God is a being beyond whom no greater being can be conceived. Every one of His perfections is infinite and none of them will ever diminish. While we cannot fully know Him now, all that He wishes us to know about Himself has been graciously revealed through the creation, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and most clearly in Jesus Christ. On earth we see through a glass dimly; in eternity we shall see Him as He is. Heaven will be an everlasting discovery and delight of what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has ever imagined. God is greater than we know or can even dream.
 
What attributes we do know about Him are most clearly seen in His redemptive work on the cross. As we approach the celebration of His passion this Easter three are worthy of reflection and praise.
 
The Holiness of God. He exists in a category by Himself and is set apart from all else. Morally, He is entirely without sin or imperfection. There is no shadow of turning with Him. Good Friday is good because Jesus Christ the holy One bore the sins of the unholy; the righteous One died for the unrighteous to bring us to God. If there had been another way surely God would have devised it. But there was not. God’s holiness demanded a substitutionary atonement, and the unblemished Lamb of God took our place (2 Corinthians 5:17).  
 
The Mercy of God. Mercy is essentially the withholding of a severe consequence due to the offender. As we cling to Christ by faith God in His mercy does not count our transgressions against us. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us. This is the epitome of mercy.

The Love of God. Salvation procured through the death and resurrection of Jesus is not a transactional arrangement. We bring nothing but our broken sinfulness and at our worst, He loves us. We esteemed him not, but God shows His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. God so loved the world that He gave His Son. See how great a love the Father has given to us.
 
This is our God, revealed in the magnificence of the Easter story. The One who alone is holy, extends mercy to sinners because of His infinite love. As we move toward passion week let us prepare our hearts to worship Him. There is no one like Him. And let us invite others to come and meet Him through the Risen Savior.
 
Tom