The Eternal God

The Eternal God

One of the characteristics of God is that he is eternal: 1 Tim. 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." We know that the scriptures teach us that when we are born of the Spirit we have eternal spiritual life in the inner man. We also know that in the resurrection we will have eternal life in the body. However, God is eternal in a way that we are not. Our eternal life has a beginning. The scriptures teach that God is from everlasting to everlasting (Ps. 41:13; 90:2; 93:2; 103:17; 106:48; Is. 63:16; Micah 5:2; Hab. 1:12). Thus, God is eternal both in that he has no beginning and he has no ending.

Since God cannot change, all of his characteristics and attributes are also eternal. The following verses show forth some of those eternal characteristics and attributes of God:

1. Jere. 31:3 "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee."

2. Rom. 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

3. Deu. 33:27 "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them."

4. Ps. 119:142 "They righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth."

5. Ps. 119:144 "The righteousness of they testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding and I shall live."

6. Is. 26:4 "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

7. Is. 54:8 "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer."

8. 1 Pet. 5:10 "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

Based on the above scriptures, we conclude that God's love, power, arms, righteousness, testimonies, strength, kindness, and glory are all eternal.

Furthermore, God made an eternal covenant:

1. Eph. 3:11 "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2. 2 Sam. 23:5 "Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow."

3. Heb. 13:20 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant."

This everlasting covenant is set forth for us in Rom. 8:28-30, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

Christ is said to be an eternal King:

1. Ps. 93:2 "They throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting."

2. Jere. 10:10 "But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation."

3. Dan. 7:14 "And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

4. 1 Tim. 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."