Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 2)

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 2

Of God, and of the Holy Trinity (Part 1)

I. There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long‑suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.

This chapter begins with a declaration about the uniqueness of God and then offers a definition of God. This one God is living, i.e., He is knowable and personal. This one God is true, i.e., there is only one God and no other(s). This is a fundamental teaching of Christianity. We recognize only one true Supreme Being who has disclosed Himself to us, is due our fear, reverence, worship, love and obedience.

The Christian religion defies the teaching that there are many gods and, therefore, opposes the notion that one concept of God and heaven is as equally valid as any other. The Christian religion says there is one God who speaks and acts with absolute authority.

This God is “infinite in His being and perfection.” That is, He without limits in His presence (He is omnipresent), He is without limits in His perfection (He is holy in every way). Further, God is a spirit, i.e., His essence is not material. Therefore, He is invisible. He has no body, parts, or passions. He could have no body, course, since He is “infinite in being.”

In Acts 14:11, which is cited by the writers as a proof text, Paul corrects a false impression. He was not a god, he was only a human being beset with “passions” like others. God is not so. God has no “passions.” The word as used here is generally understood of in terms of impulsive, sinful, human emotions. We know that God does have “passions” in a sense. He gets angry, He loves, etc., but this is not what is being denied by the writers.

Following this are several statements that describe God. These are known as “attributes” or “characteristics.” Historically, theologians have spoken of two kinds of attributes: communicable and non-communicable. Communicable attributes are those characteristics of God that we, as human beings, can mimic to a certain degree. The non-communicable attributes are those characteristics of God that are unique to Him.

Let us list the non-communicable attributes first (we won’t take the time to look at all the Scripture references): God is immutable (changeless), immense (He cannot be “contained”), eternal (He has no beginning or end), incomprehensible (He cannot be fully known/understood), almighty (He has all power), most free (God is not bound by any “restrictions”), most absolute (He is “self-contained,” needing nothing/no one). These are the characteristics of God in which we cannot share.

If we compare ourselves to the list above, we quickly see how these things can be said of God only. The communicable attributes include wisdom and holiness. These are characteristics of God that we can imitate.

This true God works all things according to His own will (more on this topic comes in Chapter 3). His will is referred to an “immutable” and “righteous.” God’s will determines what will come to pass in history, in general, and in each of our lives, in particular. Since He knows all things and has all power, whatever He decides must come to pass; therefore, His will is “immutable.”

And, since He is infinitely perfect, His will is “righteous.” It has no deficiencies or shortcomings. God’s will does not follow a standard of righteousness; it is the standard of righteousness.

(To be continued)