THE NATURE OF GOD
IN ORTHODOXY
God is self existent and is distinguished from all other beings for He is a primary reality, set apart from created substances and beings. His existence is necessary, eternal and not subject to change. He is distinct from other beings that change from worse to better.
God always remains the same, complete and whole being perfect, his self existence is necessary. He lacks nothing being himself the cause of everything that exists. All things are empty and must acquire what they lack in order to be completed. These qualities of God are put forth when men think properly about God, it being unable to think of him with different qualities. If anyone thinks of God in completely different terms it would be false for God cannot be other than His true nature. Descriptions of God that differ do not describe God and therefore are irrational and false. History shows many various false opinions of the nations regarding the nature of God in both ancient and modern times.
St.Paul the Apostle speaks of this, saying: “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by things that are made; even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse, because that, when they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, neither were they thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:20-22). St. Paul faulted the ancient world because instead of the true concept of God they falsified it changing His incorruptible glory into images of man, into birds and beasts and creeping things. They worshiped the creature instead of the Creator and the truths concerning God into a lie. This was true of the entire ancient world until Greek philosophy established the existence of orthos logos as being the cause.
Against the eternal existence of God has been proposed by pseudo scientists that matter is the source of created beings and that life is accidental not intentional. God is declared to be a specific force who merely shapes formless matter into different types of creatures.
But in the fullness of time ignorance was banished and true knowledge has been revealed through the Son and Logos of the Father. The faithful Apostles spread truth and the Gospel everywhere and as a great light replaced the ancient darkness of the nations with the light of the Logos of God. The result is that the name of the true God is blessed and glorified throughout the world by the Orthodox Church who alone reveals His true nature. This light however is not clearly seen by all Orthodox Christians but only by those who faithfully seek and pursue knowledge and worship of the true God and, and by keeping His commandments, bless and glorify His holy name.
God is infinite, absolute, eternal, necessary, unchangeable, monadic, imperishable and completely independent. These are characteristics of the external being of God, and Christ teaches that God is Spirit. We cannot have a clear concept of God through our mental powers alone into the inner and deeper attributes in the inner being of God. St. Paul declares that “. . . the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). Volition combined with thought has ability, Having thought or cognition and will or volition, there is with it the power to act and accomplish the thoughts. Without ability it is not possible to act and produce. If God was deprived of thought or volition, He would be identified as matter and could not be Spirit. The Godman or Theanthropos is called Spirit, and is an intelligent and volitional being. He is able to act and produce results without needing anyone else. Spirit is able to think and plan and act and produce results. God is Spirit and has intellect and volition. In the mind of God is contained every thought and concept of every possible or probable being. God knows on an absolute level being the first and original mind and His thought processes are on an absolute level.
In the pages of Holy Scriptures is testified: “ . . . for the Lord is a God of knowledge (1 Kings 2:3). “With Him are wisdom and power, with Him counsel and understanding" (Job 12:13). “For the Lord gives wisdom and from His presence comes knowledge and understanding . . . .” (Prov. 2:6). "All that the Lord willed he did in heaven, and on earth, in the sea, and in all the depths (Psalms 134:6). St Paul: “The Spirit searches all things, yea the deep things of God” (1 Cor.2:10). “For with God there is nothing impossible” (Luke 1:37). “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). “God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). Holy Scripture provides exceedingly powerful evidence that God is perfect and infinite mind, will, and power. God thinks perfectly, infinitely and absolutely. His thought embraces truth as a whole of all that was, is and is to come. His internal thought embraces both himself and the universe and he has the conception of both himself and the universe.
God aims at the completion and perfection of the imperfect, through the blessings that He possesses. He is all good and possesses ability to perfection. God is able to effect everything, no other power can act against His will therefore He is all powerful. The true nature of God cannot be refuted and must be acceptable for without true knowledge who can be saved?
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