God’s Perfection (and infinite nature)

As early church theologians came to understand the nature of the God of Israel after the resurrection of Jesus, they would often describe God as ‘a boundless ocean of being.’ It was a way of describing God’s perfections, or, the infinite nature of his being, which is identical to the attributes he possesses in infinite measure. 

God’s perfection was one of the characteristics that distinguished him from the pagan gods of Greece and Rome. Where pagan gods were somewhat glorified humans, battling one another as they wrestled with the desires that were alive within them, the God and Father of Jesus Christ was not in conflict with himself or anyone else. To start with there were no other gods out there to compete with him, and because he possessed all his attributes to perfection, there was no conflict within himself either. 

Where pagan gods were bigger, stronger, smarter, wiser and more dangerous than people, early theologians realised that they could not compare the God of the Bible with his creation at all, because the category he was in was altogether different. This was due, in part, to his perfections. A major part of the problem that arises when we think of God as stronger or wiser than people, for example, is that the moment we compare him with a created being we assume he can be measured. Even if we were to compare God to the universe it would be a mistake, because as large as the universe is, it is made up of parts that are limited in every way imaginable. Lifeless matter, atoms that are unstable, things burning away as they produce light and heat, etc. Whereas God is not simply infinite in measure, as the universe may be, but his very being is perfection itself. 

It is right to say that God is altogether infinite, unlimited and immeasurable. And this is part of the reason why we can be confident to say that if a person does not stand in awe of him, they do not know him. For God to possess his attributes perfectly, is for him to possess them all without measure. 

As theologian Matthew Barrett describes, ‘God’s power is an infinite power, which is why we call him omnipotent (all-powerful). God’s knowledge is an infinite knowledge, which is why we title him omniscient (all-knowing). God’s wisdom is an infinite wisdom, which justifies praising him as omnisapient (all-wise). God’s presence is an infinite presence, which urges us to acknowledge that he is omnipresent (everywhere present). And if infinity applied to space is omnipresence, then infinity applied to time is eternity. The point is, God’s essence is unbounded, immeasurable, unfathomable, and inestimable (too great to calculate) in every way. He cannot be his attributes more than he already is. He is his attributes absolutely. That is what it means to be perfect.’

And the reason we ground this attribute of God in Ephesians 1 is because it’s there we see the Apostle Paul pray for the hearts of Christians to know the incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:19). And then later on the same letter, Paul prays again for the church, saying;

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18–19).

That’s what we call an impossible prayer! But notice, even though God is incomprehensible, that does not mean he is unknowable. And even though God is beyond measure, it does not mean that we can’t be filled with him in order to live for him as his people. In Colossians 2:9–10 we are told that in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. 

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

As we apply this doctrine as believers, it’s important that we reflect on what it teaches us about our Lord Jesus and the power of his atonement. It’s only as we consider what it means to sin against a God who is unbounded, immeasurable, unfathomable, and inestimable in every way that we begin to grasp how helpless we are! There will be hell to pay for sin because of who we’ve sinned against! This is why every sinner who comes to know God in the scriptures either cries out, “Woe is me!” Or simply falls on their face as though dead. 

It is reflecting on this that makes us realise why it’s so offensive to God when men make up their own rules to justify themselves in his sight. Why Jesus came down so hard on religious leaders who nullified the word of God for the sake of their traditions. 

Where can we find a Saviour who can atone for the sin we’ve committed against a God who is of infinite perfection? Only if this perfect God somehow took on human flesh so that he could appear before himself as our representative head; then to satisfy his own infinite justice offer himself as an atoning sacrifice for their sin. In essence, we’d need God to die in our place! Is it any wonder Christians have been mocked for believing that this happened?

And yet, the wonder of all wonders is that this is what God has done. We can rest secure in Jesus because only the incarnate Son of God could make a way for humanity to be forgiven, and that is what he’s done. Which is why we honour him when we sing;

Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress, Helpless, look to Thee for grace:

Foul, I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Savior, or I die.

As we take a look at the infinite perfection of God, try not to be distracted by the doctrine of predestination and election that is present in Ephesians 1. You might be able to see a connection between God’s infinite perfections and his sovereign purposes, but that is not the main point of this study. Instead, try to focus on getting to know God himself so that we can appreciate our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, all the more.