Theology I: Attributes of God (part 2)
God’s Incommunicable Attributes | Knowing the Great and Unchanging God
In this theology lecture, Cedarville University students continue their study of the doctrine of God by examining His incommunicable attributes — the qualities that belong to God alone and flow from His transcendence. Building on earlier discussions of the Trinity, transcendence, and immanence, this session emphasizes why God’s self-existence, immutability, and perfect knowledge matter for worship, trust, and daily Christian living.
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0:26 Review of the Trinity and God’s attributes
1:12 Incommunicable vs. communicable attributes
2:58 God’s infinite perfection
4:42 God’s self-existence (aseity)
6:35 The name “I AM” in Exodus 3
8:44 God’s immortality and sovereignty
10:28 God’s immutability explained
11:37 Malachi 3 and God’s unchanging character
13:06 Numbers 23 and God’s faithfulness
15:03 Human instability contrasted with God’s steadiness
19:59 Open theism and God’s knowledge of the future
21:19 Interpreting Genesis 22 and Jonah 3
25:59 God’s omniscience and prophecy
28:42 Anthropomorphic language in Scripture
29:05 Practical implications for faith and worship
The lecture begins with a review of God’s incommunicable attributes, emphasizing that these qualities belong to God alone and highlight the creator–creature distinction. Unlike human beings, who are finite and derivative, God is infinite in perfection, possessing every attribute in complete and flawless measure at all times.
Students then explore God’s aseity, His self-existence and independence from anything outside Himself. Scripture presents God as the one who simply “is,” needing nothing and deriving His being from no one. This truth underscores the freedom of God’s love — He does not create or redeem out of need, but out of grace.
The session also addresses God’s immutability. God does not change in His character, purposes, promises, or perfections. While Scripture describes God responding to human actions, these responses never contradict His eternal nature or covenant faithfulness. Passages like Malachi 3 and Numbers 23 show that God’s steadfastness is the reason His people are not consumed.
A significant portion of the lecture engages the modern theological view known as open theism, which claims that God does not know the future exhaustively. By examining texts such as Genesis 22 and Jonah 3, students learn how Scripture uses human-centered language to communicate God’s actions without denying His omniscience. Prophecy, covenant, and God’s revealed character all testify that He knows the end from the beginning.
The lecture concludes with practical encouragement. Because God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and unchanging, believers can worship Him with confidence, pray with hope, and trust Him even in suffering. The God who raised the dead is able to transform lives, defeat sin, and ultimately overcome evil forever.
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