Series:              Systematic Theology Part 1
Title:                The Communicable (Shared) Attributes of God’s Character, Pt. 2
Purpose:          To identify how God is like us in the attributes of will and in attributes that summarize His excellence 
Date:               November 3, 2024
 
I.                   Attributes of Purpose
A.    Will - He approves and determines everything that He will do
1.      God’s will in general - everything that happens
a.       Ephesians 1:11
b.      Revelations 4:11
c.       Daniel 4:32
d.      Romans 13:1
e.       Acts 4:27-28
f.       1 Peter 3:17 
g.      James 4:13-15
2.      Distinctive aspects of God’s will
a.       Necessary will and free will
1)      What He must do to be true to His own nature
2)      God cannot choose to be different than He is or cease to exist
3)      Creating the universe was a free choice
4)      Redemption was a free will choice
5)      There was no cause for either - God did both because He wanted to
b.      Secret will and revealed will
1)      Deuteronomy 29:29
2)      Generally God’s revealed will are commandments that He expects us to obey
3)      Your will be done on earth is an appeal for the revealed will of God to be followed on earth
4)      Secret will deals with when events will actually happen
5)      James 4:15
6)      Genesis 50:20
7)      1 Corinthians 4:19 - only be known when it happens
8)      Beware of blaming evil events on God’s will
B.     Freedom - He does whatever He pleases
C.     Omnipotence (power, sovereignty)  - He is able to do all His holy will chooses to do
 
II.                Summary Attributes - tend to apply to all of the previous ones but still need to be listed
A.    Perfection - has everything that is desirable to Him
B.     Blessedness - He delights fully in Himself
C.     Beauty - He is the sum of all desirable qualities 
D.    Glory