What Is God Like?
Spiritual Questions with Scriptural Answers.
Words escape the human mind in an attempt to “describe God.” He is a Spirit (John 4:24), eternal in nature (Psa. 90:2; 93:2), and the Creator of the Universe Who spoke everything into existence (Psa. 33:6, 9).
How do we as human beings grasp the qualities, attributes, and characteristics of God? All we can know is what has been revealed in the Bible (Deut. 29:29; 1 Cor. 2:9-13).
In this article, we want to ask and answer the question, “What is God like?”
The Bible Tells Us What God is Like.
Creation tells us that God is (Psa. 19:1-6), and the Bible tells us Who God is (Psa. 19:7-11); therefore, we must go to The Book to find our answers (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3).
The Bible teaches us that “no man has seen God at any time” (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12), yet “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:20). While Moses “saw” God, He did not see His face (Exo. 33:20-23; 24:9-10).
Since the actual likeness of God is not described and no one has ever seen His face, the best way to answer the question, “What is God like,” is to consider His character, attributes, and ways.
The Holiness of God.
The holiness of God is described in a very unique way in Scripture. For example, when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush (a Theophany), He instructed Moses to take off his sandals for “the place which you stand is holy ground” (Exo. 3:5-6). The “land” was holy because God was present; therefore, where God is present, there is holiness.
The prophet Isaiah caught a glimpse of the holiness of God (Isa. 6). His response was, “Woe is me; I am a man of unclean lips!” (Isa. 6:3-5).
Today, Christians are commanded to be holy for God is holy: “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:15-16; Lev. 11:44-45).
The Kindness of God.
The word kindness denotes the quality of being generous and considerate.
God is kind, loving, compassionate, and merciful as the Bible so beautifully teaches us:
“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings” (Psa. 36:7).
“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You” (Psa. 63:3).
God’s kindness toward man was demonstrated through Christ Who had compassion on others (Mark 6:34) and went about doing good (Acts 10:38). The kindness was escalated and magnified when He allowed His Son to be crucified for the sin of the world:
“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:3-5; cf. John 1:29; 3:16; Rom. 5:8-9).
The Justice of God.
Abraham asked a very important rhetorical question that ought to be echoed today: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right (Gen. 18:25)? God, Who cannot lie (Heb. 6:18-19; Tit. 1:2) will always do the right thing.
We are to behold the “goodness and severity of God” (Rom. 11:22). If God ceased to be just and righteous, He would cease to be God!
Moses, by inspiration, perfectly describes the likeness of God emphasizing His justice: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He” (Deut. 32:4).
The Psalmist declared, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face” (Psa. 89:14).
Having a balanced view of God is very important.
We have noticed in this article three of the great qualities that make God so great: His holiness, kindness, and justice. Meditating on these attributes, and the others presented in Scripture, will help us better understand “what God is like.”
I close with a passage that brings it all together: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exo. 34:6)
Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.
Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.
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