WSC Q4: God is love?

[frog]

Westminster shorter catechism question 4 states that:

Quest. 4. What is God?
Ans. 4. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

Why does it not mention that God is loving? It feels like a strange omission to me.

 

[Taylor]

There are many attributes not mentioned here, some major (such as simplicity). But because God is his attributes (which is what simplicity teaches), all his attributes need not be mentioned.

 

[MyCrows]

Maybe because love is the realized manifestation of his goodness.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

1Jn.4:8,16, both which state: "God is love," are prooftexts here:

WCF 2:1 Of God, and of the Holy Trinity

I. There is but one only,1 living, and true God, 2 who is infinite in being and perfection,3 a most pure spirit,4 invisible,5 without body, parts,6 or passions;7 immutable,8 immense,9 eternal,10 incomprehensible,11 almighty,12 most wise,13 most holy,14 most free,15 most absolute;16 working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will,17 for his own glory;18 most loving,19 gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin;20 the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him;21 and withal, most just, and terrible in his judgments,22 hating all sin,23 and who will by no means clear the guilty.24

Since one may "condense" the divine description, as well as "expand" on it (provided one is within the bounds of his self-revelation in Scripture), I am partial to the comment by MyCrows, that the goodness of God clearly reveals that God is love; but goodness alone does not "contain" all that describes God as love.​

 

[frog]

There are many attributes not mentioned here, some major (such as simplicity). But because God is his attributes (which is what simplicity teaches), all his attributes need not be mentioned.

Interesting point. But why would they choose to include the above rather than include love. I get that there's many attributes not mentioned here. But doesn't love or mercy as an attribute of God have particular prominence in the Scriptures?

 

[MyCrows]

Mercy is an outsworking of His goodness that will ultimately not be shown to some.

He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Not all indiscriminately.

 

[pgwolv]

Interesting point. But why would they choose to include the above rather than include love. I get that there's many attributes not mentioned here. But doesn't love or mercy as an attribute of God have particular prominence in the Scriptures?

Well, the Larger Catechism does include "mercy".

Q. 7. What is God?
A. God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Doesn't love or mercy as an attribute of God have particular prominence in the Scriptures?

The catechism, right near the outset, Q4, is asking/answering questions and providing information that is more general nature--of broad conception--than it does the further one gets into the material. The definition or description of God is one best suited to declare the universal scope of his deity and dominion. The attributes chosen for this presentation thus begin with the incommunicable, those unique-to-him; then turn to others that fit the universally known and recognized, even among the heathen. They may not want to acknowledge him accurately, they may substitute lesser degrees of quality to him, but this is the God from whom they turn away, and to which all will eventually bow the knee, like it or not.

"God is love." There is something more to this expression than the natural man can comprehend. Since the fall, man has rejected the love of God, and in consequence do not love him (or their neighbor). Love gives, and that generously. Love sacrifices, and bears, and hopes. Amazing love, indeed, that God should at all give or forebear or make any semblance of benevolence; when one might expect the highest of beings to be indifferent to the feeling of any lesser being infinitely beneath him (what is the happiness or sadness of an ant to you, O man?), and expect only to receive even from them whose gifts add nothing to him. Earthly despots demonstrate benevolence to create loyalty for maintaining their status, and to prove their worthiness for accolade from below. If they did not need to do so, would they? Man, who creates many idols in his own image, cannot conceive of "God is love."

Therefore, that "God is love" is essentially a matter of his willful self-disclosure, telling us what is in his mind and heart, and is manifested in the Person of Christ. It is a discriminating attribute, one that is reserved for the acquaintance of his beloved. Those who know "God is love" are those in covenant with him, who know his chesed, his lovingkindess. The prominence (if we may say so) of the love of God in Holy Scripture is (we should say) a secret belonging to those to whom it has been made known, a heart-to-heart intimacy. RichardDawkins has read the Bible, famously. Does he know that God is love?

 

[frog]

That's helpful. Thanks all!