What is God like?
Psalms 145:8-9
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
God is the eternal, all-knowing Creator—perfectly holy and just, yet abundant in goodness, mercy and love. He cares for everything He has made, but He is never indifferent to sin. His character is revealed most fully in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing
God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), yet He Himself had no beginning: He is God “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2). He is not distant or uninformed about His creatures. He knows every action, thought, path and word, even before it is spoken (Psalm 139:1-4).
Holy and just
God is utterly holy. The seraphim around His throne call out, “Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies!” (Isaiah 6:3). His holiness means He is completely pure and unlike His creatures in moral perfection.
His justice belongs with His mercy. When God proclaimed His own character in Exodus 34:6-7, He described Himself as merciful, gracious, patient and abundant in loving kindness and truth—forgiving iniquity, disobedience and sin—while also declaring that He would by no means clear the guilty. His patience is not approval of evil, and His forgiveness is not indifference to guilt.
Gracious, good and merciful
Psalm 145:8-9 describes God as gracious, merciful, slow to anger and great in loving kindness; He is good to all, and His tender mercies extend over all His works. God’s goodness is therefore not occasional or reluctant. Compassion belongs to who He is, and His care reaches across His creation.
Love that acts to save sinners
First John 4:8-10 says plainly that God is love, then shows what that love does: God sent His only Son into the world so that people might live through Him, and His Son became the atoning sacrifice for sins. This love is not merely warm feeling. It is holy, sacrificial love that deals with sin and gives life to those who could not save themselves.
God has spoken through the prophets and, finally, through His Son. Hebrews 1:1-3 calls the Son the radiance of God’s glory and the exact image of His substance. The Son upholds all things, made purification for sins and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. In Jesus Christ, God’s glory, power, holiness and saving love are seen together.
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026
Scripture does not leave us to guess who God is or what He is like; He has revealed His character plainly by His own voice and deeds. From His foundational declaration on Mount Sinai to the full disclosure of His glory in Jesus Christ, God shows Himself to be holy, gracious, righteous, and abounding in steadfast love.
The Divine Name
God reveals His character by proclaiming His own name.
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
Exodus 34:6 (NIV)
This is God's foundational self-definition in Scripture, proclaiming His mercy, grace, patience, and abundant truth to Moses.
In Exodus 34:6, God descends in the cloud and proclaims His own name before Moses, establishing the foundational confession of His character for all generations: Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. God does not define Himself by naked majesty or abstract sovereignty, but by His personal goodness toward sinners. In Exodus 34:7, He adds the necessary balance of His moral nature, keeping mercy for thousands while refusing to clear the guilty who remain impenitent. When Israel rebelled at the borders of Canaan, Moses leaned entirely upon this disclosure in Numbers 14:18, prevailing in prayer because God had pledged Himself to be longsuffering and of great mercy. Generations later, Nehemiah 9:17 recalled how God remained ready to pardon and gracious even when the fathers stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return to Egypt. The prophets made this declaration the bedrock of repentance. Joel 2:13 urged the nation to rend their hearts precisely because God relents from disaster, while Jonah 4:2 confessed bitterly that Nineveh's sparing was entirely predictable because God is gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in steadfast kindness. Yet this merciful God is also the uncaused, self-existent Creator who told Moses in Exodus 3:14 that His name is 'I AM WHO I AM'. As Psalms 103:13 shows, this infinite sovereign exercises His majesty through a tender father's compassion, pitying frail dust that learns to fear Him.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 34:6 | Yahweh passes before Moses, declaring Himself merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth. |
| Exodus 34:7 | He keeps mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, yet maintains absolute justice by refusing to clear the impenitently guilty. |
| Numbers 14:18 | Moses appeals to God's proclaimed character of longsuffering and abundant mercy to intercede for the rebellious nation. |
| Nehemiah 9:17 | God is praised as ready to pardon, gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness even when Israel rebelled. |
| Joel 2:13 | The prophet calls Israel to tear their hearts and return because God is gracious, merciful, and slow to anger. |
| Jonah 4:2 | Jonah acknowledges that God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and relents from sending disaster. |
| Exodus 3:14 | God names Himself 'I AM WHO I AM', declaring His self-existent, eternal being to Moses. |
| Psalms 103:13 | The Lord pities and shows fatherly compassion to those who fear Him. |
Abundant In Mercy
His tender compassion extends over all His works.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
Psalms 145:8 (NIV)
David sings of God's universal kindness, summarizing His gracious disposition toward all of creation.
David captures the wide scope of God's kindness in Psalms 145:8, singing that the Lord is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. This is not a reserved benevolence kept only for the deserving, for Psalms 145:9 expands the circle: Yahweh is good to all, and His tender mercies cover every single work of His hands. When a desperate soul calls out from the dust, Psalms 86:5 promises that the Lord is ready to forgive and plenteous in steadfast love to everyone who seeks Him. Psalms 86:15 repeats the sacred formula of Sinai, finding in God's patience and truth an unshakeable shelter. The heart of biblical worship rests on this reality, as Psalms 103:8 reminds the congregation that God does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay our transgressions in proportion to their guilt. In Psalms 100:5, the worshiper is summoned into the courts with thanksgiving because the Lord's goodness is eternal and His faithfulness endures across every generation. Even amid the smoking ruins of Jerusalem, Jeremiah discovered that God's tender character remains unbroken. Lamentations 3:22 confesses that it is only through the Lord's mercies that we are not utterly consumed, because His compassions never run dry. As Lamentations 3:23 declares, they are fresh every dawn, proving that His great faithfulness outlasts every sorrow.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Psalms 145:8 | David celebrates Yahweh as gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and possessing great loving kindness. |
| Psalms 145:9 | Yahweh is declared good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works without exception. |
| Psalms 86:5 | The Lord is described as good, ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all who call upon Him. |
| Psalms 86:15 | The Psalmist affirms God as full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. |
| Psalms 103:8 | God is magnified as merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy toward those who fear Him. |
| Psalms 100:5 | The Lord's goodness is praised as eternal, with His mercy enduring forever and His truth to all generations. |
| Lamentations 3:22 | Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions never fail. |
| Lamentations 3:23 | His compassions are new every morning, demonstrating that His faithfulness is exceedingly great. |
Holy And Righteous
His spotless justice and purity govern every action.
And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)
The threefold angelic cry highlights holiness as the preeminent, transcendent quality of the living God.
Above the heavenly temple, seraphim veil their faces and cry out in Isaiah 6:3: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. This threefold repetition elevates God's holiness as the defining beauty of His nature—He is entirely set apart, pure, and untouched by defilement. Because He is holy, Leviticus 19:2 summons His covenant people into moral alignment with Him: 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.' His spotless perfection is never separated from His equity, for Psalms 116:5 joins His righteousness directly to His graciousness and mercy. Righteousness is neither an ornament nor an occasional exercise of God's power; Psalms 89:14 establishes that justice and judgment form the very foundation of His throne, while mercy and truth go before His face. His moral purity cannot tolerate the presence of corruption, as Habakkuk 1:13 confesses that His eyes are far too pure to approve of evil. In the New Testament, 1 Peter 1:15 calls believers to holiness in every dimension of life, anchoring that mandate in 1 Peter 1:16 by quoting the ancient law. Moses praised Him in Deuteronomy 32:4 as the Rock whose work is flawless, a God of truth without injustice, upright and righteous in every path. At the close of Scripture, Revelation 4:8 shows the living creatures surrounding the heavenly throne day and night without ceasing, magnifying the Holy One who was, who is, and who is to come.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Isaiah 6:3 | Seraphim cry out that Yahweh of hosts is holy, holy, holy, and the whole earth is full of His glory. |
| Leviticus 19:2 | The Lord commands His people to be holy because He Himself is holy. |
| Psalms 116:5 | Scripture explicitly connects God's grace and mercy with His unwavering righteousness. |
| Psalms 89:14 | Righteousness and justice are the foundational pillars of God's throne, while mercy and truth precede His presence. |
| Habakkuk 1:13 | God's eyes are too pure to look approvingly upon evil, and He cannot tolerate wickedness. |
| 1 Peter 1:15 | Believers are instructed to be holy in all conduct just as the One who called them is holy. |
| 1 Peter 1:16 | The New Testament reaffirms the written command to be holy because God is holy. |
| Deuteronomy 32:4 | The Rock whose work is perfect, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and upright. |
| Revelation 4:8 | The living creatures unceasingly declare Him holy, holy, holy, the Lord God Almighty. |
The Nature Of Love
God is love, demonstrating His heart at the cross.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8 (NIV)
This verse reveals that love is not merely an action God takes, but the very essence of His being.
The apostle John strips away every human misconception about divine benevolence when he writes in 1 John 4:8 that he who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Love is not merely a transient feeling or an occasional activity of God; it is the essential nature of His being. This love did not remain invisible in the heavens, for 1 John 4:9 explains that God manifested His love by sending His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. True love is not defined by our unsteady devotion to the Creator, but by 1 John 4:10: He loved us first and sent His Son to be the propitiating sacrifice that absorbs divine wrath for our sins. Paul marvels at this unmerited grace in Romans 5:8, showing that God proves His love toward us in that Christ died while we were still helpless enemies and sinners. John 3:16 proclaims the cosmic breadth and personal focus of this sacrifice, assuring that whoever believes in the Son will not perish but inherit everlasting life. According to Ephesians 2:4, it is God's sheer wealth of mercy and intense love that moved Him to rescue us, while Ephesians 2:5 adds that He raised us to life with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses. Whoever abides in love abides in God, as 1 John 4:16 confirms, resting in the ancient pledge of Jeremiah 31:3 that the Lord has loved His people with an everlasting love and drawn them with enduring lovingkindness.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 John 4:8 | Scripture explicitly defines God's nature, declaring that anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. |
| 1 John 4:9 | God's love was manifested toward us by sending His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. |
| 1 John 4:10 | Love is defined not by our love for God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the propitiation for sins. |
| Romans 5:8 | God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
| John 3:16 | God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone believing in Him receives eternal life. |
| Ephesians 2:4 | God is described as rich in mercy because of the great love with which He loved us. |
| Ephesians 2:5 | Even when dead in transgressions, God made believers alive together with Christ by grace. |
| 1 John 4:16 | God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him. |
| Jeremiah 31:3 | The Lord proclaims His everlasting love and draws His people with lovingkindness. |
Faithful And Unchanging
His promises, nature, and truth endure without variation.
“I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
Malachi 3:6 (NIV)
God declares His unchanging nature as the sole reason His covenant people are not consumed.
In Malachi 3:6, Yahweh lays bare the singular anchor of His people's survival: "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." Because His holy character never wavers, His ancient covenants cannot fail. Humanity shifts with every season, but as Numbers 23:19 reminds us, God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Whatever He promises, He performs; whatever He speaks, He brings to pass. James 1:17 reinforces this perfection by describing Him as the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow caused by turning. Every grace He gives flows from a reservoir that never runs dry and never shifts its course.
This unyielding consistency comes into focus most clearly in Jesus Christ, who is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). When our strength falters and our devotion wavers, 2 Timothy 2:13 reassures us that "if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself." Faithfulness is not merely an action He chooses; it is His very nature. Moses taught this truth to Israel before they crossed the Jordan, testifying in Deuteronomy 7:9 that Yahweh is the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Him. Long after the visible heavens wear out like an old garment, Psalm 102:27 affirms of the Lord, "You are the same, and Your years have no end." Therefore, even amid the smoldering ruins of Jerusalem, the prophet could look to heaven and declare, "'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him'" (Lamentations 3:24).
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Malachi 3:6 | Yahweh declares that He does not change, preserving the descendants of Jacob from destruction. |
| Numbers 23:19 | God is not a man that He should lie or change His mind; what He speaks, He accomplishes. |
| James 1:17 | Every good gift comes from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. |
| Hebrews 13:8 | Jesus Christ is declared to be the same yesterday, today, and forever. |
| 2 Timothy 2:13 | Even if we are faithless, God remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. |
| Deuteronomy 7:9 | Yahweh is the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations to those who love Him. |
| Psalms 102:27 | Though heavens perish, God remains the same and His years have no end. |
| Lamentations 3:24 | The Lord is declared the soul's portion because of His unending faithfulness. |
Revealed In Christ
Jesus Christ is the exact imprint of God's nature.
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Colossians 1:15 (NIV)
The passage identifies the incarnate Son as the visible, perfect image of the invisible God.
To see who God is, we must look to Jesus Christ, for "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). In the person of the Son, the God who cannot be seen with human eyes steps visibly onto the stage of history. Hebrews 1:3 declares that Christ is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature," upholding the universe by the word of His power. He does not offer a distant sketch or an approximation of divine character; as John 1:18 reveals, "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known." Every mystery of the divine heart is unlocked in the flesh and ministry of Jesus.
When the disciple Philip pleaded for a vision of the Father, Jesus answered with unmistakable clarity: "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). In Christ, the holy will, pure compassion, and sovereign authority of God walk among us. Paul explains in Colossians 2:9 that "in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily," leaving no doubt that Christ possesses full, undiminished godhood. The apostle writes in 2 Corinthians 4:6 that God has shone in our hearts to give "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." He could speak with such absolute authority because, as He stated in John 10:30, "I and the Father are one." Indeed, as Philippians 2:6 explains, He eternally existed in the very form of God before humbling Himself to take the form of a servant, displaying the divine character through sacrificial love.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Colossians 1:15 | Jesus Christ is declared to be the visible image of the invisible God, preeminent over all creation. |
| Hebrews 1:3 | The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His very nature. |
| John 1:18 | No one has seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son has fully explained and revealed Him. |
| John 14:9 | Jesus answers Philip that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father. |
| Colossians 2:9 | All the fullness of deity dwells bodily in Jesus Christ. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:6 | The light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines directly in the face of Jesus Christ. |
| John 10:30 | Jesus affirms essential oneness in nature and purpose with the Father. |
| Philippians 2:6 | Christ Jesus existed eternally in the form and nature of God before taking human form. |
Omnipresent And All-Knowing
His power, presence, and knowledge transcend creation.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
Psalms 139:7 (NIV)
David anchors human life in the inescapable, comforting, all-encompassing presence and knowledge of God.
King David meditates on the inescapable reality of God's presence, asking in Psalm 139:7, "Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence?" There is no height, no depth, and no darkness where the creature can slip outside the attentive watch of the Creator. God puts this truth directly to the prophet in Jeremiah 23:24: "'Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?' declares the Lord. 'Do I not fill heaven and earth?'" God is not bound by physical limits or geographical borders; His sovereign presence permeates all things, comforting the humble and terrifying the wicked.
His infinite presence is matched by His boundless knowledge and supreme power. As 1 John 3:20 reminds us, "God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything." Nothing about our motives, fears, or secret sins is concealed from His sight. Isaiah 40:28 rebukes our finite doubts: "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable." Human intellect can never chart the depths of His wisdom. When Job was confronted by the Lord out of the whirlwind, he rightly confessed, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). This same infinite potency was heralded by the angel Gabriel to Mary when he declared in Luke 1:37 that "nothing will be impossible with God." He who knows all things possesses the absolute power to accomplish His every word.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Jeremiah 23:24 | God fills heaven and earth, leaving no secret place hidden from His presence. |
| Psalms 139:7 | David declares there is nowhere one can flee or hide from God's Spirit. |
| 1 John 3:20 | God is greater than our heart and knows all things without limit. |
| Isaiah 40:28 | The everlasting God does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. |
| Job 42:2 | Job confesses that God can do all things and no purpose of His can be thwarted. |
| Luke 1:37 | The angel Gabriel testifies that nothing will be impossible with God. |
Sovereign And Glorious
He reigns supreme over all creation and history.
Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11 (NIV)
David gathers every dimension of majesty to extol God as head over all.
At the close of his reign, King David burst into praise before all Israel, crying in 1 Chronicles 29:11, "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours." God possesses absolute dominion over every corner of His creation. There is no authority higher than His throne, no power capable of checking His arm, and no rival to His eternal crown. Psalm 115:3 summarizes this supreme freedom in words as clear as they are humbling: "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." He governs not by permission of the creature, but by the sovereign right of His own majesty.
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord sets forth His unmatched rule over the ages: "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:9–10). He does not react to history; He ordains its course, establishing His counsel and accomplishing all His pleasure. Even the mighty Babylonian monarch was brought low until he confessed in Daniel 4:35 that God "does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand." Centuries later, the apostle Paul bowed before this eternal reality, praising Him as "He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). In 1 Timothy 6:16, Paul adds that God alone possesses immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no eye has seen or can see, to whom belongs honor and eternal dominion.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 Chronicles 29:11 | David proclaims that greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty belong to the Lord alone. |
| Psalms 115:3 | God resides in the heavens and does whatever pleases Him according to His will. |
| Isaiah 46:9 | The Lord declares He alone is God, with none like Him in authority. |
| Isaiah 46:10 | God declares the end from the beginning, accomplishing all His sovereign pleasure. |
| Daniel 4:35 | Nebuchadnezzar confesses that God does according to His will among the hosts of heaven and earth. |
| 1 Timothy 6:15 | Paul praises God as the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. |
| 1 Timothy 6:16 | God alone possesses immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light whom no man can see. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Exodus | 3 · Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7, Exodus 3:14 |
| Leviticus | 1 · Leviticus 19:2 |
| Numbers | 2 · Numbers 14:18, Numbers 23:19 |
| Deuteronomy | 2 · Deuteronomy 32:4, Deuteronomy 7:9 |
| 1 Chronicles | 1 · 1 Chronicles 29:11 |
| Nehemiah | 1 · Nehemiah 9:17 |
| Job | 1 · Job 42:2 |
| Psalms | 12 · Psalms 103:13, Psalms 145:8, Psalms 145:9, Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 103:8, Psalms 100:5, Psalms 116:5, Psalms 89:14, Psalms 102:27, Psalms 139:7, Psalms 115:3 |
| Isaiah | 4 · Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah 40:28, Isaiah 46:9, Isaiah 46:10 |
| Jeremiah | 2 · Jeremiah 31:3, Jeremiah 23:24 |
| Lamentations | 3 · Lamentations 3:22, Lamentations 3:23, Lamentations 3:24 |
| Daniel | 1 · Daniel 4:35 |
| Joel | 1 · Joel 2:13 |
| Jonah | 1 · Jonah 4:2 |
| Habakkuk | 1 · Habakkuk 1:13 |
| Malachi | 1 · Malachi 3:6 |
| Luke | 1 · Luke 1:37 |
| John | 4 · John 3:16, John 1:18, John 14:9, John 10:30 |
| Romans | 1 · Romans 5:8 |
| 2 Corinthians | 1 · 2 Corinthians 4:6 |
| Ephesians | 2 · Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:5 |
| Philippians | 1 · Philippians 2:6 |
| Colossians | 2 · Colossians 1:15, Colossians 2:9 |
| 1 Timothy | 2 · 1 Timothy 6:15, 1 Timothy 6:16 |
| 2 Timothy | 1 · 2 Timothy 2:13 |
| Hebrews | 2 · Hebrews 13:8, Hebrews 1:3 |
| James | 1 · James 1:17 |
| 1 Peter | 2 · 1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 1:16 |
| 1 John | 5 · 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:9, 1 John 4:10, 1 John 4:16, 1 John 3:20 |
| Revelation | 1 · Revelation 4:8 |
The story in order
- God declares His character (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 34:6 · Reveals Himself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in love and truth.
- God names Himself 'I AM' (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 3:14 · Declares His self-existent, eternal, and unchanging being to Moses.
- God's people commanded to be holy (c. 1450 BC) · Leviticus 19:2 · Reflects His spotless justice and purity, which govern all His actions.
- God's faithfulness and mercy praised (c. 1400 BC) · Numbers 23:19 · Affirms that God is not a man who lies or changes His mind.
- God's throne is justice and mercy (c. 950 BC) · Psalms 89:14 · Establishes righteousness and justice as the foundation of His rule.
- God's glory fills the earth (c. 700 BC) · Isaiah 6:3 · Seraphim declare God's holiness, revealing His pervasive glory.
- God is gracious and relents (c. 750 BC) · Jonah 4:2 · Jonah acknowledges God's character of grace and mercy.
- God declares His unchanging nature (c. 450 BC) · Malachi 3:6 · Yahweh states He does not change, preserving His people.
- Jesus is the image of God (AD 60) · Colossians 1:15 · Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
- God is love (AD 90) · 1 John 4:8 · Defines God's essential nature as love itself.
- God's love shown at the cross (AD 55) · Romans 5:8 · Demonstrates God's love while we were still sinners.
- Jesus reveals the Father (AD 30) · John 14:9 · Whoever has seen Jesus has seen the Father.
- Jesus is the radiance of God (AD 65) · Hebrews 1:3 · The Son reflects God's glory and represents His nature.
- God's holiness commanded (AD 60) · 1 Peter 1:15 · Believers are called to be holy as God is holy.
Key words
- Yahweh (YHWH (יהוה))
- The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent being and His relationship with His people. · Exodus 34:6
- Mercy (ḥesed (חֶסֶד))
- Compassion and kindness shown to those in distress or deserving of punishment; God's tenderheartedness. · Exodus 34:6
- Gracious (ḥannûn (חַנּוּן))
- Showing favor or kindness, especially when it is not deserved; God's unmerited favor. · Exodus 34:6
- Holy (qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ))
- Separate, pure, and set apart from sin; God's absolute moral perfection and distinctiveness. · Leviticus 19:2
- Righteousness (ṣedeq (צֶדֶק))
- Conformity to God's moral law; His perfect justice and integrity in all His dealings. · Psalms 89:14
- Love (agape (ἀγάπη))
- God's essential nature; a self-giving, sacrificial devotion demonstrated supremely in Christ. · 1 John 4:8
- Faithful (pistós (πιστός))
- Reliable, trustworthy, and true to His promises and character; unwavering in His commitments. · 2 Timothy 2:13
Knowing what God is like grounds our trust, directs our worship, and calls us to repentance and faith. Because He does not change, the God who displayed His mercy and righteousness at the cross of Christ remains our steadfast refuge for all eternity.
63 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Psalms 145:8-9
- Exodus 34:6-7
- 1 John 4:8-10
- Hebrews 1:1-3
- Isaiah 6:1-3
- Genesis 1:1
- Psalms 139:1-4
- Psalms 90:2