What is God really like?

When some people think of God, they picture in their minds a grandfatherly figure with a long white beard ruling the universe from the sky.. They believe that because He is loving, He approves the lifestyles of everyone and would never punish anyone. Others imagine God as an angry figure who is ready to pounce on them with a lightning rod the moment they break a rule. Both views of God are wrong.

The Bible, God’s inspired, inerrant, infallible Word, shows us God in a much different light. God’s Word teaches us the following about God:

1. He is spirit (John 4:24) and nothing we could ever create, be it an image or a figure of our imagination, could ever properly represent Him.

2. God never changes (Malachi 3:6). Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus, God the Son, is “the same yesterday and today and forever.”

3. God knows everything (1 John 3:20).

4. He is everywhere and is not confined by time (Psalm 139:7-13; Isaiah 57:15).

5. He is holy—perfect and separated from sin (Isaiah 6:3).

6. He is just (Deuteronomy 32:5). Because He is just, He must and will judge all sin and unrighteousness (Jude 1:15; Revelation 20:11-13).

7. He is gracious. He gives us unmerited favor and offers us eternal life (Romans 5:17; Ephesians 2:8-9).

8. He is merciful. He withholds from us what we rightfully deserve—eternal punishment and separation from Him (Isaiah 55:7; 1 Timothy 1:16).

9. He is sovereign, that is, He is in control of all things. Nothing happens unless He causes or allows it to happen, even the things we don’t understand. Because He is the Sovereign of the Universe, He is under no obligation to tell us why anything happens. We are to simply trust and obey Him, remembering that He has a plan. He sees the big picture where as we only see the tiny brushstroke on the canvas.

10. He is one God in three persons—the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

As Rich Mullins sang in his song, “Our God is an awesome God.”

Do you know God? Have you entered into a personal relationship with Him? If not, contact me today. I’d be glad to better introduce you to Him.

Read 1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Samuel 7:22; Revelation 19:6