In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the main character is the great lion king, Aslan. It is clear that he is the central figure around which the entire story revolves. And yet, he is only actually in about one third of the book. While he is mentioned multiple times before his actual appearance, he doesn’t show up until chapter 12, about 130 pages into the book. And all of the talk about him previously doesn’t do justice to what the other characters experience when they actually meet him.
While not waiting quite that long to bring forth its main focus, the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC) has mentioned God in its first three questions. Our chief end is directed towards God (WSC #1) and He is central to the Scriptures, which He has gifted to us so that we know what to believe concerning Him and what obedience to Him looks like (WSC #2-3). In question 4, we are introduced to this God.
4. Q. What is God?
A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Now it is surely evident that it would be impossible for me to even scratch the surface in unpacking the words used here to describe God. Pages have been written on each of them. Perhaps you have done a study on the attributes of God in a Sunday School class or Bible study and know there are more terms used when discussing the nature of God. The catechism question is not attempting to be exhaustive. But it does give a sense of who God is and why our lives should be directed toward Him and by Him.
So, instead let me offer you some warning and encouragement when it comes to contemplating the nature of God. On the warning side, we must beware that we don’t fall into pride. Just because we have these words we use to describe God does not mean that somehow we have any grasp of the depth of His being. Using words, such as justice, goodness, and truth, are in reality only the baby talk of our finite minds and tongues. God has graciously given us these words in His Scriptures. But simply because we can define “holiness” doesn’t mean we have the full comprehension of God’s holiness. It would be the height of arrogance to ever think we had reached such fullness of understanding.
The encouragement will hopefully keep us from pride. Let us be reminded that our study and contemplation of the nature of God is not so we can make much of ourselves and our knowledge. Instead, we seek to grow in our understanding of who God is so that we can make much of Him, which points us back to the catechism’s first question and answer. Contemplation of God’s nature should enliven our worship of Him, not lead to worship of self. So, study but ultimately let your study lead you to worship.
And so, for your further contemplation to feed your longing to worship our great God, I leave you with a fuller answer to question four, taken from the Westminster Confession of Faith.
I. There is but one only,living, and true God: who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
II. God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them: He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleaseth. In His sight all things are open and manifest; His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain. He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands. To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them.
