God is unlike any other being or creature and beyond anything that we can understand. The Bible, however shows us something of what God is like in ways that we can understand.
The Bible explains that God is a spirit ("God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.? John Ch4 v24) and therefore does not have a body, although he is sometimes described in animated language. For example: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms". Deuteronomy Ch33 v27. Also: "Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvellous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him." Psalm 98 v1. The use of metaphors to explain what God is like or his actions does not mean that he is a man or has a body the Bible sometimes compares God's actions like the actions of a particular animal, for example, "I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 17 v6-8. We know that the psalmist is using figurative language when he takes about God's wings.
God's character has many facets. Below we will deal with eight aspects of God's character.
1. God is Holy
Definition:
Holy means the pure, loving nature of God, separate from evil. aggressively seeking to universalise itself: that this character inheres in places, times and institutions intimately associated with worship; and that it is to characterise human beings who have entered into personal relations with God.
Meaning:
To be holy means to be separate from evil. Therefore, we need to separate ourselves from evil, by not associating with evil, being found in a situation where one could get the idea of being evil. That doesn't mean to not have any friends that are not Christians, for even Jesus spent time with the social and religious outcasts of His day. When we associate with those people our behaviour needs to demonstrate that we are different from the people or the evil things surrounding us at that given moment.
Scriptures that tell us that God is holy:
1 Peter 1:16 - 25
Because it is written, Be holy; for I am holy.
1 John 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Psalm 98:1
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he has done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, has given him the victory.
Psalm 145:17
The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
1 Samuel 2:2
There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside you: neither is there any rock like our God.
Isaiah 6:3
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
John 17:11
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one, just as we are.
Revelation 4:8
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they did not rest day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Conclusion:
The holiness of God is directly related to His righteousness, God alone is to be worshipped. He alone is separate from evil, but He tells us to be holy like Him.
2. God is Eternal
Definition:
Eternal refers to the endless past, the unending future, or to God's present experience of all time. God has no beginning as man can understand beginning and no ending either, but God exists now and knows both the beginning and the end as we perceive them.
Meaning:
This also points to how much we can trust God. Since He created time as we know it, He lives outside of time and can see the beginning and the end of our lives and the age of men and the church. Therefore when He tells us what events will precede and be a part of the end of the age, we can rest assured that those events will happen just as He described. More than that though, we can live with the peace of knowing that when we die we will be with Him forever without end. A day will be as a thousand years.
Scripture that show that God is eternal:
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
Genesis 21:33
And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall drive out the enemy from before you; and shall say, Destroy them.
1 Timothy 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Conclusion:
God has always existed and He always will. Nothing can resist Him and nothing will ever be able to bring an end to Him.
3. God is Love
Definition:
The very nature of God, and the greatest of the Christian virtues. Attributes of love include patience, kindness, protection, trusting, hoping, and persevering. Love is not envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, a recorder of wrongs or does it take delight in evil.
Meaning:
Love, therefore, needs to be prevalent in our lives if we are to be called Christians.
Scripture that tell us that God is love:
1 John 4:8
He that does not love does not know God; for God is love.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 15:9-14
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might be full. This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.
Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the greatest commandment? Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love thy neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets
Romans 5:8
But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, not any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Conclusion:
God loves us more than we can ever know. However, His love for us is to fill us so much that it overflows from us to others, so they can begin to know and experience God's love.
4. God is Truth
Definition:
Truth is the interrelated consistency of statements and their correspondence with the facts of reality and the facts themselves. It suggests an integration of character, and adherence of virtue, a kind of reliability, which includes and goes beyond the literal meaning to include those aspects of personal behaviour which seem to be implied by the love of truth. The concept of truth is derived from the character of God, and is the exact opposite of the concept of lying. "It is impossible for God to lie."
Meaning:
Since it is impossible for God to lie we know that everything He says about what will happen will actually take place. If we are to become perfect we need to be known as individuals who tell the truth, like God. That means when we promise something we need to keep that promise or not make it in the first place. We need to try to place ourselves in situations where we don't feel the need to lie to defend either ourselves or our behaviour.
Scriptures that tell us that God is truth:
Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
John 17:2 & 3
As you have given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Psalm 19:9
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
Psalm 33:4
For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.
Psalm 57:10
For your mercy is great unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds.
John 8:31-32
If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 17:17
Sanctify them through truth: your word is truth.
Conclusion:
Whatever God says He will do, He will do. Therefore, when He says those who believe in Jesus shall have eternal life, you can rest assured that will take place. Just as sure is His providing a way out of temptation, protection from the flaming arrows of the enemy, and Satan's eventual demise by being thrown into the Lake of Fire forever.
5. God is Immutable
Definition:
The perfection of God by which He is devoid of all change in essence, attributes, consciousness, will, and promises. No change is possible in God, because all change must be to better or worse, and God is absolute perfection. No cause for change in God exists, either in Himself or outside of Him.
Meaning:
Perfection means perfection. There is no reason for God to change because there is no change that would make Him better. However, man should be striving to be found complete and perfect in God's eyes.
Scriptures that show that God is unchangeable::
Psalm 102:27
But you are the same, and your years shall have no end.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Malachi 3:6
For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Conclusion:
There is no reason for God to change. When something is perfect it is best to leave it alone and avoid causing it to lose it's perfection.
6. God is Infinite
Definition:
The infinity of God is not an independent attribute. If we were to say, "God is the infinite," without specification, the meaning would be pantheistic, equal to saying, "God is everything." In using the word "infinite" we must always be specific.
Meaning:
Therefore, God is not found in the trees or in the mountains but in who He is. Surely His power is displayed through the creation of the trees and mountains and everything else we see and don't see, but those things are not to be worshipped. Only God is to be worshipped, for He created all things in His infinite power with His infinite wisdom.
Scriptures that show that God is infinite:
Psalm 145:3
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
2 Chronicles 2:5 & 6
And the house that I build is great: for great is our God above all Gods. But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him. Who am I then, that I should build him an house, except only to burn sacrifice before him?
Jeremiah 23:24
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.
Conclusion:
There is no way to fully understand the vast greatness of God. Infinity is the term man uses to describe something that cannot be counted or measured and God is surely immeasurable.
7. God is Life
Definition:
Life is the vital principle, or breath of life, which God imparted to man, making him a living soul. It is the gift of God, mediated through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not synonymous with endless existence, which is also true of the unsaved. It is qualitative, involving the impartation of a new nature, resulting in fellowship with God in Christ, and is not interrupted by spiritual death. It will find its perfection and full reality of blessedness with God in the life to come for the believer. God has absolute life in Himself and is the source of all life.
Meaning:
Since God is life anything other than God is death. God breathed the breath of life into Adam thereby giving Adam a qualitative difference in existence than the other animals God created. Man was created to be able to commune with God and interact with Him. When man fell as a result of sin this relationship was marred. Only through a proper understanding of man's relationship to God, and belief that Jesus died for the sins of the world to give man back the life God intended, can one once again have this qualitative existence of life in a right relationship with The Giver of Life - God.
Scripture that show that God is life:
Joshua 3:10
And Joshua said, Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail to drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
Psalm 84:2
My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cry our for the living God.
Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM.
Matthew 16:16
And Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Conclusion:
God is alive. Unlike idols and gods, God can think and act to protect His people. He can give life to those who seek Him. When His people pray to Him, He is able to hear them and He does answer them.
8. God is sovereign
Definition:
God is ruler and whatever he purposes will take place. There is nobody or nothing that God answers to.
Meaning:
God is not just sovereign he also all wise, he therefore rules in wisdom with all power and authority.
Scriptures that speak about God's Sovereignty:
2 Samuel 7:22
How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
Psalm 68:20
Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
Psalm 141:8
But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge - do not give me over to death.
Daniel 5:21
He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.
Acts 4:24
When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. Sovereign Lord, they said, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.
Revelation 6:10
They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
Conclusion:
There is nobody else like God. All power and authority belongs to God and his plans cannot thwarted.