Indescribable
“Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find the limit of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7). The vast expanse of space, teeming with innumerable galaxies and spanning unfathomable cosmic timescales, overwhelms our limited human comprehension. If the mere contemplation of the cosmos strains our intellects, how can we expect to fully grasp the essence of something infinitely greater – the divine nature of God? The universe, in all its grandeur, was effortlessly spoken into existence by God, and He holds dominion over every celestial body, counting and naming each star (Ps 147:4). As the Psalmist proclaims, "The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all it contains, You have founded them" (Ps 89:11). "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein" (Ps 24:1). Our finite human minds, constrained by the boundaries of time, space, and physical existence, cannot fully encapsulate the limitless essence of God's being.[1]
Thus, every time our finite minds delude themselves into believing they have fully grasped the infinite nature of God, we must humbly acknowledge that His greatness transcends our comprehension. Our God “dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Tim 6:16). To offer mere glimpses into the divine nature, we employ metaphors likening God to light, love, a shepherd, or a king. Yet inevitably, each metaphor reaches its limits, shattering against the unbounded reality of God's essence and serving as a humbling reminder that our attempts to comprehend the Incomprehensible are inherently finite. The ultimate purpose, however, lies not in fully grasping God, but in cultivating a profound sense of awe and wonder in His unfathomable presence. This sacred mystery beckons us to embark on a lifelong pilgrimage of faith, an ever-deepening journey of seeking and growing in relationship with God who transcends the bounds of human understanding.
Anselm argued, “There is, therefore, some one being which is supremely good, and supremely great, that is, the highest of all existing beings.”[2] As the supreme and greatest entity, God's essence defies comparison and transcends the limits of human comprehension. The divine nature is ultimately incomprehensible to our finite minds. Yet, in divine condescension, God graciously unveils glimpses of His knowable attributes, inviting us to behold and marvel at His ineffable glory.
As we embark on the journey of learning about God from God himself, a profound realization dawns upon us - that we can never fully comprehend the depths of His being. We are called to be ever "increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10), yet the vastness of His nature will forever elude our complete grasp. All we can do is embrace the transcendent mystery that is God with reverence and wonder. The continual recognition of our own limitations and God's infinite perfection should inspire both awe and humility within us. We are overwhelmed by His incomprehensibility, yet comforted by the fact that we can truly know Him, for He has graciously unveiled Himself to us. As Hodge said, “our knowledge of God is partial and inadequate. There is infinitely more in God than we have any idea of; and what we do know, we know imperfectly.”[3]
God is Incomprehensible
Scripture declares that God "dwells in unapproachable light" (1 Tim 6:16), affirming His incomprehensible nature. However, when we say God is incomprehensible, we do not imply that all true knowledge of Him is unattainable. Rather, we acknowledge that our understanding of God can only be partial and limited. As John of Damascus profoundly stated, “It is plain, then, that there is a God. But what He is in His essence and nature is absolutely incomprehensible and unknowable.”[4] Similarly, Aquinas argued that just as the sun is “supremely visible,” even the sun cannot be seen by the bat by reason of its excess of light.”[5]
The Psalmist, therefore, said “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable” (Ps 145:3). Similarly, Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our LORD and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” As we consider God, we should know that “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it” (Ps 139:6). Paul said, O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable are his ways!” (Rom 11:33).
Only God can fully comprehend His own divine nature, for as Scripture declares, it is the Spirit who "searches the depths of God" (1 Cor 2:10-12). Moreover, we know that Jesus Christ shares in the divine essence because He, "the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him" (Jn 1:18). Since only God can comprehend God, we must humbly acknowledge that our finite minds can never attain a complete understanding of His infinite being or His inscrutable ways.
Yet, from the very Scriptures, we can glean profound truths about the nature of God: He is 1) beyond comparison, 2) beyond our understanding, unsearchable in His greatness, and measureless in His knowledge. To place limits on God's greatness is to diminish His very essence. His thoughts and ways transcend ours (Is 55:9). Even in Scripture, God is revealed through anthropomorphic language, analogies, and metaphors, for our finite minds cannot grasp His fullness directly.
Typically, we find descriptions of what God is not, rather than what He is, for we cannot fully comprehend His essence. This is known as apophatic theology. In this mode, we learn of God through what He has caused (causality), by His perfection contrasted with our imperfection (eminence), and by negating our limited conceptions (negation). We learn of God by way of causality when we reason, "He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?" (Ps 94:9). By way of eminence, we recognize that any goodness seen in creatures must be held perfectly by God, the source of all good. Through negation, we know that God is the opposite of creaturely limitations; all creation is changing and dependent, but God is unchanging and self-sufficient.
Thus, we should expect descriptions of God to be analogical or apophatic, offering glimpses of His nature but never fully grasping it. Only God can fully grasp His own essence. Thankfully, this means that we can spend eternity in awe of God, never exhausting the boundless depths of His glory, which will never grow dull.
As Wayne Grudem said, “But if we rather delight in the fact that God alone is God, that he is always infinitely greater than we are, that we are his creatures who owe him worship and adoration, then this will be a very encouraging idea.”[6]
As we think about the possibility of knowing God, it is also good to remember that “God’s majesty is not benign.”[7] God said, “You cannot see my face and live” (Ex 33:20). Moses was only allowed to hear God pass by and proclaim his name “The LORD, the LORD God.” In our sin, we suppress the truth of God (Rom 1:28). Only in our Savior can we know God more fully. Jesus said, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know me Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?” (Jn 14:8–9).
Knowable
Although our finite minds can never fully grasp the infinite depths of God's nature, we can indeed know Him truly. As our Lord declared, eternal life itself consists in "knowing You, the only true God" (John 17:3). The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:9), indicating the possibility of genuine knowledge of God. Even the ancient pagans, Scripture affirms, possessed a degree of knowledge about God (Romans 1:19), though they tragically chose to reject Him and suppress that knowledge.
Despite the limitations of our human comprehension, God has graciously revealed Himself to us, granting us the capacity to know Him truly, if not fully. This knowledge of the living God is not mere intellectual assent but a transformative encounter with the Source of all truth and life. While the depths of His being will forever elude our complete understanding, we can experience intimate communion with Him and grow in our knowledge of His ways, His attributes, and His boundless love.
The pursuit of knowing God is not a futile endeavor but rather the highest calling and the very purpose of our existence. As we humbly acknowledge the vastness of His incomprehensible nature, we can simultaneously embrace the profound truth that He has made Himself known to us, inviting us into a lifelong journey of discovery, wonder, and ever-deepening relationship with the One who is the essence of all that is good, true, and beautiful.
Francis Turretin said, “God has so clearly manifested himself in his works that men even by feeling may find him (Acts 17:26, 27), and cannot open their eyes without being immediately struck with the majesty and splendor of so great a deity.”[8] This true knowledge of God should be viewed as a gracious gift from God as he makes himself known. God spoke. God is not silent. While our knowledge of God “is both partial and imperfect” Hodge rightly said “our knowledge…is true knowledge. God really is what we believe Him to be, so far as our idea of Him is determined by the revelation which He has made of Himself in his works, in the constitution of our nature, in his word, and in the person of his Son.[9]
Amidst the myriad of descriptions that seek to convey the divine nature by negation and analogy, Scripture offers a few profound positive affirmations about the essence of God Himself. The Bible declares, "God is love" (1 Jn 4:8), revealing the very heart of His character; "God is holy" (Rev 4:8), affirming His transcendent purity and majesty; "God is light" (1 Jn 1:5), portraying Him as the source of all truth and radiance; and "God is spirit" (Jn 4:24), underscoring His incorporeal and immaterial essence. These statements unveil aspects of God's intrinsic being, attributes that He possesses in and of Himself.
However, the majority of scriptural descriptions of God focus on what He is not, highlighting His utter transcendence over all created reality. We are told that God does not change (Js 1:17), emphasizing His immutability; that He is "incorruptible" (Rom 1:23), affirming His incorruptible and imperishable nature; and that He "alone possesses immortality" (1 Tim 6:16), setting Him apart as the sole self-existent and eternal Being.
These negations and contrasts with finite, created existence serve to underscore the profound truth that God's essence is ultimately beyond our comprehension, surpassing the limits of human language and conceptualization. Yet, even in our inadequate attempts to describe the Indescribable, we catch glimpses of His infinite perfections, inviting us to worship and revere the One who is truly incomparable and incomprehensible, yet graciously knowable to those who seek Him.
These truths about God should be viewed as “precious” (Ps 139:17). We should spare no expense learning about our God. Paul said he counted all things as loss “that I may know him” (Phil 3:10). This knowledge is both relational and propositional. We have a relationship with God and we know things about God. Hopefully, both our relationship with and knowledge of God continually grow throughout our lives.
One reason for Jesus’ incarnation was to share the true knowledge of God. John wrote, “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 Jn 5:20). Since we have “come to know God” we cannot go “back to the elemental spirits of the world” (Gal 4:9). Horton said, “While a theology of glory presumes to scale the walls of God’s heavenly chamber, a theology of the cross will always recognize that although we cannot reach God, he can reach us and has done so in his preached and written Word, in which the Incarnate Word is wrapped as in swaddling cloths.[10]
That God graciously made himself known is the foundation for our living unto God. Michael Horton said, “God does not invite us to discover him in his glory but to meet him where he has promised to be gracious.”[11] The very best quality of life comes from knowing God through the Son who has been sent (Jn 17:3). Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins” (Jn 8:24 NASB 2020). “Faith,” Paul said, “comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). We can truly know God. Without this revealed knowledge, we could not know God or be accepted by him.
Saving knowledge of God only comes by “wisdom taught by the Spirit” (1 Cor 2:12). Paul said “A natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them for they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:13). While knowledge of God is available to all, only those who are “spiritual” will receive this knowledge. The spiritual person “discerns all things” (1 Cor 2:15) because he “has the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).
Knowing God is foundational to our covenant relationship with him. As God promised the covenant of Christ he said, “They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest” (Heb 8:11). As Grudem said, “This personal relationship with God the Father, with God the Son, and with God the Holy Spirit may be said to be the greatest of all the blessings of the Christian life.”[12]
Finally, knowing God truly allows us to be true worshipers. A downgraded view of God leads to diminished worship. The transcendent view of God presented in Scripture leads to our highest adoration of him and dedication to him. Calvin said, “The knowledge of God, which is set before us in the Scriptures, is designed for the same purpose as that which shines in creation, viz., that we may thereby learn to worship him with perfect integrity of heart and unfeigned obedience, and also to depend entirely upon his goodness.”[13]
Conclusion
While we can never fully comprehend the limitless depths of God's nature, we are granted the profound privilege of truly knowing Him. It should be the earnest desire of every Christian to continually grow in this knowledge, for to fixate solely on the temporal world is to diminish the potential for transcendent joy in one's life. To fix our gaze upon God, however, is to experience the greatest joy conceivable. As Boethius said, “We must needs confess that blessedness itself is God.”[14] If we are to savor life in its fullest essence, we must embrace the sacred mystery that is God and embark on an ever-deepening journey into His mysterious blessedness.
To know God is not merely an intellectual exercise but a transformative encounter with the very Source of all life, beauty, and goodness. As we humble ourselves before His incomprehensible majesty, we simultaneously open our hearts to the inexpressible joy of His unveiled presence. In this paradoxical pursuit, the more we seek to know Him, the more we are overwhelmed by the vastness of His being while we are drawn ever deeper into communion with the One who is the essence of blessedness.
May we, as Christ's followers, never lose our sense of awe and wonder at the inexhaustible depths of God's nature. May we approach Him with reverent curiosity, eagerly seeking to know Him more, while resting in the assurance that even when our finite minds cannot fully grasp His infinite perfections, we can still experience the unfading joy of His loving embrace.
[1] Hodge explained “To comprehend is (1.) To know the essence as well as the attributes of an object. (2.) It is to know not some only, but all of its attributes. (3.) To know the relation in which these attributes stand to each other and to the substance to which they belong. (4.) To know the relation in which the object known stands to all other objects. Such knowledge is clearly impossible in a creature, either of itself or of anything out of itself” (Hodge, Systematic Theology, Volume 1, 337).
[2] Sidney Norton Deane with Saint Anselm, Proslogium; Monologium; An Appendix, In Behalf of the Fool, by Gaunilon; and Cur Deus Homo (Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company, 1939), 40.
[3] Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 337.
[4] John. Damascus, De Fide Orth. 1.4
[5] Aquinas, Summa Theologica., I q.12 a.1 resp.
[6] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 151.
[7] Horton, The Christian Faith, 50.
[8]Francis Turretin, Institutes 3.2.7.
[9] Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 338.
[10] Michael Horton, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 51.
[11] Michael Horton, The Christian Faith, 50.
[12] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 152.
[13] John Calvin Institutes 1, x, 2.
[14] Boethius, “The Consolation of Philosophy, 3.10 271.