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Attributes Of God - Part Two
by Hilton Rahme
 When we continue studying the aspects and characteristics of God, we find that all His attributes are interwoven and supplement each other.
Love
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11
Love is not a definition of God – God is infinitely more – but God is the definition of love. Without Him love does not exist (John 3:16). Biblical love (Greek agape) is active, yet selfless. Though most graphically and fully illustrated in God’s love for us agape love is also God’s pattern for our love for Him. He doesn’t love us because we love Him, we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). It’s also our example for loving one another (Ephesians 5:25). Its basis is God’s deliberate, active, sacrificial giving of His Son for our redemption. To be loved by God means that He has set His sights on us and is actively wooing us towards Himself at all times. God’s love is self-starting, indestructible, undeserved, compassionate, constant, immeasurable, voluntary, and a gift. He did not begin loving us at the Cross, nor will He love us more tomorrow than He does today. There is nothing we can do, think or say that will change His love because there are no surprises for God – He knows us totally and loves us anyway (Psalm 139:1-5). The goal of God’s love is to have us with Him throughout eternity (1 John 4:16). He presented and made possible the accomplishment of this goal through Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Judge
“For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.” Isaiah 33:22 (AMP)
 A god who does not judge is a god of the imagination. God judges. Attempts are made to water down God's judgment, explain it away or apologize for it, but God's judgment is a manifestation of the reaction of His holiness towards evil. Judgment is an integral part of redemptive history as seen in the fall of the human race, the Flood, the plagues in Exodus, the Conquest (Joshua 3:10), the destruction of Israel (2 Kings 17:5-23), the destitution of Judah, the Great Tribulation and the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15). There are many references in Scripture to both His judgment and His love. Judgment is necessary. Society recognizes that a judge who will not judge is a mockery. God's judgment is righteous and true (Psalm 19:9), impartial (Romans 2:11), perfect (Psalm 19:7) and complete (Revelation 15:1). The Cross did not do away with judgment, it served as the lightning rod (Colossians 2:14). At the Cross judgment and mercy met in victory. Judgment is a necessity; the Cross has no meaning without it (Romans 3:24-26). The attitude of the will is judged. We would do well to prepare our hearts.
Longsuffering
“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9
Revelation 19:2,11 assures us of God's judgment. We know God is "longsuffering" because He does not execute judgment immediately. He waits (Isaiah 42:14-16), not to see what will happen - He knows what will happen; not to see more clearly - He sees perfectly; not to gain more information - He knows everything. God waits because His priority is self-revelation, not judgment. Longsuffering is not the absence of anger, but being slow to anger (Psalm 145:8). God's longsuffering shows an infinite amount  of power, mercy, patience and love - all of which He has in abundance (Numbers 14:18). “The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression…” God for a time tolerates insults, rejection, and indifference in order to draw people to repentance (Romans 2:4). His longsuffering, linked to His compassion, becomes active in order to draw us to Himself. He is not willing that any should perish but that every person should come to repentance and acknowledge His love, judgment and His longsuffering.
The more I study who God is the more in awe of Him I become. I am reminded by The Holy Spirit not to feel unworthy, but rather to grasp the meaning of being humble before the Lord.
Hilton Rahme
Hilton is Bro. Peter's eldest son and lives in Cape Town, South Africa. He is married to Tanja and they have two beautiful children, Dayna and Luke.
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