CHAPTER XII
THE PERSONALITY OF GOD
A. INTRODUCTION
1. Personandpersonality.
a. By definition, God is pure, underived, selfconscious, selfdetermining, self
dependant,selfmanifesting,holy,livingbeing,andthusispersonal.
(1) A dog, fish, tree, plant, amoeba, are not persons even though eachpossesseslife.
(2) Man has derived, limited personal existence, being selfconscious, self
regulating, selfmanifesting,unholy, livingbeing, after the imageofGod(Gen.1:2627).
(3) God,havingunderived, transcendent,holy, living,personalbeing,existsas
theonlyabsoluteIAM.
(a) He isperfectly selfconscious or selfaware,declaring I am. GodsaidtoMoses,IAMWHOIAM;andHesaid,ThusyoushallsaytothesonsofIsrael,IAMhassentMetoyou(Ex.3:14).
(b) He isperfectly, actively, selfdeterminingor independentlydecisive,
declaring Iwill, basedupon IAM.Doingpresupposes being. 2GodspokefurthertoMosesandsaid tohim, Iam theLORD; 3andIappearedtoAbraham,Isaac,andJacob,asGodAlmighty,butbyMyname,LORD,IdidnotmakeMyselfknowntothem.4IalsoestablishedMycovenantwiththem,togivethemthelandofCanaan,thelandinwhichtheysojourned.5FurthermoreIhaveheardthegroaningofthesons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage,andIhaverememberedMycovenant.6Say,therefore,tothesonsofIsrael, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under theburdensoftheEgyptians,andIwilldeliveryoufromtheirbondage.Iwill also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with greatjudgments. 7Then Iwill takeyou forMypeople,and IwillbeyourGod;andyoushallknowthatIamtheLORDyourGod,whobroughtyououtfromundertheburdensoftheEgyptians.8Iwillbringyouto
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thelandwhichIsworetogivetoAbraham,Isaac,andJacob,andIwillgiveittoyouforapossession;IamtheLORD.(Ex.6:28).
(c) He is perfectly selfexpressive or selfmanifesting, declaring I
actively show. But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you[Pharaoh]toremain,inordertoshowyouMypowerandinordertoproclaimMyname throughall theearth (Ex.9:16;cf.16:610;19:1620).
b. Hence,whileGodispersonal,Hisactiveselfexpressionorselfmanifestationisa
revelationofHispersonality.Humanpersonalityisatbestderivativeandinnowayistobefoistedupondivinerevelation.
(1) However, it is important that the revelation of Gods personality be
perceivedas theexpressionof the fullnessofHisrevealedattributes,andnotunrelated emotions and radiance, especially thosewhich aregleanedfromhumanexperience.
(2) Atthelevelofmankind,wemaystronglyassessahumanbeingaccording
to certain incongruous personality traits, such as an outwardly happycountenance that does not betray inner melancholy. The emotions,descriptivenames,andgeneralauraofahumanbeingmaybedeceptiveintermsof reality in the soul.However thepersonalityofGod is inperfectharmonywithHisessentialbeing.
(a) The emotions of God, as revealed in Scripture, truly reflect His
attributesandessentialexistence.(b) ThenamesofGod,asrevealedinScripture,trulyreflectHisattributes
andessentialexistence.
(c) The radiance of God, as revealed in Scripture, truly reflects Hisattributesandessentialexistence.
c. Since personhood is sourced in God who expresses the perfect, righteouspersonality,andmanasapersonismodeledafterGod(Gen.1:2627),itfollowsthatmanwascreatedtohavepersonalfellowshipwithGodandexpressagodlypersonality (Gen. 3:89). However, the corruption of mans person andpersonalitythroughsinhasresultedinabreachofpersonalfellowshipbetweenGod andman. There is estrangement since the only holyGod cannot enjoyfellowshipwithunholyman.Thus,God alone can reconcile alienatedman toHimself by restoring the person and personality ofman to its original holymatrix.
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(1) As a sinfulperson,mywarpedpersonality finds satisfaction and eternalrestonlythroughrenewalandrealignmentuntotherighteouspersonalityofGod.
(a) Mysinbiased intellect finds truecorrectionandstabilityonly in the
righteousintellectofGod.ForwhohasknownthemindoftheLord,thathewillinstructHim?ButwehavethemindofChrist(ICor.2:16;cf.Rom.12:2;Phil.2:5).
(b) My sinbiased will finds true correction and stability only in the
righteouswillofGod.Theworldispassingaway,andalsoitslusts;but theonewhodoes thewillofGod lives forever (I John2:17; cf.Col.4:12;IPet.4:2).
(c) Mysinbiasedemotions find truecorrectionandstabilityonly in the
righteous emotions of God. I [the Lord GOD] will also rejoice inJerusalemandbegladinMypeople;andtherewillnolongerbeheardinherthevoiceofweepingandthesoundofcrying(Is.65:19;cf.Neh.8:10;Phil.4:4).
(2) ThismeansthatonlyinJehovahGodaremypersonalneedstrulymet,for
inHimIfind:
(a) The truest Friend, as didMoses. Thus the LORD used to speak toMoses face to face, just as aman speaks tohis friend.WhenMosesreturned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son ofNun, a youngman,wouldnotdepartfromthetent(Ex.33:11).
(b) ThemostmercifulHelper.Sothatweconfidentlysay,The LORDis
myhelper,Iwillnotbeafraid.Whatwillmandotome?(Heb.13:6;cf.Ps.10:14).
(c) ThemoststeadfastSovereign.Declaringtheendfromthebeginning,
andfromancienttimesthingswhichhavenotbeendone,saying,Mypurpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My goodpleasure(Isa.46:10;cf.Ps.33:11).
(d) ThekindestFather.Ifyou then,beingevil,knowhow togivegood
gifts to your children, howmuchmorewill your Fatherwho is inheavengivewhatisgoodtothosewhoaskHim!(Matt.7:11;cf.6:9;Rom.8:1516).
(3) The popular cult of excessive selfanalysis, subjectivism, existential
encounter, introspection, and relational theology, finds itsdemise at this
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point.Truepersonhood is attained,notby selfpreoccupation,but ratherthroughpreoccupationwiththeGodoftheBible.Mansurgentneedatthistime is a true and holyGodimage rather than a stimulating, egocentricselfimage. Butwe all,withunveiled face,beholding as in amirror thegloryoftheLord,arebeingtransformedintothesameimagefromglorytoglory,justasfromtheLord,theSpirit(IICor.3:18).
2. Triunityandpersonality.
a. IftheonelivingGodisatriunityofpersons,theFather,theSon,andtheHoly
Spirit, does this mean that God has a trichotomous personality, or threepersonalities?Decidedlynot,forthepersonalityofGodistheexpressionofHisessentialattributeswhichareofthesameessenceforeachpersonoftheTrinity.
b. Our problem here is, as is so often the case, that of conceiving of the term
person in crassly human terms. Three human persons do have differentpersonalities,butthisisnotsowiththetriuneJehovah.WemightsaythatGodhasoneholypersonalitymanifestthroughthreeholyindividualpersons.
B. THEPERSONALITYOFGODCOMMUNICATED.
1. TheimageofGodintheconstitutionofman.
a. Introduction.
ConcerningGodsattributescommunicated toman, itought tobeunderstoodthattheyarepredicated,ofnecessity,uponthecommunicationofGodsimagetoman.SuchimpartationappearstobedirectlydescribedinGenesis2:7whereitisrevealedthat,theLORDGodformedmanofthedustfromtheground,andbreathedintohisnostrilsthebreathoflife;andmanbecamealivingbeing.Inotherwords,Godmademaninthephysicalrealm,andhissoulwasformedbythe transmission of life, though notGods essence,whereby a living humanbeingwascreated.
(1) GodisglorifiedthroughoutallofHiscreation.ButHisresplendentmajesty
issupremelycomprehendedwhenthecreatureisenabledtohavepersonaladoring fellowship, and notmere presence, with God. Such fellowshiprequiresacreatedbeingthat,castinamoldsimilartoGod,cancommunewithGodaccordingtoHispersonal/moralnature.ItisforthisreasonthatmanwascreatedinGodslikenessandimage(Gen.1:2627;3:89),indeed,hewasmadeintheimage[,eikn]andglory[,doxa ofGod(ICor.11:7).
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(2) However,becauseman receivednobilityanddignityathis creation,andyetisnowdepraved,disfigured,delinquent,anddisreputable,throughthefall, a tensionpresents itself thatneeds tobe carefully resolved. Inotherwords,doesmantodaystillhavenobilityanddignityasathoroughsinner?Muchpopular teachinghas stressed thisdignity in termsofhuman selfworthandselfesteem,andisquicktogliblyclaimsupposedsupportfromthefactthatmodernmanstillretainsameasureoftheimageofGodinhisbeing. Now in general terms this biblical premise is true, though theextrapolation concerning selfvalue is questionable. What precisely isretained and what is lost concerning the imago Dei? Does the Biblegratify polluted humankind by describing it in terms of nobility anddignity? Itmustbeadmitted that it flattersandcomfortssinners to thinkthatthisisso.Butwhatspecifically,yetuniversally,doestheBibleteach?
b. KeybiblicalprinciplesconcerningmanmadeintheimageofGod.
(1) ManwasframedintheimageofGod.26ThenGodsaid,LetUsmakeman
inOurimage,accordingtoOurlikeness;andletthemruleoverthefishoftheseaandover thebirdsof theskyandover thecattleandoverall theearth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 27 GodcreatedmaninHisownimage,intheimageofGodHecreatedhim;maleand femaleHecreated them. 28Godblessed them;andGodsaid to them,Befruitfulandmultiply,andfilltheearth,andsubdueit;andruleoverthefishoftheseaandoverthebirdsoftheskyandovereverylivingthingthatmovesontheearth.(Gen.1:2628;cf.5:13).
(a) Godshapedmankind (plural),so thatHisreflected image is inter
national.ManwasthereforedestinedtoreflectGodsglory.
(b) The terms image and likeness are synonymous in meaningaccordingtoHebrewparallelism.
(c) Mans image is to be after the triuneGod, cf. Our image, . . .Our
likeness,notonlythatofGodtheSon.
(d) ThelikenessofmantoGodisillustratedbythegeneratedlikenessofSeth,asason,toAdam(Gen.5:3).
(e) BothmanandwomanweremadeintheimageofGod.Neithergender
hasanydistinctivefeatureinthisregard.
(f) Becauseman is unique and superior in the earthly sphere, he is toexercisedominionovertheanimalworld.
THE ATTRIBUTES OF GO
