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What is God like? Part 2

Jul 14, 2020    Zach McAlack

Omnipotence, often understood as meaning “God is all powerful” can be misunderstood. Omnipotence is not a lack of any possible power but an ability to do anything which is in accordance with his will and divine nature. God is not capable of sinning, he can do anything that is logically possible—this is not a statement against miraculous intervention by God but against old adages like “can God make a rock so big that even he can’t lift it?” (Genesis 18:13-14, Jeremiah 32:17, 21, Job 42, Psalm 115:1-8, Daniel 4:34, cf., Genesis 1, Exodus 3:13-14, Matthew 19:23-26, Luke 1, Luke 18:24-27)

Omniscience points to God’s perfection in knowledge. Nothing happens in creation which God does not know about nor does anything surprise him. God is fully knowledgeable of all events past, present and future in all possible worlds with all possible outcomes (John 28:12ff, 42:1-6, Psalm 139, 147, Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:33-36, Hebrews 4:12-13).

God is wholly good, he never commits any evil. He is necessarily good, everything that he does is good because of the nature of his character. He is perfectly good, he is morally outstanding and nothing is lacking in his goodness (Psalm 118:1, 29, Psalm 136:1, 2 Chronicles 7:3, Ezra 3:11, Luke 18:18-19).