Who Is God? Understanding His Attributes and Why They Matter - Part 3

Part 3: God Is One, Simple, and Spiritual

In the last part of this series, we saw that God is infinite, eternal, and unchanging. These attributes already set Him apart from everything else. Now we go further. We will see why God must be one, why He must be simple (that is, without parts), and why He must be spiritual, not material.

These ideas are deeply connected—and they reveal not only what God is, but how different He is from everything else.

God Is One

Created things are always individual and limited. There are many horses, many stars, many people. These distinctions are possible because created things have boundaries. Each one has a beginning and an edge, and is different from others in kind or degree.

But if God is infinite, then He has no boundaries. He is not one thing among others. He is not a god in a group. He is being itself, without limit or division.

If there were more than one god, there would have to be a real difference between them. But any difference implies limitation—one has something the other does not. That contradicts the idea of a being who is infinite and complete. So there cannot be two infinite beings. There can only be one God.

Why It Matters

If there is only one God, then we can give our hearts to Him without reservation. We do not need to seek competing powers or alternate sources of meaning. There is no second opinion. There is no rival god who governs part of the world or part of our lives.

This also means that the God who created you is the same God who will judge you, redeem you, and love you forever. He is not one force among others—He is the one foundation of all that is.

God Is Simple

This is one of the most important, and least understood, truths about God: God is simple.

When we hear the word "simple," we may think it means "basic" or "easy to understand." But that is not what divine simplicity means.

To say that God is simple means that He is not made of parts.

Everything in creation is composed of parts. A tree has bark, leaves, and roots. A human being has body and soul. Even immaterial creatures like angels have a distinction between what they are and that they are.

And wherever there are parts, there is potential—a way the thing could be rearranged, changed, or made better. But God is not like that. If He were made of parts, He would depend on something to put those parts together. That would mean He was not necessary or self-sufficient.

But God is not composed of anything more basic than Himself. He just is. He is not one attribute among others. He does not “have” power or wisdom or love. He is power, wisdom, and love. In Him, there is no division between essence and existence, between what He is and that He is.

This is what the Church means when it says God is simple. He is pure being, not assembled from components, not limited by structure, and not subject to change.

Why It Matters

Because God is simple:

• He does not change or decay

• He is perfectly unified in all His attributes

• He is fully present and active in everything He does

• His justice is not separate from His mercy, nor His power from His love

When we approach God, we are not navigating a collection of divine moods. We are encountering one, perfect, indivisible act of being, truth, and love.

God Is Spiritual

Material things are always limited by their physical nature. They take up space. They have shape and weight. They are made of parts.

But if God is infinite, simple, and unchanging, He cannot be material. Material things change. They decay. They are shaped by something else.

God, who is infinite and without composition, must be immaterial. He is pure spirit—not made of matter, not confined to place, not shaped by anything other than Himself.

This does not mean God is vague or unreal. In fact, spiritual things are more real, not less. They are not subject to corruption or decay. God's spiritual nature is what makes Him eternal, unbounded, and capable of being present to all things.

Why It Matters

Because God is spirit, He is not bound by time or space. He is not located in one corner of the world, nor is He locked into a physical form. He is present to all things, not by being part of them, but by giving them being.

This also means that we relate to God most truly not through material rituals alone, but through our spirit—our mind, our will, our soul. This is why Jesus said that the Father desires those who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23).

Putting It Together

To say that God is one, simple, and spiritual is to affirm His absolute unity, perfection, and otherness. He is not one being among many. He is not composed or changeable. He is not material or measurable.

And yet, this same God draws near to us. He sees the thoughts of our hearts. He hears our prayers. He is closer to us than any material thing could ever be.

Next Time: God Is Transcendent and ImmanentWe will explore what it means to say that God is both beyond all things and present to all things, and how that mystery gives us both reverence and closeness in prayer.