Biblical Metanarrative Essay Assignment: Attributes of God
Introduction
The attributes of God are important in relation to the four major plot movements of the
Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration because it helps us to understand exactly why He
has done the things that He has done. It allows us to see His heart so that we can understand why
He would create us, why He demands worship and why He sent His Son to die and rise again for
us. There are attributes of God that need discussion that are reflected in humanity and some that
are not. These include characteristics such as omnipotence and omniscience because God is all-
knowing and all-powerful, and we are not (Lints).
Biblical Narrative
Creation is the easiest of the four major plots to see and understand. It is something that is
tangible and all around us. It shows us who God is and that what He made is good. We do not
doubt that there is Creation and we do not have to use faith to recognize its existence. He made a
world that was designed to be good, and we wanted more and decided to walk away from His
original plans.
The fall is harder for us to grasp because we refuse to acknowledge why the world is bad.
The truth is that it was not supposed to be like this He had a design that was far greater than what
we could think or imagine, and we walked away. We wanted to become our own God, so we took
it upon ourselves to define what it good and bad; right and evil. Now we are disappointed with
the current state of our world, and we try to distract ourselves with things that we hope will that
that void that we now have as separation from God. We use things like hobbies, sexual
deviances, relationships, substance abuse and more and it does nothing but take us farther and
farther and make that void larger.
But God, who is “great in mercy” offered us a way out of this. He offered us a way to
shed our old self and to have a relationship with Him. While we were dead in our sins, He loved
us, and He sent His one and only son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us so that we would not
have to face eternal damnation and separation from Him (Ephesians 2, ESV). There was a
penalty for our sin, a death penalty, but He took it upon Himself so that we would not have to
pay it. Therefore, He offered us redemption, all we must do is accept His perfect and holy gift.
Next comes regeneration or a new creation. He gave us new life so that we might use it
and go back to that broken world that He delivered us from and share hope. We can become a
new creation in Him and therefore one day have a right relationship with Him (NAMB, 2023). In
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 it reads, “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: everything old has
passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians, ESV).
Topic Example
In Genesis 1:1 it states that, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth”
(Genesis, ESV). This is a verse that gives root to the fact that God is eternal, and He is the one
Who has always existed and will always exist. One of the most important attributes of God is the
image that we acquire from Him. The Bible says that we are created in His “image and likeness”
(Genesis, ESV). This is significant because, even though we are not and will never be God, we
can share certain characteristics with God's heart because we are formed of Him (Rich, 2019).
The fall symbolizes a time where man was separated from God because of our sin. It is
easy during this divide in Genesis 3 for us only to see the judgment of God rather than His
justness. Instead, it is obvious that we also see tenderness and mercy. God asks, “Where are
you?” to Adam and Eve desiring fellowship with them even after they have sinned. His attributes
are shining through the pain that He is feeling from the betrayal. Because God is sovereign and
all-knowing He already knew that they had sinned against Him. It is also made apparent how
God’s redemptive plan will come full circle, even though Eve had started the cycle by sinning
first and enticing her husband, God said that she will one day crush the head of the serpent. This
allows redemption not just for both Adam and Eve, but for Eve specifically (IHOPKC, 2021).
In the aspect of redemption, we see Jesus in the story of His baptism. Even John the
Baptist was baffled saying in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of
the world, and I am not worthy to untie His sandals” (John, ESV). Here is the Light of the World,
the Living Water, the Sacrificial Lamb of God coming to Earth and asking mere man to baptize
Him. The attributes we see of God are incomprehensible because it does not make sense, he
would do it for us. We sometimes can see a cruel God requiring that there be death in exchange
for our sinfulness, but instead we see Him take that penalty from us and out it on His one and
only son Jesus Christ (Harris, 2017).
Lastly, we see restoration happen in our lives and we look for further restoration for the
future. Though we sinned against God and continue to He desires fellowship and reconciliation
with us. So, He will not leave us dead in our sin but instead He is seeking after us and calling us
to Himself so that we may be like Him and learn to honor and fear Him only. This speaks to the
heart of God, the justness of God, and the love of God. He is Abba Father and He wants His
children to return to Him. And one day Revelation 21:1-4 will come to fruition that there is a
“new Heaven and a new Earth” and we will finally be with Him again (ESV).
Conclusion
The creation, fall, redemption, and restoration aids us in understanding the attributes and
heart of God. Here we see His love for His creation in times of darkness where we betrayed Him
and continue to. But we see that He does not lack any love, instead He is heartbroken and fights
to bring us back to Himself. He does not turn His back on us but instead seeks to continue
chasing that relationship to bring us back to Himself. So that one day we may be reunited with
Him and made new.
Reference:
Lints, R. (n.d.). The attributes of God. The Gospel Coalition.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-attributes-of-god/
Richard, C. (2019, February 10). The story: Creation, fall, redemption, restoration. Mercy
Fellowship: Marysville, WA. https://www.mrcy.life/sermons/sermon/2019-02-10/the-
story:-creation-fall-redemption-restoration
The Holy Bible. (2016). English standard version (ESV) - version information -
biblegateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/English-Standard-Version-
ESV-Bible/
IHOPKC. (2021, March 15). The tenderness of God in the fall of man. International House of
Prayer. https://www.ihopkc.org/resources/blog/tenderness-of-god-fall-of-man/
Harris, P. (2017, April 16). The glory and majesty of God, part 5 – attributes of
redemption. Grace Bible Church. https://www.gracebibleny.org/the-
glory-and-majesty-of-god-part-5-attributes-of-redemption
Johnson, R. (2023). God is restoring you to be better than before. Ryan Johnson
Ministries. https://ryanjohnson.us/god-is-restoring-you-to-be-better-than-
before/#:~:text=Restoration%20includes%20replenishment.,would
%20never%20leave%20his%20side.
NAMB. (2023, April 3). 3 circles. North American Mission Board.
https://www.namb.net/evangelism/3circles/
