The Simplicity of God

There is a doctrine that is not as well known as others regarding the nature of God. The doctrine is called "the simplicity of God." Simply put (little joke there), the idea is that God is not made up of various parts. He is one, and that includes all that He is. He is not "love" and "omniscient" and "omnipotent" (to name a few) independently. All His attributes -- all the ways that describe Him -- are all tied together. One. He is not a collection of attributes; He is one. His attributes are not independent; they are part of the whole. One.

Let's look for a moment at one of His attributes and see how it is "one." I've been thinking about His omniscience. "Omniscience" means that He knows all things. All things. His disciples said, "We know that You know all things" (John 16:30). David wrote, "In Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them" (Psa 139:16). Before anything was, He knew it. He knew it all perfectly ... before. "Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all" (Psa 139:4). John wrote, "God is greater than our heart and knows all things (1 John 3:20). Jesus told His disciples that God numbered the hairs of their heads (Matt 10:30). Hebrews says, "There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb 4:13). In Acts we read, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men" (Acts 1:24). He knows everything without exception before anything has happened.

How does that work out in the concept of the simplicity of God? Well, think about it. As Sovereign, He would have to know all things. Conversely, knowing all things in advance, all things in advance will certainly happen. To be a righteous Judge, He would have to have perfect knowledge; He does. To be good He would need to have perfect knowledge; He does. To be "the only wise God" (Rom 16:27), He would need to have perfect knowledge; He does. And perhaps now you begin to see how His "distinct" attributes begin to end up not so distinct and, instead, become a whole. Not parts. Because as complex as God is to us, He is, ultimately, simple. One.