How God’s Attributes Are Commonly Distinguished (1)

Notes out of the catechism classes of Rev. J. Fraanje

Our lessons today in Rev. Hellenbroek’s Catechism pertain to the explaining of the attributes of God. Question: How are God’s attributes commonly distinguished? Answer: Into communicable and incommunicable attributes.

Notice, it is not meant here that the attributes of God are divided; no, they are God Himself, as he (Rev. Hellenbroek) says in the past question. This is easy to prove. For example, Light, Life, Love, and the Truth, etc., are all attributes of God. In the meantime, God Himself is also called the Light, the Life, the Love, and the Truth. Therefore, He is that Himself. So, it is clear that God’s attributes are not to be separated from God and not to be distinguished from God. They are not something other than God but truly God Himself, and in Him are all things an eternal perfection.

We call the divine attributes various names because of our limited understanding and because they have a remote resemblance to God’s perfections respecting His creatures. For that reason, we speak of five incommunicable attributes of God, namely: 1) Independency, 2) Simplicity, 3) Eternity, 4) Omnipresence, and 5) Immutability. We call this group incommunicable because there is not the least resemblance of them in any creature. Hellenbroek also names seven other attributes that are called communicable: they are God’s Knowledge, Will, Power, Goodness, Grace, Mercy and Patience. These attributes are called communicable because there are mere traces or remote likenesses in the creatures. However, they are also infinite and completely incommunicable when related (or ascribed) to God.

In order to not cause confusion by handling too many things at once, we shall speak this afternoon about the incommunicable attributes. The first attribute is called Independency. Hellenbroek says that the Independency of God means He is self-existent and self-sufficient. Who is the only independent being? Only God is independent. He is completely free—not dependent upon a creature, neither in His existence, nor in His work.

For the very reason that the Triune God is the only independent being and always will be, do you, boys and girls, not see how wicked and God-dishonoring it is for men to declare a country independent? Maybe some of the older ones among you remember that in 1913 a great feast was celebrated in the Netherlands, which the people called the Feast of Independence. There had been no war in one hundred years in our country and, in that sense, it was free of all other countries. It is wonderful if a country can remain at peace without interruption for one hundred years, but does that give one reason to say we are independent? No; in doing so, we dishonor the Lord upon whom we were totally dependent throughout those most privileged years. Never use that word, therefore, in connection with a person or a country. Remember, independency is an incommunicable attribute of the divine Being.

Who was the very first one in the world to declare man to be independent? The devil in Paradise. It was there that man wanted to be free of God and, as a consequence, independent. Adam and Eve lived there in communion with God. They knew Him in the cool of the day. The devil, as you all know, is a fallen angel. Since his fall, caused by his revolt against God and his being banned from heaven to the abyss, he holds an everlasting hatred against God. He knows very well that there is no possibility of his ever being in God’s favor or returning to heaven. Do you know what he wants to do now? He has discovered that it is impossible to touch God as God. He lost that struggle. Now he tries to harass God in His works. All the fallen angels (those who became devils) wander about as spirits, and with permission, have the power to show themselves in any form.

The devil went to Eve in this way soon after Creation. He came in the form of a serpent and said, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” The woman said unto the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Observe how slyly the tempter went to work. He didn’t begin by saying to Eve, “There is no God,” or “God knows nothing of it”—no, he acted at least as if he were inclined toward God as Eve was because he referred directly to God’s omniscience in saying, “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” You all know what the results were. This is not the time to relate this history, but I want to call to your attention how the devil began ages ago to place the image of “independency” before man—being as God, knowing good and evil. That charms the poor soul. It entices him to be free from God, loose from all ties and, thus, through desire for independency, become eternally shackled to sin and death. Do you see now how the devil was a liar “from the beginning,” just as Jesus said? In addition, he confirmed his lies with an oath when he said, “God knows.”

In the next issue we will continue with the instruction on God’s attribute of Independency.

(To be continued)

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