God is Infinite
“Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” (Job 11:7-9)
When we argue with our children over who loves who more, parents will play the trump card: “I love you times infinity!” But kids think they are smart and pop back: “I love you times infinity plus one!” What does that even mean? How can one love beyond infinity? How can one quantify such a startling claim? And that is the point. “Infinite” means limitless, endless, or impossible to measure. In essence, “infinite” is a negative definition. Infinite means “not finite, not bound, not limited.” Hence, we come to a wonderful truth about our God. Our God is infinite. What does that actually mean? And how is that of any benefit to us?
God is infinite in every way. When we apply infinity to time, we say that God is eternal. God is without beginning, without end, and without successive moments in between. When time was not, God was. When we apply infinite to perfection, we say that God is unchangeable. To use the old line – “How can you improve upon perfection?” Exactly! If God changed, He would not be infinite in His perfections. When we apply infinity to God’s being, we say that God is incomprehensible. How can a God without limits fit into this little Presbyterian brain? “The highest heavens cannot contain God.” This is the idea beyond Amazing Grace: “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.” There are not enough hours in the day to praise God’s infinite being.
But wait! There is more! God is infinite in power. When we confess the Apostles’ Creed, we do not call Him “God the Father somewhat Mighty,” or “God the Father mostly Mighty;” no, we praise Him as “God the Father Almighty!” He’s infinite in wisdom. Before a word is on our tongue, He knows it altogether. He knows the beginning, He knows the end, and He even knows all that happens in the middle. God’s grace, mercy, compassion, love, justice, righteousness, and so on are infinite! It would take an infinite amount of newspapers to properly detail our God’s infinite perfections.
How does this benefit us? On the one hand, stand in awe of our infinite God. If our hearts are drawn to food and friends of a high quality, how much more should our hearts be drawn to the infinite God? To quote John Piper, “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” When we ponder our infinite God, we want others to join in because our voices alone are not enough. But on the other hand, what more do we need? We find ourselves saying, “If I only had this. If I only had that.” No. He will supply your needs from His own inexhaustible fullness. If you have God, you have more than enough.
