According to Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “God’ is defined as “the creator and sustainer of the universe who has provided humankind with a revelation of himself through the natural world and through his Son, Jesus Christ” Ronald F. Youngblood General Editor (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 1999). God is our loving and gracious Father in heaven (Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 1:3, 8:6; Ephesians 4:4-6). Our human fatherhood is patterned after God the Father. (Ephesians 3:14-15). For the evidence for the existence of God, see the “Does God Exist?” page of this website. Since we humans are finite and God is infinite, we can not fully understand God (Psalm 147:5). However, we can know God by having a personal relationship with God as our Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 11:25) and learn about God’s nature by studying what the Bible teaches about God’s attributes, nature, and character. The following first group of attributes is known as the natural attributes of God.
God is Spirit.
Jesus taught “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). God does not have a body and is not physical. Rather, God is invisible or spiritual. He became visible in human form in the person of Jesus Christ, but his essence is invisible or spiritual.
God is Changeless.
God does not change (Hebrews 1:12). If God changed, God would not be perfect. Therefore, we can know God’s character with certainty.
God is All-Powerful (Omnipotent).
God’s power is unlimited. He can do anything that is not inconsistent with his nature, character, and purpose (Genesis 17:1, 18:14). The only limitations on God’s power are imposed by God (Genesis 18:25). Nothing is impossible with God. God creates and sustains all things, but God never grows weary (Job 33:4; Isaiah 40:27–31; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3).
God is All-Knowing (Omniscient).
God knows everything (Job 38:39; Romans 11:33–36). Since God is not limited to time and place, God knows everything simultaneously. God knows the thoughts and motives of every person’s heart (Job 37:16; Psalm 147:5; Hebrews 3:13; 1 John 3:20).
God is Everywhere (Omnipresent).
God is not limited to time and place. God is present everywhere and at every moment in time and outside of time. (Psalm 139:7–12; Jeremiah 23:24). Therefore, God does not rule over only one nation or generation, God is the God of the whole earth and universe (Genesis 18:25).
God is Eternal.
God exists in and knows the past, present, and future (Romans 16:26-27; 2 Pet. 3:8; Rev. 1:8). God will reign for eternity (Revelation 21:1-27, 22:1-21).
The second group of attributes is called God’s moral attributes. These refer to God’s character and essential nature
God is Holy.
The word “holy” comes from a root word that means “to separate.” Thus, it refers to God as separated from or exalted above other things (Isaiah 6:1–3). Holiness refers to God’s moral perfection. God the Father requires holiness in his own children to have a relationship with him. Holiness is God’s gift that we receive by faith through His Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:24).
God is Just and Righteous.
God’s justice and righteousness refers to his affirmation of what is right as opposed to what is wrong. The righteousness of God refers to his moral laws given to guide the conduct of humankind, as in the 10 Commandments. Righteousness also refers to God’s administration of justice. He punishes the disobedient (Genesis 18:25; Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 2:6–16). Finally, God’s righteousness is redemptive. The righteousness of God refers to God’s declaring the believer to be in a state of righteousness as though he had never been unrighteous (Romans 1:16–17, 3:24–26). This is possible because of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the believer’s behalf.
God is Love (Omnibenevolent).
God’s essential nature of love for humankind is expressed when God gives himself to people, in order to have an eternal loving relationship with people if they accept God. God loves and seeks—just as a shepherd seeks his sheep. God loved, suffered, and sacrificed himself on the cross for the redemption of humanity. God, in his love, intends good for all his creation (Genesis 1:31; Psalm 145:9; Mark 10:18).
God is Truth.
All truth, whether natural, physical, or spiritual, is grounded in God (John 14:6, 17:17). God’s knowledge and essence are both true and the final standard of truth. Any perceived inconsistency between natural and physical sciences and God’s revelation is our mistaken perception.
God is Wisdom.
God’s wisdom is revealed in using his knowledge to do the best thing, in the best way, at the best time, for the best purpose (1 Corinthians 1:30). But God is “the only wise God” (1 Timothy 1:17). God’s divine wisdom is revealed in creation, history, human lives, redemption, and Jesus Christ. Human beings, lacking wisdom, can claim God’s wisdom simply by asking God for wisdom and guidance according to God’s purpose (1 Kings 3:9; James 1:5).
The above attributes were obtained from Ronald F. Youngblood General Editor, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 1999).
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God is the One True God.
Only the God of Abraham is the true God (John 17:3; 1 John 5:20) and creator of the universe and life. All other claims to divinity are false (Jeremiah 10:10-11).
God is Sovereign.
God created the universe and life and rules and owns all creation. God is the King of kings. God rules all people and nature (Habakuk 3:19; Luke 2:29).
God is merciful and full of grace.
God loves humanity and his creation. Because of God’s great mercy (Hebrews 2:17), he has shown amazing patience with his people (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 9:22) and faithfulness to his covenants with his people (Revelation 19:11). God wants his people to be obedient and repentant, and he wants to forgive and transform them (Psalm 63:1-6, Luke 15:11-32; Hebrews 12:1-2). Yet, God will punish and discipline in love when necessary (Hebrews 12:5-11).
The above three attributes were obtained from Benjamin Galan, et. al, Bible Overview, (Peabody, MA: Rose Publishing, 2019), 102.
The Father gracefully forgives and welcomes his repentant
Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).
Attributes of God.
See the list of approximately 250 Attributes of God on this website for a fuller list of the Attributes of God.