And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (Jn. 17:3).

I will devote the next series of posts to the attributes of God. A proper understanding of God’s nature is essential to a biblical understanding of sin, salvation, and what he expects from us. Before I begin, however, I should say up front that I will not write only about the attributes which are cool or pleasant. Yes, I will speak about omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, and I will speak about God’s love and mercy, but I will also speak about the sovereignty, judgment, and jealousy of God. Those attributes are far less popular today, partly because we misunderstand them, but also because we redefine God into someone warm and fuzzy with whom we can be comfortable. God is who He is, not who we want or define Him to be. Let us seek to know God as He has revealed Himself. When we do that we can better understand what He has revealed about us and salvation and better rely on Him in everyday life.