Understanding God's Unity: How All His Attributes Harmonize in Jesus Christ

There is an aspect of God that often remains overlooked in contemporary discussions — His unity. Without comprehending this attribute, we risk misunderstanding the very essence of God. This blog post delves into this critical topic, exploring the profound concept of God's unity and how it reconciles seemingly opposing attributes such as mercy and justice, love and wrath.

I’m Travis Maxey, and I make it a practice to read through the Bible once a month, studying it verse by verse. My notes are freely available on my website, immersedisiple.com, for those who wish to delve deeper.

Free Weekly Commentary Notes

The Attribute of God's Unity

When we talk about God's unity, we refer to the belief that God is not divided into different parts. Across the Bible, various attributes of God are highlighted more prominently at different times. Despite this, everything God does is an expression of His unified nature, consistent across all His attributes. A key biblical reference is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, stating, "God is one."

Likewise, in Exodus 34:6-7, we witness the Lord God described as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness while also holding the guilty accountable for their sins. This paints a picture of a God who embodies all these characteristics wholly and simultaneously.

Holding Attributes in Perfect Tension

How can God be loving and vengeful, merciful and just? The answer lies in His unity. God's nature does not involve laying down one attribute to emphasize another. Unlike humans, who often struggle to balance attributes like mercy and justice, God maintains them all in perfect harmony.

We, as humans, reflect some of God's attributes, such as love, mercy, and justice, in our limited capacity. Our fallen nature means we can rarely, if ever, uphold all these attributes simultaneously. However, God is 100% of all His attributes at all times. He does not forsake His mercy to uphold justice, nor does He abandon justice to extend mercy.

The Resolution in Jesus Christ

The critical question arises: How can God be just and still justify sinners? The resolution of this dilemma is found in Jesus Christ.

As outlined in Romans 3, particularly starting from verse 21, the righteousness of God is manifested through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the answer to how all of God's attributes can co-exist in harmony. Through His sacrificial work, God's mercy and justice, His love and wrath, meet. Christ's life, death, and resurrection reveal the fullest expression of God's unity, with all His characteristics working in seamless harmony. Before Christ, God anticipated His coming, overlooking previous sins. After Christ's resurrection, God looks back at His completed work. Jesus becomes the point where all of God's attributes coalesce, revealing the unity of God's nature.

Conclusion: Understanding God's Unity to Grasp the Gospel

To understand God, one must comprehend His unity. This understanding is essential for grasping the gospel, which demonstrates how God's attributes work together in perfect harmony. Through Jesus Christ, we see the beauty of God's unified nature — a God who is wholly just, merciful, loving, and vengeful against sin, all at the same time. God's unity in Christ epitomizes the gospel's depth, showing believers the inseparable nature of God's attributes. Without this understanding, we miss the essence of how and why the gospel works. Embracing God's unity invites us into a deeper relationship with Him, based on the foundation of Christ's sacrifice.