Who Is God?

 

I love the question “Who is God?” because it is both incredibly deep and theological while also being very basic and practical. It’s a question that can satisfy the theologian as well as the kid who never stops asking questions, and I think that’s the way God meant it to be. I think that God has revealed Himself to us in such a way that He can seem deep and complex, so much so that we will never understand all the depths of His nature and character, while also showing us how simple He is and what that means for us. 

So for this week’s blog, I want to explore the major attributes of God He has revealed to us in Scripture, dividing them into two categories: incommunicable attributes (those only God possesses) and communicable attributes (those He shares with us). I’m not claiming that this is an exhaustive list (or that it’s a deep dive into each attribute), but it should be a good starting point to springboard your own search of God and His character.

Incommunicable Attributes of God

These are qualities that belong to God alone—His divine nature that sets Him apart from all creation. We cannot possess these qualities, they are unique to God alone. 

1. God is Eternal

God has no beginning and no end. He exists outside of time. I think we can wrap our minds around God not having an ending, but the idea that He never had a beginning either is pretty wild. That fact is one that sets Him apart from the rest of creation.

“From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” — Psalm 90:2

2. God is Immutable (Unchanging)

God never changes in His character, purposes, or promises. God’s faithfulness is something that stands alone among creation because it is essential to His nature. He makes a promise, He has a plan, He is a certain way, and none of those things will ever change. 

“I the Lord do not change.” — Malachi 3:6

3. God is Omnipotent (All-powerful)

God has unlimited power to accomplish His will. No other explanation needed there, really.

“With God all things are possible.” — Matthew 19:26

4. God is Omniscient (All-knowing)

God knows everything—past, present, and future. God hasn’t ever been surprised. Everything that has ever happened and everything that will ever happen; God knows it all and uses it all to accomplish His purposes.

“His understanding has no limit.” — Psalm 147:5

5. God is Omnipresent (Everywhere Present)

God is present in all places at all times. This is why Jesus told His disciples that it was better that He left and sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is present everywhere at all times, Jesus was limited to one place at one time. 

“Where can I go from your Spirit?” — Psalm 139:7–10

6. God is Self-existent (Aseity)

God depends on nothing outside Himself to exist. God exists by His own volition and power. He wasn’t created. He IS.

“I AM WHO I AM.” — Exodus 3:14

7. God is Sovereign

God rules over all creation with complete authority and control. Not like a puppet master pulling strings, necessarily. He is sovereign, guiding everything to fulfill His plans for humanity and bring Himself the glory He deserves. 

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” — Psalm 115:3

8. God is Infinite

God is limitless. Hard to explain further than that (shrug). 

“Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” — Psalm 147:5

Communicable Attributes of God

These attributes reflect God’s moral and relational nature, and He imparts them—though imperfectly—to humanity. The communicable attributes are those which God shares with us as His children and how we relate to God, show God to the world, and experience His nature through our own lives.

1. Love

God’s love is sacrificial, faithful, and eternal, and that is what He calls us to be as well. 

“God is love.” — 1 John 4:8

2. Holiness

God is morally perfect, set apart from sin. When we put our faith in Jesus for salvation, we receive that holiness through the blood Jesus shed on the cross.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.” — Isaiah 6:3

3. Justice

God always does what is right and will bring all wrongdoing into judgment. This doesn’t mean that we take justice into our own hands, but we act justly as we go about our lives, trying to honor and glorify God, showing His justice to the world.

“The Lord is a God of justice.” — Isaiah 30:18

4. Mercy

God withholds punishment from those who deserve it. God shows us mercy by not counting our sins against us when we put our faith in Jesus. Therefore, we should show mercy to those around us in our lives as well. 

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” — Psalm 103:8

5. Grace

God gives unmerited favor to those who don’t deserve it. Unmerited favor is an interesting theological term, because it shows exactly what grace is: giving something to someone who doesn’t deserve it. 

“For it is by grace you have been saved…” — Ephesians 2:8

6. Faithfulness

God keeps His promises and is completely trustworthy. While we can’t match the level of God’s faithfulness (or any other attribute for that matter), it is something we should seek to show others as much as we can. 

“Great is your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:23

7. Truthfulness

God is the source of all truth. Our lives should be characterized by truth as well.

“God is not a man, that he should lie…” — Numbers 23:19

8. Wisdom

God always chooses what is best. We won’t always do that, but we can gain wisdom by asking the Holy Spirit to guide us!

“To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever.” — Romans 16:27

9. Patience

God delays judgment to allow for repentance. How awesome is that? God delays judgment because He wants everyone to choose Jesus and receive salvation! When we are patient in all areas of our life we represent God’s character and show those around us something truly Godly.

“The Lord is not slow… but is patient with you…” — 2 Peter 3:9

10. Jealousy

God demands exclusive worship and will not share His glory with idols. This is healthy jealousy, not petty jealousy like the world often shows. It is a jealousy borne out of worthiness, not arrogance. God alone deserves our praise, and when we give it to anything else, He is jealous of that praise and worship because it is rightfully His!

“For the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” — Exodus 34:14

Why Does it Matter?

Understanding the attributes of God helps us know who we are worshiping. We don’t put our faith in a distance force, but in the Creator of the Universe who loves and cares for us. The Father who reveals Himself to us, who sent His Son to die on the cross for us.

Knowing that God is sovereign means we can rest in His control. Knowing He is loving means we can trust Him. Knowing He is holy means we should revere Him. And knowing He is gracious means we can run to Him without fear.

The question of “Who is God?” is one that, I think, will always be asked by people all over the world. Humans are constantly seeking answers to life’s biggest questions, and, lucky for us, God has decided to answer that question and reveal Himself to us in Scripture!