Who Is God? Understanding His Attributes and Why They Matter - Part 2

Part 2: God Is Infinite, Eternal, and Unchanging

If God is the necessary being—the One who cannot not be—then certain truths follow logically. A being that is necessary must also be infinite, eternal, and unchanging. These are not abstract ideas; they reveal the vast difference between God and everything else, and they offer us a solid foundation for trust and worship.

God Is Infinite: Without Limits

To say that something is finite means that it is limited. Created things are always limited—by time, space, power, knowledge, or goodness. A tree cannot see. A star cannot think. A human being cannot be in more than one place at a time. All of us have boundaries.

But if God is the necessary being, then He cannot be limited. A limit implies something that holds a thing back or defines what it cannot be. But God does not depend on anything outside Himself. There is nothing that can limit Him.

So we say that God is infinite. This does not mean that He is very large or stretched across the universe. It means that He is without limit in His being, His knowledge, His power, and His goodness.

Why It Matters

Because God is infinite, He never runs out. His love is not rationed. His attention is not divided. His mercy is not stretched thin. He is perfect, complete, and fully present.

This also means that anything good or beautiful we experience in the world reflects something of God’s unlimited fullness. Created things are signs of the Creator, but God Himself is always more than what they reveal.

God Is Eternal: Outside of Time

All created things exist in time. Time is a measure of change—of one moment passing into another. We grow older. Trees bloom and wither. Stars are born and eventually collapse.

But if God is unchanging, then He cannot be in time. He cannot be “before” or “after” because those terms require change. God is eternal. This does not mean He just lasts forever. It means He exists outside of time entirely.

To God, all things are present at once. He sees your entire life, from beginning to end, in a single act of knowing.

Why It Matters

This means that God is not waiting to see what happens. He is not surprised. He is not late or early. His knowledge is perfect and complete.

Because God is eternal, His promises are not limited by time. His mercy is not seasonal. His presence is not temporary. The God who was faithful to Abraham, to David, and to the apostles is the same God who is with you now.

God Is Unchanging: Without Movement or Flaw

Change happens when something moves from what it is to what it could be. A seed becomes a tree. A child becomes an adult. A sinner becomes a saint.

But change implies potential—something not yet fulfilled. A thing that changes is not complete. But God is already perfect and fully actual. He has no unrealized potential. He is what St. Thomas Aquinas calls pure act.

Therefore, God is unchanging. He does not grow, shift, decay, or improve. He is already everything He should be.

Why It Matters

Everything else in life changes. People fail. Plans fall apart. Our emotions rise and fall. But God is constant. His love today is not weaker than yesterday. His justice is not more or less depending on the mood of the world. He is always who He is.

This gives us stability. We can trust Him. We can rest in Him. In a world of uncertainty, God is the anchor that does not move.

The Contrast With Creation

These three attributes—infinity, eternity, and immutability—separate God from everything else. The universe is full of change, limitation, and decay. But God is the source of all being, and He does not change or fail. He is not just greater than creation. He is altogether different.

And yet, this God who is beyond all things chooses to be near. He is not distant or cold. He is the rock beneath our feet, the one presence that never fades.

Next Time: God Is One and SpiritualWe will explore why there can only be one God, why He cannot be material, and what it means to say that God is pure spirit.