The Self-Revelation of God #
We cannot climb up to God by human speculation, philosophy, or religious effort. Left to ourselves, we could only guess — and all guesses would fall short.
God is not the product of human imagination. He is the One who stoops down to make Himself known. Scripture is His voice. Creation reflects His glory. But the fullest unveiling of His heart and nature is found in a Person — His Son.
“No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the one and only begotten God, that is, the unique Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
— John 1:18 (AMP)
The word explained in Greek is exēgeomai, meaning to unfold, to make known in full detail. Christ is not a partial sketch of God — He is the complete explanation of who the Father is.
The same truth is repeated in Colossians:
“He is the exact living image [Greek: eikōn — likeness, visible expression] of the [invisible] God…”
— Colossians 1:15 (AMP)
The eikōn is not merely a reflection like a shadow, but a perfect and complete representation. In seeing Jesus, we see exactly what the Father is like. His compassion toward the leper, His firmness with the hypocrite, His mercy toward the sinner, and His unshakable obedience to the Father — all of it is the Father’s heart in action.
This means we cannot form ideas of God apart from Christ. Any view of God that does not look like Jesus is incomplete or distorted. Christ is the lens through which we read the whole of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. The law, the prophets, the psalms — all are fulfilled in Him.
And because Christ now lives in His body, the Church, this self-revelation continues. When the Spirit transforms us into His likeness, the world sees a living testimony of what God is like.
God’s Nature According to Scripture #
| Attribute | Hebrew / Greek Term | Meaning | Shown in Christ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy | qādôsh (קָדוֹשׁ) | Set apart, pure, without sin | His sinless life and perfect obedience |
| Love | agapē (ἀγάπη) | Self-giving, covenantal love | Laying down His life for us |
| Righteous | tsaddîq (צַדִּיק) | Morally upright, just | His righteous judgments and truth |
| Merciful | raham (רַחַם) | Tender compassion | Healing the sick, forgiving sinners |
| Faithful | pistos (πιστός) | Trustworthy, dependable | Fulfilling every promise in Him |
God is Spirit #
Jesus said:
“God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
— John 4:24 (AMP)
This means God’s nature is not physical. He is not limited by a human body, a building, or a location. His essence is spirit — unseen, eternal, and the very source of all life. He fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24) and is not bound to any one place or form.
And yet, in His mercy, God chose to make Himself known in the most personal way — by taking on our humanity in Christ.
“And the Word (Christ) became flesh (Greek: sarx — human nature) and lived among us…”
— John 1:14 (AMP)
In Jesus, the invisible God became visible. The One who cannot be contained by the universe stepped into time and space, walked our roads, felt our pain, and revealed the Father’s heart.
“Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
— John 14:9 (AMP)
Without Christ, we could only guess what God is like. But in Christ, God’s spiritual nature is displayed in a form we can see, hear, and know. Worshipping “in spirit and truth” means coming to God not through external rituals alone, but through the reality of Christ and the inner work of the Spirit.
God’s Holiness — His Perfect Otherness #
To truly know what God is like, we must see His holiness. Holiness is not just moral purity — it means He is set apart, utterly different from creation, perfect in all His ways.
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is filled with His glory.”
— Isaiah 6:3 (AMP)
God’s holiness means He cannot sin, cannot lie, and cannot be unjust. It also means He cannot be measured by human standards. His thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9).
Yet this Holy God came near in Christ. The One who dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16) stepped into our darkness to bring us into His light. His holiness is not meant to push us away, but to draw us into transformation.
“But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
— 1 Peter 1:15–16 (AMP)
When Christ lives in us, His holiness begins to shape our thoughts, desires, and actions. This is not human self-improvement but the Spirit forming Christ’s nature within. We do not just admire His holiness from afar — we are called to share in it.
God’s Love — Revealed in Christ #
God’s holiness reveals His separateness from sin, but His love reveals His heart toward sinners. The Bible does not define love apart from God — rather, it says:
“God is love [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature]…”
— 1 John 4:8 (AMP)
This love is not just a feeling — it is active, self-giving, and sacrificial.
“But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8 (AMP)
In Christ, we see the love of God made visible and touchable. He did not wait for us to clean ourselves up; He came while we were lost, broken, and rebellious. His love is patient, enduring, and cannot be earned.
The New Testament uses the word agapē (ἀγάπη) to describe God’s love — a selfless, unconditional love that seeks the highest good of the one loved, even at great cost. To understand what God is like, we look to Jesus, who washed His disciples’ feet, welcomed children, healed lepers, forgave sinners, and laid down His life. This is what divine love looks like in action.
And when Christ is in us, His agapē is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), enabling us to love God and others with the same kind of love we have received.
God’s Love — His Self-Giving Nature #
At the centre of all God’s attributes is His love. Love is not just something God does — it is who He is.
“The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature].”
— 1 John 4:8 (AMP)
This love is not sentimental or weak. The Greek word agapē (ἀγάπη) speaks of self-giving love that seeks the good of the other, even at great personal cost. We see the fullness of this in Christ.
“But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8 (AMP)
In Jesus, the sovereign ruler of all became a servant, the Holy One bore our sin, and the eternal God entered time to rescue us. That is what God is like — holy in His purity, sovereign in His rule, and unshakeable in His love.
When we say “God is love,” we must remember:
- His love is holy — it does not compromise truth.
- His love is just — it does not ignore sin.
- His love is faithful — it never abandons His own.
The cross is the clearest picture of what God is like. Every attribute — holiness, justice, mercy, sovereignty, wisdom — meets in His love displayed through Christ’s sacrifice.
God’s Faithfulness — Unchanging and Trustworthy #
God is not like man, who changes with mood or circumstance. His character is constant, His promises sure.
“Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word].”
— Hebrews 10:23 (AMP)
The faithfulness of God means He can be fully trusted — He will always act according to His nature and His Word. He does not lie, He does not forget, and He does not fail.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
— Numbers 23:19 (AMP)
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word for faithfulness is ’emunah (אֱמוּנָה) — meaning firmness, steadiness, reliability. This is not merely that God does faithful things; it is that He is faithful in His very being.
When life feels uncertain, God’s faithfulness is an anchor for the soul. We can trust Him in suffering as much as in blessing, because His love and truth never change. The cross itself is the greatest proof — God promised salvation, and in Christ, He kept that promise at an unlimited cost to Himself.
God’s Sovereignty — Ruler Over All #
God is the supreme authority over all creation. Nothing exists outside His rule, and nothing happens beyond His knowledge or control.
“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all [the universe].”
— Psalm 103:19 (AMP)
The Hebrew word for “sovereign” often used of God is mashal (מָשַׁל) — to rule, govern, have dominion. God’s sovereignty is not mere power; it is wise and purposeful rule.
This means that history is not random, and your life is not an accident. Even when human choices bring evil, God works all things — including the hard and painful — toward His eternal purpose in Christ.
“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”
— Romans 8:28 (AMP)
When we say “God is sovereign,” we are not simply saying “God is in charge” — we are saying He is actively ruling, wisely directing all creation toward His intended end. This truth calls us to worship, to rest, and to yield our will to His.
