What Is God Really Like?

What is the truth about God? What does the Bible actually declare about Him? What is the benefit of knowing about God? Actually accepting the truth of what we know about God is the first step to knowing Him closely. We can know God intimately as we come to see Him act consistently and predictably with His biblical characteristics. Yes, any study of God and theological concepts about Him should influence not only our idea of God, but our relationship with Him. For those who do not know Him, this study can afford a basis for placing personal trust in Christ as Savior to enter a faith-based relationship with Him.

I.                   What is God Really Like?

Primarily these are Bible designations of God and they afford us insight into His character and fundamental nature.

Our goal here is to note the essence of God, and to grapple with the God-stuff that He actually is.  It is His fundamental nature that we are concerned with in this article. We will attempt to answer the question, “What is God?”

A.     God is a Spirit (John 4:24).

1.God is Spirit is a definition of His Being. This represents the nature of God as non-material and invisible (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:27).  His substance is not like a mere man (Jn. 1:18; 3:6), subject to all the errors and limitations of humanity. Neither is He confined to any one place at any time. He is an invisible Person who is present in all places at one and the same time, who is all-knowing, and who is all-powerful. He is perfect in all His ways.

2.God is invisible, incorporeal, without parts, without body, without passions, and therefore free from all limitations; He is apprehended not by the senses, but by the soul; hence God is above sensuous perceptions. 1 Cor. 2:6–16 intimates that without the teaching of God’s Spirit we cannot know God. He is not a material Being. –William Evans

3.Therefore, those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Since He is Spirit, He must reveal Himself in the Word of truth. The worship of Him must be in accordance with His self revelation.

4.There must be no sham or hypocrisy. There must be no pretense to being religious, when inwardly one’s life is corrupt. There must be no idea that in going through a series of rituals, God is thereby pleased. Even if God instituted those rituals Himself, He still insists that man approach Him with a broken and a contrite heart. –Believer's Bible Commentary

5.“LaPlace swept the heavens with his telescope, but could not find anywhere a God. He might just as well have swept a kitchen with his broom.” Since God is not a material Being, He cannot be apprehended by physical means. –Evans, William

B.     God is Light (1Jn. 1:5).

1.God is light. God is absolutely holy, absolutely righteous, and absolutely pure. He cannot look with favor on any form of sin. In Scripture, light and darkness are very familiar symbols (Jn. 1:4-5, 7-9; 3:19-21). Intellectually, “light” refers to biblical truth while “darkness” refers to error or falsehood (Ps. 119:105; Prov. 6:23; John 1:4; 8:12). Morally, “light” refers to holiness or purity while “darkness” refers to sin or wrongdoing (Rom. 13:11–14; 1 Thess. 5:4–7).

2.God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. God is the Revealer of His holiness. Both aspects of the divine nature relate to sin and fellowship with God (1 John 1:6-10). As Light, God both exposes man’s sin and condemns it. If anyone walks in darkness, he is hiding from the truth which the Light reveals (John 3:19-20). Nothing is hidden with Him, but “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). John forcefully affirms that God is absolutely perfect and nothing exists in God’s character that intrude upon His truth and holiness (Js. 1:17). God cannot sin because He is holy. Because we have been born into His family, we have received His holy nature (1 Peter 1:14–16; 2 Peter 1:4).

3.Light produces life and growth and beauty, but sin is darkness; and darkness and light cannot exist in the same place. If we are walking in the light, the darkness has to go. If we are holding to sin, then the light goes. There is no middle ground, no vague “gray” area, where sin is concerned. –The Bible Exposition Commentary

C.     God is Love (1Jn. 4:8).

1.God is love. It does not say that God loves. That is true, but John is emphasizing that God is love. Love is His nature. There is no love in the true sense but that which finds its source in Him. The words “God is love” are well worth all the languages in earth or heaven.

2.G. S. Barrett calls them:

... the greatest words ever spoken in human speech, the greatest words in the whole Bible. ... It is impossible to suggest even in briefest outline all that these words contain, for no human and no created intellect has ever, or will ever, fathom their unfathomable meaning; but we may reverently say that this one sentence concerning God contains the key to all God’s works and way ... the mystery of creation, ... redemption ... and the Being of God Himself. –Believer's Bible Commentary

3.Since God is love, intimate acquaintance with Him will produce love. Like light (1Jn. 1:5), love is intrinsic to the character and nature of God, and one who is intimately acquainted with God walks in His light (1:7). –The Bible Knowledge Commentary

4.God is love. This does not mean that “love is God.” And the fact that two people “love each other” does not mean that their love is necessarily holy. 

5.Much that is called “love” in modern society bears no resemblance or relationship to the holy, spiritual love of God. Yet we see banners saying “God is love!” displayed at many festivals, particularly where young people are “doing their own thing”—as if one could dignify immorality by calling it “love.” –The Bible Exposition Commentary

D.    God is a Consuming Fire (Heb. 12:29).

1.God is a consuming fire (See Heb. 10:26-31). These words come from Deuteronomy 4:24. The fire and smoke which manifested God’s presence at Sinai (v. 18) were but symbols of His consuming holiness that destroys all persistent inexcusable evil. It is God Himself who is the fire with which we should be concern, not a mere physical fire.

2.God is a consuming fire to all who refuse to listen to Him. But even to His own, His holiness and righteousness are so great that they should produce the profoundest reverence and respect. A believer who departs from his magnificent privileges will invite God’s chastisement.

E.     God is Triune (1John 5:7).

1.God is both one and three. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are one God, but they are also distinct Persons of the Godhead. Each Person of the Godhead works with and through the others to accomplish God’s plan of salvation for us.

2.The teachings are: 1. That God is one, and that there is but one God (Deut 6:4; 1 Kings 8:60; Isa 44:6; Mark 12:29,32; John 10:30). 2. That the Father is a distinct divine Person distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit. 3. That Jesus Christ is truly God, and yet is a Person distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit. 4. That the Holy Spirit is also a distinct divine Person.

F.      God is Personal (Ex. 3:14).

1.God is not an “It” or “Force,” but a Personal Being. God’s name, “I AM THAT I AM” consists of two central ideas—existence and personality. All through the Bible names and personal pronouns are ascribed to God undeniably proving He is a Person.

2.Personality exists where there is intelligence, will, reason, individuality, self-consciousness, and self determination. All of these are most true of God (Gen. 6:6; 1Kings 11:9; Deut. 6:15; Matt. 6:28-30; Rev. 3:19). God behaves like a person: He creates (Gen. 1:1), provides (Ps. 104:27-30), cares (1Pet. 5:6, 7), grieves (Gen. 6:6), and loves (Jn. 3:16).

3.True religion may be defined as the communion between two persons: God and man. Religion is a personal relationship between God in heaven, and man on the earth. If God were not a person there could be no communion; if both God and man were one there could be no communion, and, consequently, no religion. An independent personal relationship on both sides is absolutely necessary to communion. Man can have no communion with an influence, a force, an impersonal something; nor can an influence have any moving or affection towards man. It is absolutely necessary to the true definition of religion that both God and man be persons. God is person, not force or influence. –Evans, William

4.God is utterly different from dead false idols (Jer. 10:10-16; Ps. 135:15-18; 1Thess. 1:9).

G.    God is Life (John 5:26).

1.God has a form of animated existence. He has activity of thought, feeling, and a will. He is the Source of all life, both natural and spiritual (Gen 2:7; Jn. 1:3-4).

2.A person can receive life from the Lord Jesus (Jn. 5:26). Just as the Father is the Source and Giver of life, so He has decreed that the Son, too, should have life in Himself and should be able to give it to others.

3.This again is a distinct statement as to the deity of Christ and as to His equality with the Father. It cannot be said of any man that he has life in himself. Life was given to each one of us, but it was never given to the Father or to the Lord Jesus. From all eternity, They have had life dwelling in Them. That life never had a beginning. It never had a source apart from Them. –Believer's Bible Commentary

II.               How May We Describe God?

When reduced to its simplest definition, an attribute of God is whatever God has in any way revealed about Himself. These are the perfections and characteristic known to us as revealed in the Bible. Bear in mind that God is infinite and there may be attributes of Him that we cannot conceive and therefore cannot know. Just as angels may know of God’s grace and mercy, but they cannot know from experience these qualities because they have never sinned. But, because of their privilege they may know certain perfections of God that we cannot know. There are facets of God’s holy nature that are entirely unknowable, but these are revealed and obvious of Him.

A.     God is Self Existent (Ex. 3:13, 14).

1.God exists because He exists.  The great “I AM THAT I AM” is not dependent upon anyone or anything for His thoughts (Rom. 11:33, 34), his will (Rom. 9:19; Eph. 1:5), his power (Ps. 115:3), his counsel (Ps. 33:10, 11), or His needs (Ps. 50:10-12).

2.The existence of God explains the existence of the universe, the order and purpose in the universe, and the uniqueness of humanity. Biblical evidence demands the existence of God.

B.     God is All Knowing (Ps. 139:4; 147:5; Isa. 40:13, 14; Heb. 4:13).

1.God has complete and universal knowledge of all things past, present, and future (without any prior discovery of facts). Since He has always been and is everywhere at once, He consequently knows all without any exception. God sees all things (Prov. 15:3), he knows all things (Ps. 147:4; Matt. 10:29, 30), He knows mankind (Ps. 139:2, 4; Ex. 3:7; Matt. 6:32; Ps. 103:14), and He knows the past, present, and future (Acts 15:18).

2.The implications of God's omniscience are similar to the implications for His omnipresence. First, it is a comfort to His children. No piece of information that God needs to keep his children safe will escape His notice. No knowledge needed to correct a mishap or solve a problem is missing. Do you hurt? God knows. Are you lonely? God knows. Are you confused? God knows. Do you have need? God knows. And even though He knows our every thought, He still loves us (Romans 5:8). Take heart. God knows, and He loves us anyway.

3.On the other side of the ledger, there is no hoodwinking God. There is no wool to be pulled over His eyes (Jeremiah 17:10). Here is the futility of trying to hide sin from God. We've got the spotlights at Carnegie Hall trained on us. Hypocrisy is ludicrous. Sneaking is ridiculous. Are you trying to put one over on God? Think again. One who is omniscient has nothing put over on Him.

C.     God is All Powerful (Gen. 18:14; Job 42:2; Rev. 19:6).

1.God can do anything if it can be done and if it is consistent with His nature. He has power over nature (Gen. 1), he has power over angels (Ps. 103:20), he has power over people (Dan. 4:30-32), he has power over Satan (Job. 1:12; 2:6), and he has power over death (Heb. 2:14, 15).

2.He put the galaxies in place. He breathed life into a lump of clay and created man. It is by looking at nature, and specifically “space,” that we get some feel for God's omnipotence. An article from National Geographic speaks well to this subject:

Far from the land of everyday, out in the distant curves of the universe, lie strange and fantastic realms, unlike anything in our wildest dreams. Hidden by the barriers of time and space, they have lived forever beyond the reach of man, unknown and unexplored.

But now, just now, the cosmic barriers have begun to lift a little. Man has had his first glimpses of these once secret domains, and their bizarre ways have left him stunned. They challenge his very notions of matter and energy. With Alice in Wonderland, he says, “One can't believe impossible things.” And impossible, indeed, they seem to be.

D.    God is Everywhere at once (Ps. 139:7-12; Matt. 18:20).

1.God is present everywhere at the same time with His entire Being. God is active in the world and through his creation, but still independent of it. God transcends his creation—He is above and beyond it. Therefore everything is not God, nor is God everything—Pantheism.

2.There is nowhere we can go and not be in the presence of God. As Paul Little has observed in his book Know What You Believe, “He is not like a substance spread out in a thin layer all over the earth—all of Him is in Chicago, in Calcutta, in Cairo, and in Caracas, at one and the same time.”

3.Now there are some important implications to omnipresence. One is that omnipresence is not pantheism. Omnipresence states that God is everywhere. Pantheism states that everything is God, or a part of God. If you were sitting in a tree, omnipresence says that God is present with you. Pantheism states that the tree is God. The God of the Bible, however, is separate and distinct from His creation, though He is present with it.

4.Second, omnipresence means that you cannot sin without sinning in the presence of God. If you are tempted to tell a little white lie to someone you don't know, God is present. If you are tempted to commit a sexual sin with another person, God is there. If you are tempted to falsify your income tax report in the privacy of your own study, God is there. You cannot sin without sinning in the presence of God.

5.Third, omnipresence means that God is always with you. You are not alone. Loneliness is one of the greatest emotional problems of the day. Billy Graham has stated that when he preaches on loneliness, he gets a greater response than on any other topic. Because God is omnipresent, the person who is alone or lonely can take comfort from that. God is there. Many reports of prisoners of war and hostages, who have spent many years isolated, have reported that knowing that God was present sustained their faith.

E.     God is Sovereign (Isa. 46:9-11; Ps. 135:6; Rom. 8:28).

1.God is the absolute and sole Ruler in the universe. He has the total freedom, power, knowledge, wisdom, and determination to carry out a predetermined course of action. His sovereignty is in no way shared with evil, nor does it destroy human responsibility and choice. God’s sovereignty brings Him glory and man good (Rom. 8:28, 29).

2.God permits injustice in our world and sovereignly works His good purpose despite them. This conviction that God is sovereign underlies our acceptance of the Lord Jesus as our example of living with injustice (1Pet. 2:18-25). This is the correct understanding of submission and suffering. 

3.Sovereignty is not a property of the divine nature, but a prerogative arising out of the perfections of the Supreme Being. If God be a Spirit, and therefore a person, infinite, eternal, and immutable in his being and perfections, the Creator and Preserver of the universe, He is of right its absolute sovereign. Infinite wisdom, goodness, and power, with the right of possession, which belongs to God in all his creatures, are the immutable foundation of his dominion. –Hodge, Charles: Systematic Theology

4.This sovereignty is exercised, (1.) In establishing the laws, physical and moral, by which all creatures are to be governed. (2.) In determining the nature and powers of the different orders of created beings, and in assigning each its appropriate sphere. (3.) In appointing to each individual his position and lot. It is the Lord who boxes the bounds of our habitation. Our times are in his hands. He determines when, where, and under what circumstances each individual of our race is to be born, live, and die. Nations, no less than individuals, are thus in the hands of God, who assigns them their heritage in the earth, and controls their destiny. (4.) God is no less sovereign in the distribution of his favours. He does what He wills with his own. He gives to some riches, to others, honour; to others, health; while others are poor, unknown, or the victims of disease. To some, the light of the gospel is sent; others are left in darkness. Some are brought through faith unto salvation; others perish in unbelief. To the question, Why is this? the only answer is that given by our Lord. "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight."[Matt. 11:26] –Hodge, Charles: Systematic Theology

5.See these passages also for more on the sovereignty of God (Deut. 4:39; 1Sam. 14:6; 1Chron. 29:12; 2Chron. 20:6; Rom. 9:14-18).

F.      God is Eternal (Deut. 33:27; Ps. 102:11, 12; 90:2).

1.God is totally free from the tyranny of time. With God there is no past or future, but one always and never-ending present. He is not conditioned by time nor confined by it.

2.Where did everything come from? Scientists say it came from a big ball of mud bubbling in the center of the universe which eventually exploded and formed the galaxies we see today. My mind asks, “Where did the mud come from?” Scientists say, “The mud just always was.” I don't buy it. Others suggest that the mud wasn't always there, but came into existence somehow. I don't buy that either. Something coming from nothing? It is easier to believe in God than to believe that something came from nothing. The scientist will then say, “Well, if you believe in God, where did God come from?” But that question is absurd. There must be a beginning point. The beginning point can either be an eternal ball of mud, or it can be an eternal God. It takes more faith to believe in the ball of mud than it does to believe in God. God is eternal. He never had a beginning, and he will never have an end (Psalm 90:2). It is a very reassuring thought to me. It makes me feel safe. The universe can make sense to me. He always has been, and He always will be, and I am safe, loved, and significant.

G.    God is Unchanging (Mal. 3:6; Js. 1:17).

1.God never differs from Himself. He may on occasion alter His dealings with man in a dispensational sense, but His divine character remains constant. Since God is perfect, He cannot improve and since He is holy, He cannot become worse. God is always the same (Heb. 1:10-12).

2.You cannot improve on perfection. And, if He is perfect, He cannot change for the worse for the same reason. If God ever changed, or ever could change, we could never be sure of anything. So God loves us today! So what? If He could change, He might not love us tomorrow.

3.God cannot change because His very nature is unchanging. Therefore, He can never be wiser, more holy, more just, more merciful, more truthful; nor less. Nor do His plans and purposes change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The apostle James writes that God is “the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Malachi writes that “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).

4.It is not inconsistent for God to change His mind and refrain from judgment when a nation repents. His specific actions might change, but His nature, character, and purposes do not (Numbers 23:19; Exodus 32:14; Jeremiah 18:7–10).

H.    God is Holy (1Pet. 1:16; Hab. 1:13).

1.God is entirely separated from all sinfulness and evil. He is also positively pure and perfect in His moral nature.

2.God’s holiness involves His righteousness and justice.

                                                                     i.            Righteousness: that which God’s holiness demands, the standard which is consistent with His holy nature.

                                                                   ii.            Justice: that expression of God’s holiness to reward good and evil accordingly (Rom. 6:23).

3.Holiness is God's most clearly defining characteristic. We see two dramatic statements concerning the holiness of God in Scripture. One is in the book of the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 6:1–8.

4.From this passage, we learn why holiness is God's most defining characteristic. This is a vision of the Lord in the temple. God is high and lifted up. Smoke is filling the temple. The whole temple, which was a solid, sturdy building, shook as the angel spoke. This was a terrifying scene. Try to imagine yourself in the picture. What would you do? I would fall to the floor and try to crawl into the nearest crack! It would scare the wits out of me.

This shows us another characteristic of holiness. Not only does it have no sin, it cannot tolerate sin. It cannot be in the presence of sin. It is untouched by sin and untouchable by sin. There is a great gulf between man and God created by sin. God is holy. We are not. That is, until God works in us. When Isaiah repented of his sin God forgave him, which is symbolized in the hot coal touching his lips. When Isaiah repented and had been forgiven, he was accepted into the presence of God.

I.       God is Faithful (Deut. 7:9; Ps. 36:5; 89:1, 2; Lam. 3:22, 23).

1.God’s faithfulness refers to His self loyalty and to that of His entire creation. He will not (indeed, cannot) change his character or fail to perform all He has promised (1Cor. 10:13; Ps. 119:75; 1Jn. 1:9).

2.Faithfulness - dependability, loyalty, and stability, particularly as it describes God in His relationship to human believers. The faithfulness of God and His Word is a constant theme in the Bible. It is particularly prominent in Psalms 89 and 119. God is "the faithful God who keeps covenant" (Deut. 7:9) and chooses Israel (Is. 49:7); great is His faithfulness (Lam. 3:23).

3.It is not surprising that this aspect of God’s nature should also belong to the Messiah, who would be clothed with faithfulness (Is. 11:5) and who is described as the Faithful one (Rev. 19:11), the "faithful witness" (Rev. 1:5; 3:14), and the "faithful High Priest" (Heb. 2:17; 3:2).

4.God’s faithfulness is the source of the Christian’s deliverance from temptation (1 Cor. 10:13), assurance of salvation (Heb. 10:23), and forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9). He is faithful to His children because He is first of all faithful to Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).

5.God’s faithfulness should be so deeply reflected in the lives of His people (Gal. 5:22) that they can be called simply "the faithful" (Ps. 31:23). The Bible speaks of the faithfulness of Paul (1 Cor. 7:25), Abraham (Neh. 9:8), and Moses (Heb. 3:5).

6.Faithfulness is also expected in Christian believers. Faithfulness to one’s fellowman is seen especially in relation to fulfilling an office. A steward must be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2), just as Daniel and other persons in the Bible exercised their faithfulness toward God (Dan. 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:2). –Youngblood, Ronald F.: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary

J.      God is Merciful (Ps. 103:8-17; 1Tim. 1:13, 16; Jonah 4:2).

1.Mercy is that eternal principle of God’s nature which leads Him to seek the temporal good and eternal salvation of those who have opposed themselves to His will, even at the cost of infinite self-sacrifice. –A. W. Strong

2.God’s mercy is optional, in that he is in no way obligated to save sinners as he is to punish sinners. But he chooses to do so. 

Conclusion:

Knowing these truths about God, how then should you respond to Him?

“Knowing God” begins with believing the truth about Him. If we doubt one of these characteristics, we erode our basis for knowing God. We begin by accepting that these things are true of God. He is loving. He is just. He is merciful. He is all powerful. He is all knowing. He is present everywhere. He has no beginning or end. Accepting the truth of what we know about God is the first step in knowing Him intimately. We learn to know God intimately as we come to see Him act consistently and predictably with these characteristics.

If we truly believed these things about God, it would radically change our attitude and behavior toward Him. We are warmed by these thoughts as we read about them or hear them preached on Sunday morning, but let Monday morning come and there is a distinct shift in our thinking.

Any study of God and theological concepts about Him should influence not only our idea of God, but our relationship with Him. For those who do not know Him, they now have a basis for placing their personal trust in Christ as Savior to enter a faith-based relationship with Him. For those of us who already know the Lord, our fellowship with Him should be enhanced and expanded to enrich our time in this world and those with whom we share life. Our worship, service, relationships, and devotional lives should all be positively impacted by the realities of God we have just surveyed.

A great exercise we could engage in is to take one of these definitions or attributes of God and memorize it. Also commit to memory a related verse reference to strengthen our knowledge of that truth about Him. This will not only help our personal perception of God, but it should influence our faith interactions with Him also. Likewise this information provides us with insights to intelligently communicate what the Bible says and what we believe about God to others. These timeless truths also protect us from false ideas about God and enable us to recognize false forms of worship or systems of theology. 

Another possible learning exercise is to take a truth about God and confess it to Him for a period of one week. Have a “truth of the week.” Each day you simply clear off some space to formally confess this truth directly and prayerfully to God. For example you could say, “Lord, you are here right now with me.” Another expression could be, “Father, you are always faithful.”  Then acknowledge or express to God that reality you have learned and now believe about Him in a spontaneous manner. As you go about your day weave these impromptu expressions of truth into your daily experiences. “God, I know you are holy,” or “God, I believe with all my being that you are all powerful.” Allow yourself to appreciate this characteristic of God and use it to fuel your worship of Him. Praise Him for that particular quality and rejoice in the facts about Him. At the top of a new week choose another perfection of God and do the same exercise again. This practice should help you relate the truths of God to your daily experiences.