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Understanding God's Character in Decision Making and Action

God's character is foundational to understanding His decision-making and actions, as His attributes are intrinsically linked to all He does [4]. The Bible takes God's existence for granted, focusing instead on revealing His nature [3].

Central to God's character is His righteousness and justice. He is infinitely righteous in Himself and in all His actions [4]. This means that His will is the eternal rule of equity, and He acts in every situation as becomes Him, without fault or deficiency [14]. God's justice is not an optional aspect of His will but an unchangeable principle of His very nature [4]. This is evident in His legislative justice, where He requires conformity to His moral law from His creatures, and His rectoral or distributive justice, where He deals with accountable beings according to their actions [4]. The psalmist affirms this, stating, "But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another" (Psalm 75:7) [7]. Job also questions, "Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?" (Job 8:3) [8].

Holiness is another essential attribute of God's character [5]. The character of God serves as the standard for holiness, as seen in commands like "Be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15-16) [5]. This divine holiness is the motive for righteous behavior in His people [12].

God's decisions are rooted in His eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose [1]. These "decrees of God" encompass all things that have been or will be, determining their future certainty [1]. While humans perceive these decrees in partial aspects due to the limitations of their faculties, they are the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person [1]. However, some theologians caution against presuming to fully comprehend God's counsels, acknowledging that His designs are inscrutable [15].

God's character is also revealed through His role as judge. He will bring every work into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14) [9]. This final judgment will be passed on all actions, with Jesus Christ serving as the mediator and judge [6, 10]. All judgment is committed to Him to complete and publicly manifest the salvation of His people and the overthrow of His enemies, demonstrating the glorious righteousness of His work [6].

The Old Testament often describes God using anthropomorphisms and anthropopathisms, assigning human characteristics or emotions to Him to help humans grasp His ways [11]. For instance, when Deuteronomy 8:2 speaks of God testing Israel "to know what is in your heart," it does not imply God lacks knowledge, but rather that He wanted their character to be revealed through their actions [11]. God already knows the innermost thoughts of individuals (Psalm 139:1, 4, 23) [11].

In the face of perilous situations, human leaders, like Paul, are shown to assess, decide, and act, demonstrating faith in God [13]. This human decision-making, when aligned with God's character, reflects a commitment to seeking God with the heart, keeping His commandments, and following Him fully [2]. The word of God itself is described as righteousness, serving as the rule of God's judgment and consonant with His eternal counsels [16].

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Decrees of God — "The decrees of God are his eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurition. The several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore styled Decrees." The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, compre”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Decision — Necessary to the service of God -- Lu 9:62. Exhortations to -- Jos 24:14,15. Exhibited in Seeking God with the heart. -- 2Ch 15:12. Keeping the commandments of God. -- Ne 10:29. Being on the Lord's side. -- Ex 32:26. Following God fully. -- Nu 14:24; 32:12; Jos 14:8. Serving God. -- Isa 56:6. Loving God perfectly. -- De 6:5. Blessedness of. -- Jos 1:7. Opposed to A divided service. -- Mt 6:24. Double-mindedness. -- Jas 1:8. Halting between two opinions. -- 1Ki 18:21. Turning to the right or left. -- De 5:32. Not setting the heart aright. -- Ps 78:8,37. Exe”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justice of God — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Holiness — Commanded -- Le 11:45; 20:7; Eph 5:8; Col 3:12; Ro 12:1. Christ Desires for his people. -- Joh 17:17. Effects, in his people. -- Eph 5:25-27. An example of. -- Heb 7:26; 1Pe 2:21,22. The character of God, the standard of -- Le 19:2; 1Pe 1:15,16; Eph 5:1. The character of Christ, the standard of -- Ro 8:29; 1Jo 2:6; Php 2:5. The gospel the way of -- Isa 35:8. Necessary to God's worship -- Ps 24:3,4. None shall see God without -- Eph 5:5; Heb 12:14. Saints Elected to. -- Ro 8:29; Eph 1:4. Called to. -- 1Th 4:7; 2Ti 1:9. New created in. -- Eph 4:24. Possess. ”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Judgment, The final — The sentence that will be passed on our actions at the last day (Matt. 25; Rom. 14:10, 11; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7-10). The judge is Jesus Christ, as mediator. All judgment is committed to him (Acts 17:31; John 5:22, 27; Rev. 1:7). "It pertains to him as mediator to complete and publicly manifest the salvation of his people and the overthrow of his enemies, together with the glorious righteousness of his work in both respects." The persons to be judged are, (1) the whole race of Adam without a single exception (Matt. 25:31-46; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52”
  7. Psalms “But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another. -- Psalms 75:7”
  8. Job “Job 8:3 (BBE) — Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?”
  9. Ecclesiastes “For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil. -- Ecclesiastes 12:14”
  10. II Timothy “II Timothy 4:1 (ASV) — I chargetheein the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:”
  11. Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 8:2: 8:2 to prove your character (literally to know what is in your heart): God already knew the Israelites’ innermost thoughts (Pss 51:6; 139:1, 4, 23); he wanted their character to come out in their actions. • to find out whether: The Old Testament often describes God in human terms, even in ways that appear to limit God. Anthropomorphism (assigning human characteristics to God) and anthropopathism (assigning human feelings or emotions to God) are ways of representing God on a human level so the human mind can better grasp his ways, but God is not limited in his ”
  12. Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 23:7: 23:7 God’s character is the motive for righteous behavior (see 22:22-24, 27).”
  13. Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 27:33: 27:33-35 Paul’s words and actions are those of a true leader who personally assesses a perilous situation, decides on action, and leads others in solving the problem (cp. Neh 1–3; contrast Jon 1). Paul’s positive example and strong faith in God (Acts 27:22-25) encouraged the others to eat and take heart.”
  14. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:137: Here is, 1. The righteousness of God, the infinite rectitude and perfection of his nature. As he is what he is, so he is what he should be, and in every thing acts as becomes him; there is nothing wanting, nothing amiss, in God; his will is the eternal rule of equity, and he is righteous, for he does all according to it. 2. The righteousness of his government. He rules the world by his providence, according to the principles of justice, and never did, nor ever can do, any wrong to any of his creatures: Upright are thy judgments, the promises and threatenings an”
  15. Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 11:34: For who hath known the mind of the Lord? - Who can pretend to penetrate the counsels of God, or fathom the reasons of his conduct? His designs and his counsels are like himself, infinite; and, consequently, inscrutable. It is strange that, with such a scripture as this before their eyes, men should sit down and coolly and positively write about counsels and decrees of God formed from all eternity, of which they speak with as much confidence and decision as if they had formed a part of the council of the Most High, and had been with him in the beginning of his ways!”
  16. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:142: Observe, 1. That God's word is righteousness, and it is an everlasting righteousness. It is the rule of God's judgment, and it is consonant to his counsels from eternity and will direct his sentence for eternity. The word of God will judge us, it will judge us in righteousness, and by it our everlasting state will be determined. This should possess us with a very great reverence for the word of God that it is righteousness itself, the standard of righteousness, and it is everlasting in its rewards and punishments. 2. That God's word is a law, and that law is tr”
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