For more than twenty years, LearnTheBible.org has consistently provided free content from a Bible-believing perspective to our thousands of annual visitors. We do not run ads or charge for access to this wealth of Bible study materials, outlines, preaching, teaching, and so much more! Expenses to maintain our hosting, servers, etc. are provided by the generous donations of God's people. If you have been helped and blessed by LTB through the years, would you help us continue to maintain and support this growing ministry by partnering with us with a onetime or monthly gift?
To those who read, listen, and share our content, we are extremely grateful! Please continue to pray for us and "Thank You!" for 20 great years!
Doctrine of God 0002 - Lesson 4
Attached Audio:
- THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (Continued)
- His Goodness
- A trinity of God’s goodness
- It could be argued that the highest level of God's glory as God is to be seen in the attributes of His goodness. That means that His moral attributes of goodness are more central to His being than are the powerful attributes of greatness. That is, God is not good because He is great but He is great because He is good. Perhaps God could have absolute greatness without absolute goodness, but He could not have absolute goodness without absolute greatness. Therefore, we will look at the attributes of goodness as the central attributes of God.
- “Oh how great is thy goodness” – Psalm 31:19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
See All... - “the memory of thy great goodness” – Psalm 145:7They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
See All... - “For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!” – Zechariah 9:17For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.
See All... - Of the attributes of God’s goodness, three (a trinity) seem to be central to all the others: holiness, truth, and love. Although the Bible does not directly declare these three to be central, there are many evidences.
- The other attributes of goodness proceed from one of these three attributes (compare 2 Timothy 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
See All...). - Holiness: righteousness, justice, and beauty. Note: power and glory, even though they are attributes of God’s greatness, also proceed from God’s holiness).
- Truth: wisdom and faithfulness.
- Love: mercy and grace.
- All three attributes are specifically related to each of the three persons of the trinity [see notes below].
- Of the three central attributes of God’s goodness, His holiness seems to be the central attribute of God [see notes below]. If there is only one thing we could say about God, we should say that He is holy!
- Holiness
- The central position of God’s holiness
- The only trait of God that is given a triple declaration: holy, holy, holy.
- In Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 6:3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
See All...) - The heavenly vision of John (Revelation 4:8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
See All...) - A central trait of all three persons of the Godhead
- The Father is holy. He is often called the Holy One or the Holy One of Israel in scripture (2 Kings 19:22Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
See All...; Job 6:10Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
See All...; Psalm 71:22I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
See All...; Psalm 78:41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
See All...; Isaiah 43:3For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
See All..., 14, 15; Habakkuk 1:12Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
See All...). - The Son is holy.
- The holy thing born of Mary (Luke 1:35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
See All...) - The holy child Jesus (Acts 4:27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
See All..., 30) - The Holy One of God (Mark 1:24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
See All...) - The Holy One not to see corruption (Psalm 16:10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
See All...; Acts 2:27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
See All...) - The holy high priest (Hebrews 7:26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
See All...) - The most Holy who will be anointed (Daniel 9:24Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
See All...) - He that is holy (Revelation 3:7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
See All...) - The Spirit is holy.
- The Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:10But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
See All...; Luke 11:13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
See All...; Ephesians 4:30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
See All...) - The Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
See All...; Luke 4:1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
See All...; Romans 14:17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
See All...) - The spirit of holiness (Romans 1:4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
See All...) - The title of service to God
- For the priesthood (Exodus 39:30-31 [30] And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
[31] And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
See All...) - For the kingdom age: even the bells on the horses and the pots in the houses (Zechariah 14:20-21 [20] In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
[21] Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
See All...) - The name of the Lord, which is the revelation of His essence, is holy (1 Chronicles 16:10Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
See All...; Psalm 103:1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
See All...; Psalm 111:9He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
See All...; Luke 1:49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
See All...). The “holy name” in reference to God is used twenty times in the Bible. - God alone is truly holy (1 Samuel 2:2There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
See All...; Revelation 15:4Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
See All...). - God swears by His holiness (Psalm 89:35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
See All...; Amos 4:2The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
See All...). - The beauty of God is seen in His holiness (1 Chronicles 16:29Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
See All...; Psalm 96:9O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
See All...). - The meaning of holiness
- Holiness in humans and earthly objects. Although earthly things are a poor example of holiness, we must begin here if we hope to have any real understanding of God’s holiness. Earthly holiness has both a positive and a negative aspect.
- Negative: that which is holy must be separated from the world; from other things. As such, holiness indicates purity from the defiling things of this world. That which is holy is clean and pure from defilement.
- Positive: that which is holy must be set apart unto God. This is the idea of consecration and is the fullest meaning of sanctification. Notice the importance of the order. We cannot set apart unto God’s use that which is still defiled. Separation must come first; then sanctification can follow (Exodus 28:1And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
See All... before Exodus 28:40-41 [40] And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. [41] And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
See All...; Leviticus 10:10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
See All... before Leviticus 20:7Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
See All...; 2 Timothy 2:20-21 [20] But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. [21] If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
See All...; Romans 12:1-2 [1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
See All... – “be not conformed” before “be ye transformed”). - The holiness of God
- Negative: God is absolutely pure. There is no uncleanness, no sin, and no defilement of any kind in Him. He is so pure that He cannot look on iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
See All...). - Positive: God is completely set apart from this world and its fallen nature. He has been called Wholly Other. He is the “high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy” (Isaiah 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
See All...). - The two aspects of the holiness of God are revealed to us through two aspects of His greatness. This links the goodness of God with the greatness of God.
- Because of God’s holiness, He is set apart from the world. This set apart nature is revealed in His glory. He is high and lofty because He is holy.
- God is “glorious in holiness” (Exodus 15:11Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
See All...) - His holiness is displayed on earth in His glory (Isaiah 6:3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
See All...) - Because of God’s holiness, He is pure from all defilement. This purity is revealed to us in His power.
- The power of judgment proceeds from His holiness (1 Samuel 6:20And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
See All...). - The power of resurrection proceeds from His holiness (Romans 1:3-4 [3] Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
[4] And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
See All...). - The power of miracles proceeds from His holiness (Acts 3:12And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
See All...). - The response of the saints to the holiness of God
- Initially, the holiness of God repels us.
- The experience of Job (Job 40:1-5 [1] Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
[2] Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
[3] Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
[4] Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
[5] Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
See All...; Job 42:5-6 [5] I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. [6] Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
See All...) - The experience of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
See All...) - The experience of Daniel (Daniel 10:5-8 [5] Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
[6] His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
[7] And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
[8] Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
See All...) - The experience of John (Revelation 1:17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
See All...) - Then, the holiness of God draws us.
- We are drawn to its beauty (1 Chronicles 16:29Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
See All...; 2 Chronicles 20:21And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
See All...; Psalm 29:2Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
See All...; Psalm 96:9O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
See All...). - We desire to behold the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
See All...). - The see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
See All...). - God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
See All...). - Finally, the holiness of God transforms us.
- We are to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45 [44] For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
[45] For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
See All...; Leviticus 19:2Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
See All...; Leviticus 20:7Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
See All..., 26; Leviticus 21:8Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.
See All...; 1 Peter 1:15-16 [15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
See All...). - While beholding His glory, we are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.
See All...). - We are to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord (2 Corinthians 7:1Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
See All...); compare to the pattern of holiness repelling us, drawing us, and then transforming us. - We are to make a living sacrifice that is holy unto God (Romans 12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
See All...). - Our righteousness is to lead to holiness (Romans 6:19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
See All..., 22; 1 Thessalonians 4:7For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
See All...). - The new man is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
See All...). - We are to be partakers of His own holiness (Hebrews 12:10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
See All...).