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The Attributes of God: Omniscience

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Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
(Psalm 147:5)

And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind.”
(Ezekiel 11:5)

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
(Hebrews 4:13)

on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
(Romans 2:16)

Who has measured  the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?
(Isaiah 40:13)

When we say God is omniscient, we mean that He knows all that there is to know. You can also say He is all-knowing. Think about that. There are no secrets to Him. There is nothing that is outside the scope of His conception, understanding, or attention. His knowledge is perfect.

God neither studies nor learns for one cannot increase a knowledge that is already insurmountable. Neither does probability exist for God; all things either are or are not in His perspective. There is no maybe. There are no potentially infinite realities as the faux-hip coffeehouse philosophers and comic book writers are so fond of speculating.

There is only one reality and God knows it in its entirety, as it exists by, through, and for Him. God is neither surprised by the way the world works itself out, nor shocked by the choices we make. Omniscience is the passive end of His providence — the working out of God’s predetermined purpose via His sovereignty (that is, His mastery over all that is) — in that it is the means by which providence can exist, but neither the engine nor the fuel that brings about His action.

And to think – God our Father knows our frame of mind and the depravity of our fallen nature and for His love and glory He chose to engage Himself and save us. Simply amazing.

 

Other attributes we’ve discussed so far:

[This post is adapted from Blue Letter Bible’s Theological FAQs page.]

Comments

  1. What is man that you are mindful of him?
    or the Son of man that you should visit him?…

    Wonder of wonder, vast surprise
    Could greater wonder be?
    That He who made the starry skies
    Once bled and died for me?… J. Sidlow Baxter

    While it amazes me to think of the vastness of the cosmos and the smallness of man that He should take notice of us…yet there is that greater wonder still that not a sparrow, a fetus, a microbe, or even an atom that is not known or upheld by the word of His power.

    Far greater wonder still is that He holds all this in reserve for the redemption of man to exercise a righteous dominion under the Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world.

  2. …that we serve a God that, in His infinite wisdom, chooses to bear with us. He knows how and when our lives began; for Joshua said He knew us before being formed in our mother’s womb. He also knows our end (on this earth). Therefore, we needn’t worry about our lives and the situations that come along with living. This is because He has a plan and a purpose for everything. I am comforting in this knowledge. Are you?

  3. the thought of alternate and infinite realities, I believe is as it comes from the finite mind of we humans. Particularly the methodology of west based science which tends to break concepts objects etc into individual parts to understand them, thus ever finds itself as the cliched’ blind man touch the leg of an elephant and thinking it a tree.We don’t see the whole picture.
    i do however believe the concept of other realities a real one as the spiritual realm itself, for our limitations is an alternate reality. One of which we’ve been given directions on how to enter, by the folly of which we preach, as opposed to somehow traversing thru hyperspace, wormholes,or blackholes. Rather by something as simple as believing in Jesus and accepting Him as our Savior. Glory be to our unfathomable GOD who is Creator Lord and King over each and every one of these infinite realities.

  4. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

    To know what I was, i.e. the wickedness, the sin, the vileness, the wretched man, yet to know He would use me in spite of myself is amazingly wonderful to me. He knew me, yet He loved me! And he saved me! And he called me! And soon I will thank Him face to face!

  5. I feel moved bye the power of God. His power is abundant and is truly omnipotent. I can not wait till heaven to thank him for keeping this from humans. For if we new man would think higher of themselves saying,” we need not read the bible for we already know its word, and we need not worship God for we are Omnipotent too, worship us for what is the difference of us and him.

    L eee
    L oo v v e e
    L o o v v eeeee
    L o o v v e
    LLLLL oo v e e

    • I love reading about God, talking about Him, reading the Word about His magnificence. I am not ashamed that He knows my thoughts, that He knows things about me that I don’t know myself. I am not ashamed because only He can work in me and improve me. One of my favorite scriptures is that He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it. I look forward to the day when I can meet face to face the One who created the whole universe. I am amazed.

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