The RAVYN Blog

There is something to be said about establishing the nature of God.

Scientifically speaking, we categorize living beings according to their nature. For example, although we know that trees and animals are living, we classify them differently because their natures are fundamentally different.

With each category of living beings, we create distinct attributes that apply specifically to that particular class. For example, an invertebrate is an animal without a backbone, whereas a vertebrate is an animal with a backbone.

We know that mammals are inherently different from birds, which are different from reptiles, though all of these are classified as vertebrates.

The Bible even highlights this in Genesis, where God created plants and animals according to their own kind. Fundamentally, each class of living beings has a nature unique to it.

The Trinitarian Doctrine shows us that God is species-unique. The nature of God refers to who He is fundamentally. The ‘persons’ of God refer to the individuals who share this nature.

Topics

1. The Nature of God
2. The First Four Natures of God
3. The Next Four Essential Traits
4. The Last Three Natures

The Nature of God

I’m going to be honest here. This is going to be a very long post because, in this single post, we’ll look at eleven fundamental ‘natures’ of God.

To do this, we have to look at the ‘genetic’ components that make up God. We understand that God is not a created being, so the concept of genetics speaks more or less metaphorically to the attributes of God that we can see in Scripture.

If we wanted to classify a living being as a human, we’d first need to establish a baseline that is unique only to humans.

What are the traits, characteristics, and inevitable attributes that would cause a scientist to classify a living being as a human?

When we find those traits or attributes, we consider those traits the nature of a human. In this way, the term ‘nature’ speaks to the driving force or distinct essence or trait of an individual.

What are the attributes found only in God? I’m talking about the exhibition of a quality, something that can be classified by an observer. To do this, we turn to the Bible.

The Scripture gives us clear indicators of God’s nature.

The nature of God is:

• Eternal and Timeless
• Omnipresent/Limitless
• Constant/Unchanging
• Formless/Non-created
• Trustworthy
• Sovereign
• Righteous/Good
• Omniscient
• Esoteric and Inexplainable
• Omnipotent
• Holy

Before we could apply any of these traits to the persons of God, we needed to understand what they are and how Scripture supports them. 

You’ll see throughout this how each person in the Godhead is compared to these unique attributes.

The First Four Natures of God

The first four qualities speak specifically to God’s dynamic existence. Together, these four natures define God as ‘self-sufficient’.

When God revealed Himself to Moses, He told Moses that His name is ‘I AM THAT I AM’. This profound statement indicates that He is present, existing, and active.

God is neither created nor can He be destroyed. He is timeless and present, without beginning and end. He is not made of any substance; He exists everywhere and in every timeline.

Eternal/Timeless

Eternality and timelessness can be used interchangeably. Eternality refers to God’s everlasting or infinite nature, especially as it relates to time. In other words, God is perpetual.

Timeless means the same thing, but it’s more nuanced in that it indicates that God is not limited or bound to time. In fact, He exists outside of time, unaffected by how it moves. Being both eternal and timeless, God creates and controls time itself.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:8

In the book of Revelation, God is referred to as the ‘Alpha and Omega’ (Reference: Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:13).

God set Himself as the boundaries of time. Even before the world was formed, God was and is everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2 NIV).

The prophet Isaiah says that God is the Creator of all, never growing weary. He cannot grow old; He does not expire. He cannot be measured or counted (Isaiah 40:28 ESV).

Omnipresent/Limitless

Omnipresence and timelessness are not the same thing. However, God’s omnipresence extends from God’s eternal nature.

Omnipresence refers to the ability to be present in all places at all times. Because God is not bound to time, nor is He confined to space, He can be with us in the present, existing within all timelines simultaneously.

This nature of God means He is unbounded or limitless. God’s immediacy leaves no loss of time; He is the here and now.

His present, limitless nature means He is mindful, observant, and attentive in our daily lives. It means He is fully involved and active in our actions and present in our circumstances.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

Psalms 139:7-8 ESV

The Lord (YHWH) said to the prophet Jeremiah:

“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 NIV

Constant/Unchanging

God’s presence and eternal nature give rise to His unchanging or constant nature. He is consistent, reliable, present, and available.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

As a lover of mathematics, the first three natures speak deeply to me. Infinity (eternal) refers to the uncountable nature of God, a God who goes on forever without end. God is limitless, meaning no boundaries can contain Him; He is always present.

Now, He is constant. In algebra, a variable refers to an unknown and interchangeable value. However, a fixed, known value is called a constant. It is dependable.

The Bible teaches us that God’s word is firmly fixed in the heavens (Psalms 119:89 ESV).

He is reliable, steadfast, and sound; the solid rock of our hope and salvation (Hebrews 6:17 ESV).

Uncreated/Formless

God lacks any physical form. He is not ‘made’; He does not adhere to matter. In fact, within these first four natures of God, He breaks the scientific principles that guide our universe. He is outside of time, space, and matter.

Even though we say that God is spirit, it’s important to understand that God is formless. He isn’t ‘made’ of any substance that is tangible or observable.

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:15-16 NIV

In his letter, Paul explains that Christ left His invisible (formless) nature to take on the nature of man (Colossians 1:15-17 NIV; Philippians 2:5-7 ESV).

For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20 ESV

When Solomon prayed to dedicate the temple and the ark of the covenant, which he brought to the temple, he declared that, despite his efforts, he understood God could not be contained in anything (1 Kings 8:27 NIV). 

On that note, we should also understand that God’s formlessness is different from that of angels. Angels are not merely spiritual beings. They, like us, are created beings, made of material. From a scientific perspective, I could say angels are made of a substance we, as humans, cannot observe with our natural eyes unless they choose to reveal themselves. 

God, though formless, can choose whom He reveals Himself to. His formless nature allows Him to remain unseen, but also to choose whom He wants to reveal Himself to (John 1:18 ESV).

The Next Four Essential Traits

From God’s fixed ‘physical’ attributes, we derive the essential traits of God’s nature: His character.

God’s dependability stems from His constancy. His sovereign rulership comes from His eternality, and His omniscience comes from His omnipresence.

The essential traits of God’s nature are inherent (or intrinsic), meaning that these aren’t traits assigned to God because of what He does, but rather who He is.

• Eternal → Sovereign
• Omnipresent → Omniscient
• Formless → Goodness
• Unchanging → Trustworthy

Trustworthy

Trustworthiness relies on dependability, meaning that God’s unchanging nature is the source of His trustworthiness.

It’s not only about dependability. It’s also about honesty and truthfulness. God’s unchanging nature means His words are fixed and remain objectively true regardless of changing times.

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will he not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19 ESV

God’s spoken Word must come to pass. His truthfulness isn’t a matter of personal choice, but rather a matter of His fixed and unchanging nature.

In Scripture, Jesus sets Himself as the essence of truth (John 14:6 ESV). Scripture also calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16-17; John 16:13).

Sovereign

The word ‘sovereign’ is a political term referring to leadership and authority, in which a ruler governs an entire region or nation with supreme power. 

Throughout Scripture, God is considered sovereign, a leader with supreme political power over His creation. 

Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.

Psalms 115:3 ESV

His supremacy stems from His eternality, omnipresence, and constancy. God judges, settles disputes, and establishes the rules that creation must abide by. It is His plan and purpose that will remain (Isaiah 46:10 NIV; Proverbs 19:21 ESV).

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

Psalm 103:19 ESV

The book of Hebrews opens up by establishing Christ’s authority and rulership of the cosmos. Christ is described as having the exact imprint of the Father’s nature. Thus, Christ’s characteristic of sovereignty also stems from His timeless nature. Through Christ, all things were created (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV). 

Good/Righteous

In Mark, when a rich, young man addresses Jesus as the ‘Good Teacher’, Jesus responds:

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”

Mark 10:17-18 ESV

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes good as being of favorable character, suitable and fit for a task, and one who is reliable. 

Throughout Scripture, we are reminded that God is good, that He is a stronghold, a refuge, and a fortress (Psalms 34:8 ESV; Nahum 1:7 ESV). 

God is established as the ultimate authority on morality. It’s from Him that our moral framework is shaped. His righteousness stems from His sovereign nature, setting the standards and rules that creation follows.

God is the ultimate standard of quality, morality, and merit. His standards assure us that we can trust His Word and who He is. 

The dictionary also says that the word ‘good’ can mean deserving of honor and respect, true, and well-founded and cogent. 

The Bible speaks of God’s goodness as marked by compassion and kindness. He is sympathetic toward His creation, with great patience and leniency. 

The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works. 

Psalms 145:17 ESV

Omniscient

The dictionary defines omniscience as having infinite awareness and insight or possessing universal or complete knowledge. Because of God’s limitless nature, we know that He is also omniscient. He is infinite in His understanding.

As Creator of the universe, He knows all things. God not only possesses infinite knowledge and wisdom, but this knowledge also stems from Him.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 

Proverbs 2:6 ESV

Paul writes to the Romans about the richness, wisdom, and knowledge of God. He explains that God’s judgments are ‘unsearchable’ and ‘inscrutable’. 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. 

Romans 11:33-36 ESV

Paul’s portrayal of this aspect of God shows that God is beyond our understanding and that what He knows is beyond our comprehension. 

His infinite wisdom also brings about perception and discernment. This, along with His righteousness, fosters compassion and sound judgment. The Apostle John tells us that God is greater than our hearts, even when we condemn ourselves (1 John 3:20 ESV).  

The Prophet Isaiah says that God’s thoughts and ways cannot be compared to our thoughts. He is our Creator, keen to see and hear all things, even our most private thoughts (Isaiah 55:8 ESV). 

The Last Three Natures

Profound/Inexplainable

The dictionary defines profound as:

1. having intellectual depth and insight
2. difficult to fathom or understand

One of the synonyms for profound is esoteric, which is defined as ‘designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone’. God, being omniscient, is profound and complex in His understanding. It means that His creation cannot comprehend Him (Psalm 147:5 ESV).

He cannot be measured, interpreted, or studied. The prophet Isaiah describes God as having an unsearchable understanding.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. 

Isaiah 40:28 ESV

However, ‘esoteric’ does not mean that we can never get to know Him. Instead, the word describes someone who chooses to share particular knowledge with a select group of people.

For us, our relationship with God allows Him to reveal Himself to us intimately. We receive God’s revelation through the Holy Spirit. 

The Scripture teaches that the Spirit of God knows the depths of God. Through the Spirit, God reveals things to us so we can understand Him. 

But as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love Him”—

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 ESV

A relationship with our Creator helps us know more about God, even when His nature is beyond what we can comprehend (Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV).

Omnipotent

The nature of God is omnipotent. Through God’s omniscience and sovereignty, He has unlimited authority, power, and influence over all that He creates. 

God is El Shaddai (God Almighty) and El Elyon (God Most High). He created all things in the heavens and on the earth, both visible and invisible. He is above all thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

Colossians 1:15-17 NIV

While researching this, I thought about the anime ‘My Hero Academia’. One of the heroes, All Might, slowly loses his power due to a terrible injury caused by his arch-nemesis, All For One. 

Even in anime, we recognize that human power is subject to destruction. As a hero, All Might was still susceptible to injury and damage. 

However, God’s unlimited sovereignty, omnipresence, and formless nature make Him indestructible, unaffected, and unchallenged by any other force. He is the Creator of all (John 1:3 ESV). 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

Revelation 1:8 ESV

God’s power extends far beyond what the human mind can comprehend. He controls thoughts, opinions, and behaviors. He can do anything (Matthew 19:26 ESV). 

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by Myself.” 

Isaiah 44:24 ESV

Holy

The eleventh nature of God summarizes all the above in one phrase: God is holy. The word holy means to be unique, sacred, or set apart. He is whole and needs nothing from anyone. In Him, He is self-sufficient (Revelation 4:11 ESV). 

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” 

1 Samuel 2:2 ESV

His holiness secures His worthiness, an intrinsic measure of God’s nature that is undefined by anything outside of Himself (Exodus 15:11 ESV).

God’s nature is wrapped up in His holiness. He is secure, sacred, and sure. He is uniquely Him; there are no other gods comparable to who He is. 

Those who are one with God, those who believe in His promises and trust in His word, are also called to be set apart. Holiness is the nature that we share with God once we have a relationship with Him. The Bible calls us to be holy as God is Holy (Leviticus 6:3 ESV). 

Continuing the Journey

As you continue in this series, I hope that clarity and the strengthening of your faith will be at the forefront of your spiritual growth. 

Signed, 

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