Thankful Thursday

Yesterday was my day to take care of #1 granddaughter. She’s walking well now and saying a few words. She’s so much fun. I’m thankful that she’s growing and learning. I’m thankful that she’s healthy. I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to care for her and enjoy her.

I’m thankful for the slower pace of winter, and a quiet day today to work on projects. I’m thankful for snow and for the son who shovels it for me. I’m also thankful for my new winter tires.

I’m thankful that brought me and mine safely through another day. 

I’m thankful that God “who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in [my heart] to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV).

Round the Sphere Again: Final Letters

I love it that these two came across my feed reader on the same day.

John Owen
“On August 22, 1683, at his home in Ealing (a suburb west of London), the great theologian John Owen dictated his last surviving letter to his longtime friend, Charles Fleetwood…” (Justin Taylor).

A Godly Grandfather
“Recently my wife’s parents moved out of their home of many years. In sorting through their files, they came across the typewritten, hand-edited letter in the picture. This letter was from Miriam’s grandfather, Lubertus “Bert” Hoeksema, who intended them to read it on the day of his funeral” (Gentle Reformation).

Theological Term of the Week

incommunicable attributes
Those attributes of God that belong to Him alone, such as his simplicity, aseity, immutability, impassibility, and eternality. 

• From scripture:

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:24-25 ESV)

…remember the former things of old;

for I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me,

declaring the end from the beginning

and from ancient times things not yet done,

saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,

and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

calling a bird of prey from the east,

the man of my counsel from a far country.

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;

I have purposed, and I will do it.

Isaiah 46:9-11 ESV) 

• From Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem:

Those attributes we call “incommunicable” are better defined by saying that they are attributes of God that are less shared by us. Not one of the incommunicable attributes of God is completely without some likeness in the character of human beings. For example, God is unchangeable, while we change. But we do not change completely, for there are some aspects of our characters that remain largely unchanged: or individual identities, many of our personality traits, and some of our long-term purposes remain substantially unchanged over many years (and will remain largely unchanged once we are set free from sin and begin to live in God’s presence forever).

Similarly, God is eternal, and we are subject to the limitations of time. However, we see some reflection of God’s eternity in the fact that we will live with him forever and enjoy eternal life.

Learn more:

1. Blue Letter Bible: What are the various ways in which God’s attributes are categorized?
2. Sam Storms: Classifying the Attributes
3. Bruce Ware: Attributes of God: Incommunicable Attributes, Part 1, Part 2
4. Wayne Grudem: Series of lectures on the incommunicable attributes

Related term:

• communicable attributes
• aseity
• eternity
• immutability
• impassibility 
• omnipresence
• simplicity 

Filed under God’s Nature and His Work

Do you have a term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.