Eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing God; Creator and Sustainer of universe
Waldensian theology affirms the classical theistic understanding of God's nature and attributes. God is infinite, eternal, personal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and perfectly holy. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, independent of creation, and deserving of all praise and worship. God's existence is necessary and self-existent, while all other beings exist by God's creative will.
The Waldensian Confession articulates God as the source of all goodness, justice, mercy, and wisdom. God acts in history providentially, sustaining creation and directing events toward the fulfillment of God's redemptive purposes. God's sovereignty is real and comprehensive, yet God is not the author of sin and respects genuine human moral agency and responsibility.
Waldensian theology emphasizes that God is personally knowable through Jesus Christ and through the study of Scripture. God graciously invites all people to repentance and faith, and God's nature is fundamentally characterized by justice and love. The Reformed emphasis on God's total otherness (transcendence) is balanced by the affirmation of God's intimate involvement in human history and salvation.
Key Distinctions
- Theism type:
- classical monotheism — one God, infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent
- Primary divine attribute:
- love and holiness (biblical); divine simplicity affirmed (God is what he has)
Scripture References
Sources
- Waldensian Confession of 1655