In Peter’s first letter, he differs between the moral will of God and the sovereign will of God. By moral will, Peter refers to something to be pursued and lived up to. On the other hand, the will of God is the state of affairs that he sovereignly brings about. God’s moral will is most prominently noted in His desire for all to be saved (Ezek. 18:23). From this, God’s moral will is expanded to include a desire for all to do what is right (1Pet. 2:15; 4:19), and live in freedom from lust and other sins (1Pet. 4:2). It is because of all this that God allows His people to suffer if it is for doing what is right (1Pet. 3:17), even to the point of death for the sake of who He is (Acts. 21:14). When God allows evil to occur through His permissive will, He does not necessarily always do it with pleasure, but sometimes with displeasure (Ps. 78:31; 81:11-12).

God’s sovereign will centers on His purpose (Rom. 9:11), which brings good pleasure to Him and will be accomplished (Is. 46:9-11). Because of this, God’s sovereign will cannot be changed (Job 42:2; Prov. 19:21). If not directly predestined, decreed, or purposed, God will use His moving hand of providence, which in its supremacy cannot be stopped (Dan. 4:35), to work all things out for His good (Num. 23:19; Matt. 10:29). Man does not have the final say in anything that occurs (Jer. 10:23; Rom. 9:16) because God has the final say in all that occurs (Prov. 16:33; Am. 3:6; Matt. 10:29); whatever God wants to do is done (Ps. 115:3), and whatever God wants to occur occurs (Prov. 21:1; Rom. 9:18). God’s sovereign will is so exhaustive that God directs all the paths of man (Prov. 16:9), so much so that no one is allowed to live (Jam. 4:15), or speak (Lam. 3:37-38) except by the allowance of God.

The decrees of God refer to the decisions God made prior to creation regarding the fulfillment of His purpose (Is. 46:10-11; Jer. 4:28; Job 42:2; Zech. 8:14). God’s decrees cannot change (Prov. 19:21; Jer. 23:40; Ps. 33:6-11; Dan. 4:35). Not everything that occurs is decreed, because God changes His mind in some instances (1Chron 21:15; Ex. 32:12-14). This brings us to a conclusion that not everything foreknown by God is decreed. Since God does not originate sin (1Jo. 2:16; 3:8; Jam. 1:13-15; Rom. 7:18), but works all things (including sin) together according to His good purpose (Rom. 8:28; 1Tim. 4:10; 1Pet. 3:17; Is. 46:9-10; Num. 23:19; Jam. 1:17; Phil. 2:13), not all things that occur are decreed.

God’s decree includes all that is recorded in scripture (2Tim 3:16; Jo. 10:35; Num. 23:19; Jo. 17:17). God’s decree includes His unconditional covenants and promises (Jer. 23:40; 32:40; Ex. 32:12-14; Ps. 106:44-45; Ps. 110:4; Deut. 7:9-10). God’s decree includes the actions done by Jesus (2Tim. 1:9; 1Pet. 1:20; Eph. 3:7; 11; Ps. 16:10; Ps. 22:22) and actions done to Jesus (Acts 2:23; Ps. 118:22; Ps. 22; Is. 52:14; Is. 52:53; Is. 53:5; Mark 10:45; Matt. 20:28). God’s decree includes what God has foretold of the future through the prophets (2Pet. 1:21; Ex. 17:14; Ezek. 1:3; Nah. 1:1). Lastly, God’s decree includes the nature of God, for God can never be changed (Acts 17:25; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). Therefore, the promise of salvation is a decree and cannot be broken (Acts 16:31; Eph. 3:7; 11; Tit. 1:1; 2Thess 2:13), further affirming that those decreed, or chosen, by God to receive salvation cannot be stolen from God’s hand (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; Jo. 10:27-30). In conclusion, all actions decreed or not, are based on God’s sovereign purpose.

The goodness of God is defined as God’s love, God’s faithfulness, and God’s holiness; all other attributes of God’s goodness fall under those three umbrellas. The umbrella of God’s love encompasses God’s intimate care for creation and God’s grace. God is defined by love (1Jo. 4:8; 16; 2Cor. 13:11), shows His love not just to those who seek Him (Ps. 73:1), but is so abundant in love (Ps. 57:10; 86:15) that it abounds also to generations that follow the faithful servant (Ex. 34:6; Deut. 5:10). This love fuels God’s graciousness (Ex. 34:6), which exhibits itself in the gift of salvation through Christ (Rom. 6:23), given out of compassion (Ex. 2:7-8), and love (Jo. 3:16).

The umbrella of God’s faithfulness encompasses God’s keeping of promises and God’s standard of absolute truth. Despite our unfaithfulness, God is faithful (2Tim. 2:13; 1Thess. 5:24), and keeps His promises (Deut. 7:9). While there are promises all throughout the Bible, all promises and covenants point forward or backward to Christ because Christ solidifies God’s faithfulness (1Cor. 1:9). God promised eternal salvation before existence (Tit. 1:2), and gave us the Spirit to seal that promise, which proves He is faithful (2Cor. 1:18; 22; 1Pet. 4:19). God in His nature is absolute truth (1Thess. 1:9; 2Cor. 4:2; Jer. 10:10; Jo. 17:3; Num. 23:19; Jam. 1:13; Rev. 3:7; 6:10; Tit. 1:2; 1Sam. 15:29), and absolute truth pours out from God (Ex. 34:6; Jo. 17:17; Ps. 57:10). It is through the gift of salvation through Christ that we are able to understand the absolute truth of God (1Jo. 5:20).

The umbrella of God’s holiness encompasses God’s perfection (Matt. 5:48) and God’s justness (Gen. 18:25). Not only is God holy (Ex. 3:5; Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; Ps. 99:9; Rev. 3:7; 6:10; 15:4), but God is the holiest of anything that might even be considered holy (1Sam. 2:2; Ex. 15:11), so much so that even His name is holy (Is. 57:15; Ps. 99:3). Because God is perfect, He cannot approve of evil; God sees wickedness, but not with favor unless it accomplishes His purpose (Hab. 1:13), but even so, it is not the wickedness that brings Him favor, but rather the accomplishment of His purpose (Eph. 1:5; Col. 1:10). God does not pervert justice (Job 34:12), but rather is justice (2Cor. 6:16; Deut. 7:10; Gen. 18:25; Rev. 12:19), therefore He delights in exercising justice because it is who He is (Jer. 9:24). God is patient before the Day of Judgment (Rev. 6:10) but will judge the earth (Ps. 58:11) heavily punishing the unrepentant (1Thess. 1:10). 

The greatness of God is defined as God’s eternality, God’s supremacy, and most prominently God’s sovereignty; all other attributes of God’s greatness fall under those three umbrellas. God’s greatness includes His eternality, which refers to His immortality, His invisibleness, and His desire for exclusive worship (1Tim. 1:17; 6:15-16; Jo. 1:18; 4:24). God’s eternality includes His preexistence (Gen. 1:1; Is. 44:6; Jude 25; Ps. 90:1-2; Jo. 8:58), His continued existence for the remainder of eternity (Ps. 102:12; 27; 147:5; Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13), and His unchanging nature (2Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:17; 13:8; Jer. 4:28; Job 42:2; Mal. 3:6; Prov. 19:21; Ps. 102:26-27; Ezek. 24:14; Zech. 8:14; Lam. 3:22-23).

God’s greatness includes His supremacy. God is self-sufficient and does not need anything that His creation has to offer (Acts 17:25). God’s purpose is supreme to any other purpose or will. His purpose will be accomplished and nothing can escape it (Jer. 10:10). Everything that occurs, whether part of God’s purpose or not, is allowed to occur by Him (Matt. 10:29; Phil 2:13) to such an extent that even life is derivative from God; God gave even His own divine Son life on earth (Jo. 5:26).

God’s greatness includes His sovereignty, which includes His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and transcendence. Nothing is impossible for God (Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37) or too difficult for God’s power (Gen. 18:14; Acts 26:8), which is surpassing in greatness (Eph. 1:19); God can do all things (Job 42:1). God’s understanding has no limits (Ps. 147:5); He knows all the laws of nature that He put into place (Job 37:16), what we will say before we speak it (Ps. 139:4), and even how many hairs are on our heads (Matt. 10:30). We cannot flee from the presence of God’s Spirit (Ps. 139:7; Jer. 23:23; Matt. 28:20). While God is present in this world by Spirit, His thoughts are not of this world (Is. 55:8), His being is over all (Eph. 4:6), and is above the stature of all gods and creation (Ps. 97:9). Moreover, God sees everything we do and think (Job 28:24; 1Jo. 3:20; Heb. 4:1; 13; Prov. 15:3).

The trinity refers to the one God (Deut. 6:4; Jam. 2:19; Jo. 10:30; Gal. 3:20) described by three distinct and equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is fully God (Heb. 1:9; Jo. 1:18; Job 38-41). The Son is fully God (1Cor 8:6; Heb 1:8). The Holy Spirit is fully God (Acts 5:3-4; Jo. 14:26; Matt. 12:31). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together are fully God (Jo. 14:10; Is. 48:16; 2Cor 12:14). Each of the three is neither of the other two (Heb. 1:8-9; Jo. 17:21), and all three existed together before the foundation of creation and will continue to exist for all eternity (Is. 48:16; Heb. 1:10; Jo. 8:58).

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have distinct roles. The Father is the Creator (1Pet. 4:19), the sovereign ruler over all people (Matt. 5:45) and provider of all things to all people (Acts 17:24-25), and is He who raises the dead to life (Jo. 5:21). The Son explains the Father (Jo. 1:18), accomplishes the Father’s sovereign purpose (Jo. 4:34), builds the Church (Acts 2:47), sanctifies individuals so they may be part of the Church (1Cor. 1:2), prays on behalf of believers (Heb. 7:25), will be the eternal judge (Ps. 2:7-12), and now serves as King forever (Matt. 27:11; Heb. 13:8). The Holy Spirit is the divine helper (Jo. 14:26) to the Father and Son (Jo. 15:26). Despite their distinctions, they intrinsically interconnect (Jo. 14:10; 17:20) so much so that honoring one and dishonoring another is a self-defeating concept (Matt. 12:31; Jo. 5:23).