“GOD IS…”

John 4:24

The Bible tells us three things specifically about the nature of God. We must form our thoughts, ideas and opinions about God in the light of these three things.

“GOD IS SPIRIT.”

John 4:24 declares, “God is Spirit.” In the original text there is no corresponding word for the indefinite article “a”. Our King James translation, “God is a Spirit,” is horrendous. The text should read, “God is Spirit.” To say, “God is a Spirit,” is to suggest that he is one among many. Our Lord’s words to the Samaritan were “God is Spirit. God is Spirit in the highest sense of the word.

This distinguishes him from all his creatures. He made his angels spirits. Man was created with a spirit. Even Satan is a spirit. But “God is Spirit.” That means that he has no physical, visible body. If God had a body he could not be omnipresent and infinite. He would be limited to one place at a time. But, because “God is Spirit,” he is both infinite and omnipresent. He fills heaven and earth at all times. And, because “God is Spirit,” all who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth.

“GOD IS LIGHT.”

“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Light is the exact opposite of darkness. In the Scriptures “darkness” represents sin, evil and death. “Light” represents holiness, truth and life. When John says, “God is light,” his meaning is this: -- God is the sum and essence of all that is excellent. God is holiness, God is truth, God is life, because God is light.

“GOD IS LOVE.”

Twice, the Holy Spirit moved John to tell us that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8, 16). It is true that God loves, that love is in God, and that love comes from God. But John is not describing an act of God, or a gift of God, but an attribute of God. “God is love.”

As his nature is Spirit and Light, so in the essence of his Being “God is love!” Whenever we think about the love of God we must understand that God’s love is altogether like himself. It is uninfluenced, eternal, infinite, sovereign, immutable, holy, effectual and free. Love is not a fickle passion or emotion with God, as it is with men. Love is the commitment of God’s glorious Being to the salvation of his elect.

This love is what the theologians call “a communicable attribute of God”. All who are born of God are made partakers of this attribute of the divine nature. It is written, “He that loveth not knoweth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For Today Radio Message #812

2734 Old Stanford Road - Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net