WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF GOD?
What is God like? The Character & Attributes of God
Romans 1:20 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (ESV)
A Unity - “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deut 6:4)
Beautiful - “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4)
Blessed – “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
Creator, Source of Life - “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1); "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)
Divine - “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.” (Jeremiah 10:10)
Eternal , Preexistent – “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)
Faithful - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Freedom – “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” (Psalm 115:3)
Good – “No one is good except God alone” (Luke 18:19)
10.Gracious and Merciful - “Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” (Nehemiah 9:31)
Holy – “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:3)
12.Independent - "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” (Acts 17:24-25)
13.Innocent - "Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” (James 1:13-14); “‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ [22] In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:21-22)
14.Invisible – “No one has ever [fully] seen God” (John 1:18)
Jealous – “I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5)
16.Just Judge - “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27)
Knowable - “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:24)
18.Love – “God is love” (1 John 4:8)
19.Omnipotent – “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26)
20.Omnipresent – “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)
21.Omniscient – “He knows everything” (1 John 3:20)
22.Perfect – “your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
23.Righteous and Just – “All his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
24.Sovereign - "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! [34 ] ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord,or who has been his counselor?’ [35 ] ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’[36 ] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)
25.Spirit – “God is spirit” (John 4:24)
26.Strength - “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (Ephesians 3:16)
27.Truthful – “The Lord is the true God” (Jeremiah 10:10)
28.Unchangeable - “For I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6)
29.Wills – “if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15); “according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11)
30.Wise – “the only wise God” (Romans 16:27)
31.Worthy - “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, [10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9–10)
32.Wrathful Towards Sin – “Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36)
Helpful resources:
“What is the character of God” - www.gotquestions.org/character-of-God.html
Wayne Grudem’s Christian Beliefs
The Greatest Modern-Day Identity Theft
10 Misrepresentations of the Character of God for One’s Own Purposes
By Creating “god” Into Our Own “Acceptable” Image - Ongoing Idolatry
1 Corinthians 10:14 “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry”
2 Peter 2:1–3 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master”
Personal Motivator - Silence on Sin, Positive Thinking, Unity Over Holiness, Intolerant Tolerance, Evolving Morality (Not “Woe to you”, Matthew 23)
Smooth-Talking, Attractional, Popular, & Loved Jesus (No Offense, Absolute Truth Statements - John 6:66; Not Despised & Rejected, Isaiah 55:3)
Good Teacher, Wise Man - Doubting or Ignoring Jesus’ Divinity (Not, “I and the Father are one” John 10:30
Physical Healer - Wanting Miracles More than God Himself (Not spiritual “good news”, “sight”, and “liberty” Luke 4:20-30)
Giver of Abundant Life - Earthly Focused, Treasures of Earth (Not “Set your mind on things above” - Colossians 3:2)
Universal Salvation - All Go to Heaven, No Hell (Not “eternal punishment” and “eternal fire” Matthew 25:41, 46)
Self-Improvement - Change Oneself (Not Holy Spirit’s Repentance and Sanctification, Galatians 3:3)
Self-Love and Satisfaction (Not, “Let him deny himself” Matthew 16:24)
Self-Rule - Obey Experiences, Emotions, and Opinions (Not “Obey God rather than men”, Acts 5:29)
Servant of Mankind’s Will, Genie-Like (Not God’s “Will Be Done”, Matthew 6:10, 26:42)