In many ways the God of the Bible is similar to other monotheistic religions. God is one, the creator of all things, transcendent, all powerful, good, just, provider, and merciful. But what character traits do we see in the Bible that makes him different? Below are some of the key character traits to be aware of to know who God is.
God is Personal
God Wants Relationship with Humanity. You might ask yourself: If God wanted relationship with us, why doesn’t he just reveal himself to us and talk to us? The answer to that question is both complex and simple: Sin. We often underestimate the damaging impact and consequences that come from Sin. But God had a plan, even from the beginning of time, of how to have relationship with mankind who chose to sin. Here is the good news:
- God and Humanity (Adam and Eve) had perfect relationship in Eden
- Sin broke that relationship
- Jesus’ death on the cross paid for punishment for sin and fixed the break in the relationship between God and man
- All men can have eternal relationship with God by receiving Jesus Christ as their savior
God Wants us to Know Him
As explained above, God wants a personal relationship with Man. Part of this involves God revealing himself to Man. While God is transcendent and above our understanding, He reveals who he is in ways that we can comprehend. He uses terms like shepherd and father, terms that fall short of who he is, but terms that help us know more of who he is. Part of what God has revealed to us is that he is one, but also three in one.
God is the Father
God is the Son
God is the Holy Spirit
We call this the Trinity. Is it easy to understand? No. Does any person fully understand it? No. Is it something that we can understand enough in order to help us better know who God is? Yes.
No human can possibly understand the fullness of God, but we can understand a lot of who He is from what he has revealed to us. Knowing God is not an easy task. It is a challenging task that will fill a lifetime. It involves reading, studying, asking good questions, constant seeking, obeying, and perhaps more than anything else…it involves humility.
God Loves All Man
Many religions view God as loving those who are obedient and hating those who are disobedient. To say that God loves those who do evil just doesn’t fit in the theology of other religions. They say God cannot both love and hate sinners. This is where the God of the Bible differs.
Does God love the obedient? Yes. Does God hate sinners? Yes. Does God love sinners? Yes. Is this simple? No. (at this point you probably understand that God is never as simple as we think)
Every man has sinned and at some point has been an enemy of God. But God, out of his great love, loved even sinners, his enemies, and gave them a way for reconciliation.
For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Romans 5:10
He didn’t do this for those who were better than others, or those who did good works, or those who came from a certain tribe. He did it for all mankind, all of the world.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
God loves you no matter where you are at in your life right now. Even if you are the worst of the worst, God loves you.
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:9
تبغى تتواصل مع مسيحي؟ تواصل معنا بكل امان الحين.
