.
Click to expand...

T-Bone is correct. I was taught in Seminary that the main attribute was God's holiness.

However, God is NOT a sum of His attributes, therefore, it is not proper to prioritize one over the other as if they are greater/lesser. Dangers come from making this artificial prioritization. The holiness crowd wants to focus on holiness. The love crowd wants to focus on His love. Human beings have a tendency to get out of whack when they do this.
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Exactly.
 
The honorable Rev. FSSL said:
T-Bone said:
God is perfectly who He is...every attribute is perfect and necessary and therefore equally important. There is no variation or less attribute of God.
Click to expand...

T-Bone is correct. I was taught in Seminary that the main attribute was God's holiness.

However, God is NOT a sum of His attributes, therefore, it is not proper to prioritize one over the other as if they are greater/lesser. Dangers come from making this artificial prioritization. The holiness crowd wants to focus on holiness. The love crowd wants to focus on His love. Human beings have a tendency to get out of whack when they do this.
Click to expand...
I agree with the premise of both of your responses.  My initial question could be considered somewhat loaded to initiate the discussion, but one could argue that the overall theme of the entire revelation of God in Scripture is rooted in His holiness...  From the fall of man to the words of the Seraphim in Isaiah 6 and in Revelation 4, "Holy, holy, holy..."

God's holiness requires Him to also be 'whole', perfect, complete in every way...  Therefore, His love is holy...  His hatred is holy...  His grace is holy...  His mercy is holy...  His justice is holy...  And so on...  So it's not about a list.  It's who He IS...

It's tragic how Calvinists and Penecostals have, in some ways, hijacked the doctrine of the holiness of God -- And, as a result, Baptists have (for all intents and purposes) abandoned it.



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First, thank you for raising the level of the FFF :D This is an excellent thread...

HammondCheese said:
...but one could argue that the overall theme of the entire revelation of God in Scripture is rooted in His holiness...  From the fall of man to the words of the Seraphim in Isaiah 6 and in Revelation 4, "Holy, holy, holy..."

God's holiness requires Him to also be 'whole', perfect, complete in every way...  Therefore, His love is holy...  His hatred is holy...  His grace is holy...  His mercy is holy...  His justice is holy...  And so on...  So it's not about a list.  It's who He IS...
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Then how does holiness relate to his omniscience, omnipresence, infinitude and all of the other attributes of His greatness? Some argue that holiness is the controlling attribute of God's goodness and infinitude is the controlling attribute of God's greatness.

The Scriptures never exalt one attribute over another. Sure, Isaiah and Revelation have the "holy... holy... holy" statements. However, other verses specifically say, "God is love," "God is everlasting."

It's tragic how Calvinists and Penecostals have, in some ways, hijacked the doctrine of the holiness of God -- And, as a result, Baptists have (for all intents and purposes) abandoned it.
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What is tragic is that Fundamental Baptists have claimed that the fundamental attribute of God is holiness... how has that worked out for them?

There are Baptists in Wisconsin who have holiness conferences. Its just a reworking of Gothard's material. And we know how that fleshed out. (pun intended).
 
What is tragic is that Fundamental Baptists have claimed that the fundamental attribute of God is holiness... how has that worked out for them?

There are Baptists in Wisconsin who have holiness conferences. Its just a reworking of Gothard's material. And we know how that fleshed out. (pun intended).
Click to expand...

And therein lies the disconnect... 

In the mind of most Fundamental Baptists, the doctrine of holiness pertains to the holiness of MAN, not GOD.  Meaning, it is thought of and taught as it relates to man's best efforts to live a godly Christian life...  A holy life...  The sanctification of the believer, per se. 

However, the holiness of God stands alone... Apart from man.  And it is as eternal as He is.  As declared in the same breath in REV 4:8, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME."  And to your point, this also applies to God's infinitude.  The two are inseparable.  As are his omniscience and omnipresence...  For they speak of God's perfect, complete, whole knowledge and presence.
 
I believe the disconnect comes from a belief that holiness is our greatest pursuit. While it is true that God is holy and we are also called to be holy, it is an imbalance that my Fundamentalist profs taught.

Izdarri rightly interjects that God is Love. It is something lacking in Fundamentalist theology. Somehow the warning to the Church of Ephesus got lost... "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people... You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Fundamentalists who make God's holiness the primary attribute forget about this warning. It is possible to be so holy-minded that love is lost (especially when the pastor deals with the sheep).

I don't view God's attribute of love as being primary. I no longer view God's attribute of holiness as primary. Imbalanced theology leads to imbalanced practice.
 
I wholeheartedly agree with you as holiness and love pertain to us as mankind...  And there is certainly an imbalance by us all, myself included.  And the Apostle Paul penned this rebuke from God for it.  We are all a work in progress...

However, my words are lacking in making my point.  Practically speaking, love requires an object of that love...  As do mercy, grace, forgiveness, justice, faith, and even hatred.  Holiness does not...  "Be ye holy for I am holy." 

When a believer begins to grasp the eternal holiness of God, an impossible but worthy task, we begin to see Him for who He really is... And why all glory must go to Him.  Not only does it not hinge on how it impacts our lives, our ministry, or even our Salvation -- it does not hinge on our very existence.

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Does anyone know of a single IFB sermon preached on the holiness of God that you could post here?  And I'm not trying to be controversial...  I would really like to listen to it -- if it even exists...
 
HammondCheese said:
Does anyone know of a single IFB sermon preached on the holiness of God that you could post here?  And I'm not trying to be controversial...  I would really like to listen to it -- if it even exists...
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I don?t know if any.

Probably any sermon on Isaiah 6 would have  something on this.

For me, the magnum opus set of sermons on the Holiness of God was done by Sproul at the Ligonier Retreat Center (Reformed)
 
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