FAQs Mondays: What Are the Attributes of God? Part 4

Last week, we looked at the justice and holiness of God. You can read that post here.

This week, we will be looking at the goodness and mercy of God from the Baptist Scriptural Catechism, Lesson 3, part 6.

Do the Scriptures represent God as possessing the attribute of goodness?

They do, declaring that "God is love"(1 John 4:8) and that "You are good, an You do what is good" (Ps. 119:68). See also I John 4:16; Neh. 9:17; and Matt. 19:17.

Is not this apparent, also, from the light of nature?
 

It is.

Do the Scriptures attribute perfect goodness to God only?

They do. "There is only One who is good" (Matt.19:17).

Is He good to all His creatures?
 

He is; for "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing"(Ps. 145:16) and His "Compassion rests on all He has made" (Ps. 145:9).

Is the goodness of God liable to the least interruption?

It is not, "God's faithful love is constant" (Ps. 52:1).

Mercy, as you know, consists in doing good to an unworthy object, and that without hope of reward; is God a God of mercy as well as goodness?

He is. "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and rich in faithful love" (Ps. 103:8). See also Ex. 34:6-7; and Eph. 2:4.

Is man worthy of any blessings from God?

He is not worthy "of the least of all the mercies" of God (Gen 32:10). See also Matt. 8:8.

And yet does he not receive many blessings at the hand of God? 

He does. He is crowned "with loving kindness and tender mercies" (Ps. 103:4).

Does not this prove that God is a merciful Being?

Is not the very fact that we live, proof of it?

"Because of the Lord's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end" (Lam. 3:22). See also 2 Pet. 3:9.

How has God, in the most striking manner, exhibited His mercy toward man?
 

"God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9). See also 1 John 3:16, 4:10; Rom. 5:8; and John 3:16.

Is His mercy everlasting and unchanging?

Should not men be very thankful, and praise God for his goodness and mercy?
 

They should. "Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and his wonderful works for all humanity" (Ps. 107:8). See also Ps. 36:7-9;and 1 John 4:19.

How are you affected in view of these features of the divine character?

Through these questions, we are driven to consider the mercies of God. We also see another fine example of combining rote memorization with higher level questions. Students are being encouraged to think through these questions, take them to heart, and answer for themselves.  

This concludes our brief look at the attributes of God. Scriptures make clear that God is infinitely worthy of praise. FAQs Mondays will return next week. Feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

Note: All quotes have been changed to the HCSB. Questions without answers lacked answers in the original source. You can check it out here.