How is God infinite? What does it mean that God is infinite?
The word infinite means to be without limits or to not be finite. To say God is infinite is to acknowledge that He is not limited to the constrictions of the created universe. Some of the ways God is infinite include His power, His knowledge, His presence, and His eternal existence.His perfect knowledge, often referred to as omniscience (meaning all-knowing), indicates that God's knowledge encompasses everything. As 1 John 3:20 teaches, "God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything."
His perfect power, referred to as omnipotence, highlights God's unmatched ability over all created things. Psalm 115:3 notes, "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases." Psalm 19:1 refers to God's power in creation by stating, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." His omnipotent power is revealed in part through the amazing creation in which we live.
His presence at all times and all places is referred to as God's omnipresence. Jonah learned of God's omnipresence the hard way when he attempted to run from God (Jonah 1). Psalm 139:7 asks, "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?" These questions, and the response to them in the following verses, note God's presence at all times and all places.
God's eternal existence is also an expression of His infinite nature. Often referred to as God's transcendence, God exists before, outside of, and greater than all creation. In 2 Kings 19:15, King Hezekiah prayed, "O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth." In 1 Chronicles 29:11, King David adds, "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all."
The Psalms especially focus on this glorious nature of God. For example, Psalm 8:1 reads, "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." Both Psalm 57:5 and 57:11 echo, "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!" Psalm 95:3 adds, "For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods." Psalm 97:9 affirms, "For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods."
To say God is infinite is to note God's knowledge, power, presence, and transcendence above and beyond all human limitations. He exists outside of time, existed before time began, and will exist for all time as the infinite, perfect God of all creation.
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Truth about God