Who is responsible for describing the attributes of God, believers or non-believers?

Question

Believers keep changing their definitions, so when non-believers begin to question one definition, the believer then shifts the attribution to something else entirely.*

If the Believers think they deserve the honor of describing what God is like, then when will the definition of God and his attributes be settled?

--------

*Example:
BELIEVER (B): "Jesus is God made flesh."
NON-BELIEVER (NB): "So he knew he would rise again?"
B: "Yes. He knew he would suffer like no one else."
NB: "But he knew it would last about a day, then he would get a 2-day nap, and rise again. Doesn't that mean it was simply a charade?"
B: "No! He suffered because he took on all our sins!"
NB: "So his suffering was supernatural, not natural?"
B: "Exactly! He's God!
NB: "So why exactly then did he have to become flesh?"
B: "So he could suffer."
NB: "So he had to become flesh to have supernatural pain. That makes no sense! Why not stay supernatural and have supernatural pain?"
B: "You need faith to understand it."

Answer 1

The Attributes of God are not the hypothetical conversation you listed! These are the Attributes of God.
Sovereignty: This is “the attribute by which He rules His entire creation.” It is the application of His other attributes of being all-knowing and all-powerful. It makes Him absolutely free to do what He knows to be best. God is in control of everything that happens. Man still has a free will, and is responsible for his choices in life.

Holiness: This is the attribute that sets God apart from all other created beings. It refers to His majesty and His perfect moral purity. There is absolutely no sin or evil thought in God at all. His holiness is the definition of that which is pure and righteous in all the universe. Wherever God has appeared, such as to Moses at the burning bush, that place becomes holy just for God having been there.

Trinity: Though the actual word is not used in the Bible, the truth of God revealing Himself in three persons is included. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called God, given worship as God, exist eternally, and are involved in doing things only God could do. Although, God reveals Himself in three persons, God is One and cannot be divided. All are involved completely whenever One of the Three is active.

Omniscience: “God possesses perfect knowledge and therefore has no need to learn. God has never learned and cannot learn.” Omniscience means all-knowing. God knows everything, and His knowledge is infinite. It is impossible to hide anything from God.

Faithfulness: Everything that God has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact. He does not lie. What He has said in the Bible about Himself is true. Jesus even said that He is the Truth. This is extremely important for the followers of Jesus because it is on His faithfulness that our hope of eternal life rests. He will honor His promise that our sins will be forgiven and that we will live forever with Him.

Love: Love is such an important part of God’s character that the apostle John wrote, “God is love.” This means that God holds the well-being of others as His primary concern. For a full definition of love, read 1 Corinthians 13. To see love in action, study the life of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of others is the ultimate act of love. God’s love is not a love of emotion but of action. His love gives freely to the object of its affection, those who choose to follow His son Jesus.

Omnipotence: Literally this word means all-powerful. Since God is infinite and since He possesses power, He possesses infinite power. He does allow His creatures to have some power, but this in no way diminishes His own. “He expends no energy that must be replenished.” When the Bible says God rested on the seventh day, it was to set an example for us and our need for rest, not because He was tired.

Self-existence: When Moses asked who he was talking to in the burning bush, God said, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS.” God has no beginning or end. He just exists. Nothing else in all the universe is self-caused. Only God. In fact, if anything else had created Him, that thing would be God. This is a difficult concept for our minds since everything else we will ever encounter comes from something other than itself. The Bible says, “In the beginning, God.” He was already there.

Self-sufficiency: The Bible says that God has life in Himself (see John 5:26). All other life in the universe is a gift from God. He has no needs and there is no way He can improve. To God, nothing else is necessary. He does not need our help with anything, but because of His grace and love, He allows us to be a part of advancing His plan on earth and being a blessing to others. We are the ones who change, but never God. He is self-sufficient.

Justice: The Bible says that God is just, but it is His character that defines what being just really is. He does not conform to some outside criteria. Being just brings moral equity to everyone. When there are evil acts, justice demands there be a penalty. Since God is perfect and has never done evil, no penalty would ever be necessary; however, because of His love, God paid the penalty for our evil deeds by going to the cross Himself. His justice needed to be satisfied, but He took care of it for all who will believe in Jesus.

Immutability: This simply means that God never changes. It is why the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Mercy: “Mercy is the attribute of God which disposes Him to be actively compassionate.” Since God’s justice is satisfied in Jesus, He is free to show mercy to all those who have chosen to follow Him. It will never end since it is a part of God’s nature. Mercy is the way He desires to relate to mankind, and He does so unless the person chooses to despise or ignore God at which time His justice becomes the prominent attribute.

Eternal: In some ways, this fact about God is similar to His self-existence. God always has been and will forever be, because God dwells in eternity. Time is His creation. It is why God can see the end from the beginning, and why He is never surprised by anything. If He were not eternal, God’s promise of eternal life for those who follow Jesus would have little value.

Goodness: “The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men.” This attribute of God is why He bestows all the blessing He does on His followers. God’s actions define what goodness is, and we can easily see it in the way Jesus related to the people around Him.

Gracious: God enjoys giving great gifts to those who love Him, even when they do not deserve it. Grace is the way we describe that inclination. Jesus Christ is the channel through which His grace moves. The Bible says, “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Omnipresence: This theological term means “always present.” Since God is infinite, His being knows no boundaries. So, clearly He is everywhere. This truth is taught throughout the Bible as the phrase “I am with you always” is repeated 22 times in both the Old and New Testaments. These were even Jesus’ words of assurance just after giving the challenge to His disciples to take His message to the entire world. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow Jesus

Answer 2

God is sovereign and reserves the right to answer any prayer He pleases. Only unless we are in a covenant relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, we have no basis to expect God will hear us. Neither do Christians have a reason to expect God will hear them, unless they ask in faith. The Syro-Phoenician woman whose daughter was afflicted by a demon is one example of someone who got here prayer answered, even though she was an outsider - which at that time was a Gentile - a non-Jew.

Answer 3

Your example is right for Hebrews says "Jesus had to be made into flesh and humbled as a human to save mankind from sin. For he was tempted in every way by Satan as we are everyday so as to be one with His people and feel what we felt" Vos quotes many versus in defense of this but to help understand the Bible said we are dead in our tresspasses and sins, and if Im dead how can I believe or have faith or be born again. Jesus dying on the cross was the only way other wise if God could reckon us to Him dont you think He would make another way instead of sending His only begotten Son. Only something so great pure and perfect as Jesus could be crucified as a sacrifice for our deadly hell deserving sins. They are total opposites like God and Satan sin and righteousness of whom which Jesus was the only pure righteous one. But it mainly has to do with Him being humbled and going through the same mortality and alligning Himself with His people who believe in Him so that we cant say He didnt know what it was like to be Human . Oh yes He did dying on the cross the worst death the Bible says. But also at the end of that example whomever says you have to have faith to understand it, while thats true, never should a christian judge like that and outright say that. Paul said he did not come preaching with persuasive words and tone but let Gods word speak for itself and let God work in the Believers heart to open it up. Hope this helps

Answer 4

I see a pattern in the questioning common to all who do not want to understand. No matter what the believer answers, the unbeliever creates another conundrum. That's why I refuse to argue with an unbeliever. I tell them the truth and let God's word be the disciplining agent.

Answer 5

The best source for describing God's attributes is by HIS word (the bible). The bible has the best descriptions of God's attribute's because they are all collected from different people who've experienced God in different ways and through all walks of life. Some call Him healer, some redeemer, some Father, some friend, because God was and is still that to them. There have been some misconceptions as far as Jesus being God in the flesh. See, Jesus Christ is actually God in the flesh, but they are still two entities, one being the Father (God) and one being the Son (Jesus). Just think of it as a car-frame and an engine, two seperate entites that work together to form and work as a whole car, for Jesus said himself that "no man come to the Father but by me" (John 14:6). Jesus was summoned to come in the flesh for two reasons: 1) because God cannot come down to this earth, for if He did he would leave His throne, and a King never leaves his throne unattended. If God did come to earth he would also have to judge us (man) because God judges sin (man= sin, unless he/she has accepted Christ as their Lord and personal Savior). The second reason Jesus came in flesh: 2) was to redeem man by dying on the cross for the remission of our sins because "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Jesus was man's example of how to live b/c Jesus was God's perfect spirit, wrapped in an unperfect flesh. Jesus taught us that we have to submit our flesh to our spirit and that we too can live without sin if we walk just like he did, by denying the evil desires of our flesh

(Mark 7: 20-22 "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.'For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly)

and submitting our will to God's perfect will and God's perfect love. (Matthew 26:39-"Yet not as I will, but as you will.")

Remember, GOD is PERFECT LOVE!

Answer 6

You can listen to others tell you all about God's attributes but you are listening to human beings, immature Christians, and maybe even some non-believers. YOU are the one who will decide your own fate. Work out your OWN salvation with fear and trembling.

Answer 7

That is the perfect description of the Christian belief system.

You have to believe in it, and have faith in it, before you can 'understand' it.

And you can't understand what it is you are supposed to believe or have faith in until you already have faith, and believe in it.

Answer 8

I think that there are more than ample discussions about Christ's death on the cross available, if you are really interested in learning about it.

No need to feign misunderstanding. If you don't like, then don't like. It's not much of an excuse now, and won't be much of an excuse later on.

Answer 9

It's called cherry picking.Those with a religious belief are experts at it.

Answer 10

according to christians god is
immaterial yet material?
loving yet wrathful?
man yet god?
merciful yet just?
God just doesnt make sense.

Answer 11

Become the Attributes of God and there will be no need to describe them, for you will be doing "The WILL" by sharing them...