Bethany Leadership Podcast

Session 2: The Doctrine of God – Part 2

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Theme: God’s Character – Attributes, Love, and Holy Otherness
  1. Why Study God’s Attributes?
    • God’s attributes aren't categories we impose on Him—they are ways He has revealed Himself.
    • The study of God’s character leads not just to knowledge but to worship and transformation.
    • God is Not Like Us
      • God is incomprehensible, infinite, and unchanging. He is "holy other.”
      • Even His communicable attributes (like love and justice) are perfect and infinite—far beyond ours.
      • Example: God’s anger is never out of control; His mercy never compromises justice.
      • The Unity of God's Attributes
        • God's attributes aren’t slices of a pie; He doesn’t operate with love apart from holiness or justice.
        • “God’s justice is loving. God’s love is holy.”
        • We misunderstand God when we isolate one attribute from the rest.
        • God’s Love and the Trinity
          • The Father’s love for the Son and the Spirit defines God’s very nature.
          • This inter-Trinitarian love is the source of our salvation—it overflows toward us.
          • God doesn’t need us to love—He is love eternally—but He graciously includes us in it.
          • How God’s Attributes Impact Us
            • Knowing God's faithfulness, holiness, mercy, and wrath helps us:
              • Trust Him when suffering.
              • Stand in awe when we read Scripture.
              • Live lives marked by humility and joy.
              • We are called not just to admire these traits—but to be conformed to His image.
                • Notable Quotes
                • “God is not a better version of us. He is categorically different.”
                • “God’s wrath is never out of control. His love never sets aside His justice.”
                • “If you isolate one attribute, you distort God.”
                • “God is love—but that doesn’t mean He’s soft.”
                • “When you realize who God is, you stop bargaining and start worshiping.”
                • “God’s love existed before time—in the Trinity. That’s the kind of love we’re invited into.”
                • “To know God is to be changed by Him. You can’t meet Him and stay the same.”
                • “The attributes of God aren't theological trivia—they are life-shaping truths.”
                  • ...more
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                  Bethany Leadership PodcastBy Bethany Baptist Church