1. CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES What We Believe and Why

2. Unity Defined Definition: “God is not divided into parts, yet we see different attributes of God emphasized at different times.” Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 177.

3. Unity Defined AKA “simplicity”  Means “not complex” or “not made up of parts”  Does not mean unintelligent or lacking abilities

4. Unity Defined Scripture never portrays one attribute as superior  Every attribute is completely true of God himself  Every attribute is completely true of all of God’s character

5. Unity Defined 1 John 1:5b God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 4:8b for God is love.

6. Unity Defined  God is not part light and part love, or only sometimes light and sometimes love  God is fully, eternally, and infinitely light and love

7. Unity Defined God is not part one attribute and part another All are fully true of all of God’s being

8. Unity Defined Exodus 34:6-7 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin;

9. Unity Defined Exodus 34:6-7 yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

10. Incorrect Views of Unity LOVE KNOWLEDGE HOLINESS MERCY WRATH Higher/Lower Attributes

11. Incorrect Views of Unity LOVE KNOWLEDGE HOLINESS MERCY WRATH Collection of Attributes

12. Incorrect Views of Unity GOD LOVE KNOWLEDGE HOLINESSMERCYWRATH Attributes Added to God

13. Biblical View of Unity LOVE Each Attribute Completely True of God

14. Biblical View of Unity LOVE KNOWLEDGE Each Attribute Completely True of God

15. Biblical View of Unity LOVE KNOWLEDGE HOLINESS Each Attribute Completely True of God

16. Biblical View of Unity LOVE KNOWLEDGE HOLINESS MERCY Each Attribute Completely True of God

17. Biblical View of Unity LOVE KNOWLEDGE HOLINESS MERCY WRATH Each Attribute Completely True of God

18. Biblical View of Unity Each Attribute Completely True of God

19. Unity Understood God is a unified, completely integrated whole person God is infinite in all his attributes We see different attributes expressed to different degrees at different times We cannot grasp all of God’s infiniteness at one time

20. Unity Understood We must recognize, understand, and approach God for who he is in his unified totality, not in who we want him to be