When I think of God, I think of One who is…

Omnipresent – God is everywhere present, not just in part, but in the fullness of his glory.  From the farthest reaches of the universe, to the center of the tiniest particle; from the hearts of the saints of old to the hearts of believers of today; from the hearths of those who cry out against God and attempt to refute his existence and truth, to the homes of those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  There is no place where God is not.

Omniscient – God knows all that is, all that was, and all that ever shall be.  His knowledge is perfect, complete in every respect, and his judgments are always informed by his perfect knowledge and righteousness.  There is no place where we can hide an act or thought from the Lord.  He knew us before we were knit together in our mother’s wombs, and he loved us despite knowing all of our sins, betrayals, and rebellions.

Omnipotent – God is all powerful.  He rules the world according to his purposes.  While Satan and his demons may attack us for a season, for the elect of God the victory over sin, death, and the power of the Devil is already won.  God uses means to accomplish his purpose, for example, he causes rain to fall on the fields and nurture the crops.  But the means are always completely under God’s control.  At the end of time, his omnipotent will in saving those whom by his grace he has called will be revealed, and all earthly powers will pass away.  God reveals his love for me by protecting me from all manner of dangers – from accident and injury, from illness and disease, from the demonic power of Satan and his legions.  When trials and tribulations occur, God give me confidence in knowing that he is always in control.

Triune – God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but only one God.  Co-equal, co-eternal, and existing in perfect union.  The Almighty Triune God we worship is clearly taught in Holy Scripture.  The mystery of the Trinity continues, since in the limitation of our human minds we cannot fully understand or explain it.  But the fact of the Triune God is received by the Church, and properly taught in the creeds, as they rightly reflect the plain truth of Scripture.

Holy – God is holy.  In him there is no darkness at all.  Every thing he thinks, does, wills, or allows is perfect. 

The Creator – God has created me, the universe, and all that exists.  Time and space, matter and energy, and all the laws that guide their being and actions are created by God.  Further, God every moment continues to sustain all.  Without his continuous creative will, nothing would continue to exist.  The creation is not the Creator, nor is the Creator the creation.  Out of nothing God called into existence all that is, all that was, and all that ever will be.  God reveals his love for me in creating and sustaining me.

The Redeemer – When humankind fell from the state of grace in which God created us, God by his love provided a way back to fellowship and communion for us, through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  The second person of the Trinity took on himself the punishment for all our sins, and offered us salvation and eternal life with God.  God reveals his love for me in the glorious act of redemption, the victory of Jesus.

The Sanctifier – The Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, calls us whom God elects to faith; through the Gospel and the Sacraments we are brought to faith and our faith is strengthened.  There is no merit in us that would lead God to give us this most precious gift, but only by his love and grace are we saved.  God reveals his love for me in calling and sanctifying me unto eternal life.

Faith – is trust in things unseen.  Faith is both an action, our trust by grace, and the object – God who is trustworthy, always faithful, who can and will do what he promises.  Throughout Scripture, God promises to care for us, and in Christ is his most excellent proof of his trustworthiness.