S4 E5: All Attributes All the Time

Season 4 of Spirit-Led Hope is covering the Doctrine of God, or theology, from a Spirit-led perspective. In this episode, Glenn teaches how the attributes of God are interconnected. We learn that all of God's attributes are true at all times. Glenn also explains how we are supposed to grow in all areas of the attributes we share with God so that we look more like Jesus.

This episode has a transcript. If your podcast player does not support transcripts, please go to the Transcripts section of https://spiritledhope.com/ . These transcripts have been edited for accuracy and are typically of higher quality than those produced automatically by many podcast apps.

Season 4 is part of a long term goal to study systematic theology from a Spirit-led perspective. If you want to know more about systematic theology, or expand your study, Glenn is using the following text as a helpful framework to make sure the main topics are covered:  Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, by Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave.  The book is published by Foursquare Media and Glenn is using the Second Edition published in 2016.      

Transcript

S4 E5 TRANSCRIPT 

ALL ATTRIBUTES ALL THE TIME

INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone and welcome to Spirit-Led Hope. My name is Glenn Erichsen, and in this episode, we are looking at:

     ALL ATTRIBUTES, ALL THE TIME

In the last Episode, Episode 4, we looked at the goodness of God. And we ended the Episode by saying that when God acts, he acts according to all his attributes simultaneously. In other words, God is good all the time, even though he may act in a way that, in our minds, favors a different attribute like holiness or justice.

But it is very important for us to see the fundamental oneness of God and realize that we cannot separate or divide his attributes. If we do, we risk falling into some very serious beliefs that may hinder our relationship with God.

For example, let us say we have a moment of weakness and engage in some sinful behavior which we regret. We know that God is good, and he loves us, and so we know that we can run to God, confess our sin, and be forgiven. We also know there are consequences to our sinful action because God is just and holy. But because of his love, God will be with us through those consequences. In this example, our relationship with God is intact, even if we messed up. In fact, our relationship with God often deepens at times like this. Our action of repentance is based on a wholistic understanding that God’s love and justice and holiness are always present.

But let us say we have a moment of weakness and discard the attributes of justice or holiness, believing that God’s love and goodness is all that really matters. I can almost guarantee you that what started as a moment of weakness, will become chronic behavior. In fact, by ignoring God’s justice or holiness, the need to repent may very well disappear because the concept of sin is no longer the same. And this will, without question, become a barrier between us and God. Our relationship with God risks becoming stale with God seeming very distant. 

We risk this effect whenever we attempt to isolate some of God’s attributes and exclude others. Why is that? Well, it is because when we do that, we begin constructing God on our terms.  We are picking and choosing the attributes we like and making a designer God whom we find appealing. The god we are worshipping at that point is no longer God and our relationship with the true God will be affected in a negative way.

ONENESS OF ATTRIBUTES IS ESSENTIAL

You might wonder, how is it possible that all of God’s attributes are equally present all the time? But this is simply the way that it must be. If God is infinite (which he must be to be God), then his attributes are infinite and cannot be broken down into something that is present one moment and not the next.

As we look at more of God’s attributes, we will also see that God’s attributes can only be true if they are all true. There is a required interdependence.

For example, we have already said that God is good and that everything he does is good. But think about it…how could God do everything good if he was ignorant of something? He could not. So, once we say that God is good, we now know that God is omniscient and must know all things. And to do all things good, God needs all power so he must be omnipotent. You can see how these attributes require each other.

Regular listeners know I have been influenced by A. W. Tozer, and I like how A. W. Tozer sums this up. He said,

 “God’s attributes are not isolated traits of His character but facets of his unitary being. They are not things-in-themselves; they are, rather, thoughts by which we think of God, aspects of a perfect whole, names given to whatever we know to be true of the Godhead. To have a correct understanding of the attributes it is necessary that we see them all as one. We can think of them separately, but they cannot be separated.”

That really is a beautiful summary. So, as we continue looking at individual attributes, we must keep in mind that there is a fundamental oneness to all the attributes.

WE ARE TO HAVE ALL ATTRIBUTES FULLY

So how does all of this apply to us if we wish to live Spirit-led lives? What this means, is that we need to grow in many of the attributes we share with God. In the last episode we talked about growing in goodness…goodness is an example of this.

But we are supposed to grow in not just goodness, but in every attribute that makes us more like Jesus. Just like God does not have any partial attributes, we are supposed to be balanced without ignoring any areas of growth. This includes the fruit of the Spirit, and any other attribute or characteristic of God we share in.

I find it challenging to look at Jesus and imagine what it would take for me to be like him…and to be mature in every area of my life. I have not even come close to that.

Of course, we know Jesus came to earth fully man and fully God. But he is still our example, even though we are not God. And we learn from Jesus. Look at how John described Jesus, who is also called the Word:

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 CSB

Did you catch that? Jesus is described as full of grace and full of truth. As God, Jesus cannot have part grace and part truth. So, John is correct when he uses the word “full.” And we are supposed to be like that, even though we are human and not God.

It is very interesting to watch Jesus when you consider that verse. There is an account early in the ministry of Jesus where he cleanses the temple. Let us read John 2:13-17.

The Jewish Passover was near, and so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and he also found the money changers sitting there. After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me.

John 2:13-17 CSB

In thinking about that story, I have a question for you. The question is, “When Jesus cleansed the temple, was he acting in grace or in truth?” 

Now, most people, when I ask them that question, say that Jesus was clearly acting in truth. After all, he was calling out the money changers and telling them the way it was going to be if he was there. But remember, God is always acting in all attributes, all the time.

If you think about it, Jesus extended an incredible amount of grace to the money changers. He could have called down fire  from heaven on them and been justified doing it. But he did not. Chasing them out of the temple was an incredible grace-filled action.

And we see this in everything Jesus did. Grace and truth are in constant operation. They do not work independently of each other.

And again, ideally, that is how it is supposed to be with us. Just like Jesus, we should be full of grace and truth and operate in both at all times.

So how do we go about becoming mature in every attribute we share with God? The only way I know is to submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. When we are serious about becoming more like Jesus, the Holy Spirit has a way of helping that will be just right for us. 

Let me give you an example from my life.

When I was young, we had a ping pong table in our basement. If you do not know what ping pong is, it is another name for table tennis. I played with family and friends until I got pretty good. In high school I could beat some of my friends who played on a team.

Flash forward 20 years later when someone brought a ping pong table to work. I had not played since high school, but I was pretty sure that I could regain my skill quickly. So, when a much older colleague challenged me to a game, I was all in.

This guy was slow and out of shape, and I figured that after hitting the ball back and forth a few times I would have no problem beating him. But I was wrong. This guy put so much spin on the ball that I was swinging wildly and looking foolish. And as the game went on, my temper began to flare. I felt humiliated, mad at myself, mad at my colleague, and it was all I could do to retain some tiny form of courtesy when the game was over, and I had scored only a few points.

We played at the end of the day and when I got into my car, I was grumbling, mad and frustrated. It was at that moment that I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me. And what he said shocked me. In the most matter-of-fact way, the Holy Spirit said, “Glenn, you have always been a poor sport, and I want you to stop it.”

What do you do with that? I knew that it was God speaking to me…not in an audible voice, but in a way that I clearly heard him speak into my thoughts. By the way, if the concept of God speaking to you is new, then check out Season 1 where we look at some of the ways God speaks to us.

But I knew it was God. One of the ways I knew it was God, was that it was corrective without bringing any shame or condemnation. I do not know how God does it, but he has a way of pointing out our sins in a way that leads to redemption. And as he pointed out my character flaw, he did it in a way that invited me to do something about it. In other words, I had a choice. I could either keep on being a bad sport or admit that I had a problem and needed help.

That is the first thing we need to do. We need to own up to our failures. And we do this through confession and repentance. If we cannot admit that we have a weakness, we will struggle to ever grow in that area.

So, in the car, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I knew and admitted that I was a poor sport, and I told God that I was sorry and did want to be that way anymore. That was the beginning of some radical internal changes for me. It was a moment when I began to grow in the fruit of the Spirit.

If you look at the fruit of the Spirit, it is a partial list of God’s attributes, and we share in these attributes. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Think about that list from the perspective of being a poor sport. It is easy to see that a poor sport does not have much joy, has little patience, is often not kind, is often not gentle, and clearly has a lack of self-control. In fact, if you look at the fruit of the Spirit, you can see how every one of those items listed can show up negatively in someone who is a poor sport. That was certainly me, especially when I was a boy. I remember throwing tantrums when I lost at anything.

But after I committed myself to change, the Holy Spirit began to transform me on the inside. And he did this in an interesting way. The Holy Spirit helped me see some of the reasons why I was a poor sport and why I felt the need to win. I began to see how my self-worth was based on success and that I equated acceptance with winning. I will not go into depth here, but what the Holy Spirit did for me was profound. And he will do the same thing for you, but it may be in a different way.

I pointed out earlier that being a poor sport shows up negatively in every item listed in the fruit of the Spirit. What I noticed was that as the Holy Spirit helped me be a better sport, I saw improvement in my character. It is difficult to have more self-control and not have more peace, or not be gentler, or not be more kind. In fact, to be a better sport requires growth in every aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. 

And this makes sense because God’s attributes are all interdependent and work all the time. We should expect the same to be true for us. 

If you want to grow in the fruit of the Spirit, do not just focus on one item where you think you fall short. For example, let us say you want to be more patient. Instead of just focusing on waiting better, ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in love, goodness, and kindness. The next time you are in a long line at the store, your love and kindness towards the clerk having their first day on the job will automatically help you with your patience. This interdependence of attributes is powerful. It is exciting when you experience this because growing in any one area helps accelerate growth in others.

CLOSING

The key takeaway in this episode is that all of God’s attributes are present and active all the time. And the same is meant to be true of us as we yield to the ongoing transformative work of the Holy Spirit.

In the next episode, we are going to look at how God is personal.

As always, you can send me comments, suggestions, or questions, by email at glenn@spiritledhope.com, or simply use the Contact Form at spiritledhope.com. That is spiritLEDhope.com. You can also send me a one-way text message by going to the episode show notes and clicking on the link with your smart phone. This is one of the ways you can encourage me.

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As you grow to be more like Jesus…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Until the next episode, take care.

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