Comparatively
few of those who occasionally read the Bible are aware of the awe-inspiring and
worship-provoking grandeur of the Divine character. That God is great in
wisdom, wondrous in power, yet full of mercy, is assumed by many to be almost
common knowledge; but, to entertain anything approaching an adequate conception
of His being, His nature, His attributes, as these are revealed in Holy
Scripture, is something which very, very few people in these degenerate times
have attained unto. God is solitary in His excellency.
"Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the
gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing
wonders?" (Ex. 15:11)
"In the beginning, God…" (Gen. 1:1)
There
was a time, if "time" is could be called, when God, in the unity of
His nature (though subsisting equally in three Divine Persons), dwelt all
alone.
"In
the beginning, God..." (Gen. 1:1)
There
was no heaven, where His glory is now particularly manifested.
There
was no earth to engage His attention.
There
were no angels to hymn His praises; no universe to be upheld by the word of His
power.
There
was nothing, no one, but God; and that, not for a day, a year, or an age, but
"from everlasting."
During
a past eternity, God was alone: self-contained,
self-sufficient, self-satisfied; in need of nothing. Had
a universe, had angels, had human beings been necessary to Him in any way, they
also had been called into existence from all eternity. The creating of them
when He did, added nothing to God essentially. He changes not (Mal. 3:6);
therefore His essential glory can be neither augmented nor diminished.
God
was under no constraint, no obligation, and no necessity to create. That He
chose to do so was purely a sovereign act on His part, caused by nothing
outside Himself, determined by nothing but His own mere good pleasure; for He:
"…worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will…" (Eph. 1:11).
That
He did create was simply for His manifestative glory. Do some of our readers
imagine that we have gone beyond what Scripture warrants? Then our appeal shall
be to the Law and the Testimony:
"Stand up and bless the
Lord your God forever and ever: and blessed be Thy glorious name, which is
exalted above all blessing and praise" (Neh. 9:5).
God is
no gainer even from our worship. He was in no need of that external glory
of His grace which arises from His redeemed, for He is glorious enough in
Himself without that. What was it moved Him to predestinate His elect to the
praise of the glory of His grace? It was, as Ephesians 1:5 tells us, according
to the good pleasure of His will.
ARTHUR W. PINK
The Attributes of God
page 9
Hi Gregg another great post with inspirational words.
ReplyDeleteStill trying to get my shot for my painful shoulders and neck.
Take care.
Yvonne.
" ... to him be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the ages of ages. Amen"
ReplyDeleteThis touched my heart today Greg. I am lerning through this stuff with my son that my wisdom, my knowledge,my temper, are insuficient,untrustworthy, and can not preform Gods will. So I am in need of an almighty God, an Holy God, a God in control of all things, because I have know control,and am a sinner of the highest order. God my father hve mercy on me, and keep me focased on you Lord
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ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the most mind boggling of God's attributes that Pink writes about. I'm guessing that it's probably one that most of us seldom meditate upon don't you think? Thanks Gregg.
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