3.4 THE NATURE OF GOD; THE DIVINE GODHEAD which, “in All its Perfection and Fulness, Dwells Bodily in Christ”.

THE NATURE OF GOD.

…

There is a nature

that belongs to every creature,

which is difficult to understand;

and so there is

A NATURE

which Belongs to God,

the Creator,

of which

we want to Gain an Understanding.

…

The “Nature”

that may be Predicated of God,

is what the Apostle suggests

when he says, the Galatians,

before Conversion,

served them, who,

“by nature, were no gods”,

(Gal. 4:8)

which implies,

that though the idols they had Worshiped

were not gods, yet

There Was One

that

Was, by Nature, GOD;

otherwise there would be an impropriety

in claiming they were falsely “Worshiping”

and

Robbing The TRUE GOD

of WORSHIP

TO WHICH HE ALONE

IS WORTHY.

…

Mention is also made of the

“Divine Nature”,

(2 Peter 1:4)

which, indeed,

is not the

Utter and Complete “Nature”

that is in God,

but

  A Divine Portion

of The Nature of God

which is Infused

and

Implanted in men in Regeneration.

…

This

“Divine Nature”,

which is Infused

and

Implanted in men in Regeneration,

is so called, not only because the

“Divine Nature”

is from God, as its Author,

but because the

“Divine Nature”

is the Image of GOD,

and

Bears a Likeness

and

Resemblance to GOD;

…

But then there must be a

“Divine Nature”

in GOD

to which this is similar, being

“Created, after Him,

in Righteousness

and

True Holiness”;

SINCE there is a Propriety

in the Distribution of the

“Divine Nature”,

“Created, after Him,

in Righteousness

and

True Holiness”

Infused

and

Implanted in men

in Regeneration

THAT IS FROM GOD.

…

This is what is called Divinity,

Deity, or Godhead;

which must NOT be thought to be

“like to gold, silver, or stone,

graven by art, or man’s device”;

or to be similar to any Created Creature,

in a picture, painting, or sculpture;

BUT THE TRUE NATURE of GOD

which is to be seen

and

understood by

the Visible Works of Creation,

and is

THE DIVINE NATURE of DEITY,

or THE DIVINE GODHEAD

which,

“in all its Perfection

and

Fulness,

Dwells Bodily in Christ”,

( Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Col 2:9 ).

*****

Adapted from

A Body of Doctrinal Divinity

Book 1—Chapter 4

Of the Nature of God

*****