How would you describe the majesty of God?
The psalmist says, “God dwells in light inaccessible.” We can use any word. I remember talking to R.C. about this and he said, “You know, the word I used was ‘holiness,’ but there are a lot of words we can use—‘glory,’ ‘transcendence,’ ‘majesty.’”
What we’re talking about here is the God-ness of God. It’s an awkward expression. This is the most perfect Being, God. There’s a sense in which He has revealed Himself and we know who He is. We know who He is in the full complex of His attributes, in His works, and in His decrees, but there’s a sense in which God is a mystery. The Bible uses a host of ways to get at it. Sometimes we even say “God is awesome.” In the old days, they would say, “God is terrible.” It’s not how we use that word today, but “the majesty of God” is one of the ways we express the God-ness of who God is.
This transcript is from a live Ask Ligonier event with Stephen Nichols and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.
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Stephen Nichols
Dr. Stephen J. Nichols is president of Reformation Bible College, chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow. He is host of the podcasts 5 Minutes in Church History and Open Book. He has written more than twenty books, including Peace, A Time for Confidence, and R.C. Sproul: A Life and volumes in the Guided Tour series on Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther, and J. Gresham Machen. He is coeditor of The Legacy of Luther and general editor of the Church History Study Bible.