God Reveals Himself #
Human effort cannot climb up to God. Philosophy, speculation, or religious rituals can never uncover His essence. If left to ourselves, we could only guess about God, and every guess would fall short. God is not the product of human imagination or the creation of cultural myths. He is the eternal One who stoops down to make Himself known. He does so through creation, which reflects His glory, and through Scripture, which records His voice. Yet the fullest unveiling of His nature is in a Person, His Son, Jesus Christ.
John 1:18 (AMP)
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.
The Greek word for explained is “exēgeomai”, meaning to unfold or to make known in full detail. This is where the mystery becomes plain: Christ is not a partial sketch of God. He is the complete explanation of the Father. All that God is finds its full expression in Him.
Christ as the Exact Image #
Paul reinforces this in Colossians.
Colossians 1:15 (AMP)
He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the [invisible] God, the firstborn, the sovereign, the originator of all creation.
The Greek word “eikōn” means likeness or visible expression. It is not a shadow or faint reflection but a perfect representation. In Jesus, we see exactly what the Father is like. His compassion toward the leper, His mercy for the sinner, His anger against hypocrisy, and His obedience to the Father all show us the Father’s heart in action.
This means we cannot form any true idea of God apart from Christ. Any picture of God that does not look like Jesus is incomplete or distorted. He is the lens through which we must read all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. The law, the prophets, and the psalms all find their meaning in Him.
When the Spirit forms Christ within His people, this revelation continues. The world sees in the Church a living testimony of who God is. As believers are conformed to Christ’s likeness, they become windows through which others glimpse the Father’s nature.
God’s Nature Shown in Christ #
The Scriptures describe God’s nature through attributes that reveal His holiness, love, righteousness, mercy, and faithfulness. Each of these is made visible in Christ.
| Attribute | Hebrew or Greek Word | Meaning | Shown in Christ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy | “qādôsh” (קָדוֹשׁ) | Set apart, pure, without sin | His sinless life and obedience |
| Love | “agapē” (ἀγάπη) | Self-giving, covenant love | His death for sinners |
| Righteous | “tsaddîq” (צַדִּיק) | Morally upright, just | His truth and judgments |
| Merciful | “raham” (רַחַם) | Tender compassion | His healing and forgiveness |
| Faithful | “pistos” (πιστός) | Trustworthy, dependable | His fulfilment of every promise |
To understand God is to see Him as He is in Christ. Holiness without Christ becomes distant law. Love without Christ becomes sentiment. Faithfulness without Christ becomes abstract. In Jesus, all these attributes shine together in harmony.
God Is Spirit #
Jesus made a foundational statement in His conversation with the Samaritan woman.
John 4:24 (AMP)
God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
God’s nature is not physical. He is not limited to a body, a place, or a building. His essence is spirit, eternal and unseen, the source of all life. He fills heaven and earth and cannot be contained by space. Yet in His mercy, He chose to make Himself known in the most personal way by taking on humanity in Christ.
John 1:14 (AMP)
And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and lived among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the One and only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In Jesus, the invisible God became visible. He walked our streets, carried our burdens, and revealed the Father’s heart in words and deeds. When Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), He declared the central truth of revelation: the God we worship is fully revealed in Him.
God’s Holiness #
Holiness is not only moral purity but separateness and otherness. God is unlike His creation, perfect in all His ways, and utterly free from sin.
Isaiah 6:3 (AMP)
And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is filled with His glory.”
The Hebrew word “qādôsh” means set apart and consecrated. God’s holiness is absolute. He cannot lie, cannot sin, and cannot be unjust. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, beyond measure. Yet this Holy God came near in Christ, the One who dwells in unapproachable light, stepping into human darkness to draw us into His presence.
1 Peter 1:15–16 (AMP)
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.”
In Christ, holiness is not a standard we reach through effort but a life imparted through union. The Spirit shapes our desires and conduct into His likeness. We are not spectators admiring holiness from afar but participants sharing in it.
God’s Love #
Holiness sets God apart, but love reveals His heart toward sinners. Scripture does not define love apart from Him.
1 John 4:8 (AMP)
The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God, for God is love [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature].
The Greek word “agapē” describes self-giving love that seeks the highest good, even at great cost. This love is not a passive emotion but an active sacrifice.
Romans 5:8 (AMP)
But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
In Jesus, the sovereign ruler became a servant, the Holy One bore our sin, and the eternal God entered time to rescue us. The cross reveals every attribute of God joined in perfect harmony: His holiness, justice, mercy, and love all meet in Christ’s self-offering.
When Christ lives in us, His agapē is poured into our hearts by the Spirit. This empowers us to love with the same love we have received.
God’s Faithfulness #
God is steady and unchanging. His promises stand firm.
Hebrews 10:23 (AMP)
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].
The Hebrew word “’emunah” means firmness or reliability. God’s faithfulness is not occasional but essential to His nature. He cannot lie, forget, or fail.
Numbers 23:19 (AMP)
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?
At the cross, God’s faithfulness is fully seen. He promised salvation, and He kept that promise at infinite cost. This anchors our trust when life feels unstable.
God’s Sovereignty #
The sovereignty of God means He rules over all. His authority is complete, His purposes unshakable.
Psalm 103:19 (AMP)
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all [the universe].
The Hebrew word “mashal” means to rule or govern. God’s sovereignty is not raw power but wise, purposeful dominion. History is not random, and our lives are not accidents. Even human evil cannot undo His purpose.
Romans 8:28 (AMP)
And we know [with great confidence] that God 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.
When we say God is sovereign, we confess not just that He is in charge but that He is guiding all things toward His goal in Christ. This calls us to trust, to rest, and to yield our lives to His will.
Conclusion: The God Who Stoops to Reveal #
The self-revelation of God is not abstract theory but living reality. We know Him because He chose to make Himself known. He spoke in creation, in Scripture, and supremely in Christ. His holiness sets Him apart, His love draws Him near, His faithfulness secures His promises, and His sovereignty rules all.
We are not left to speculation. The God who cannot be seen has shown Himself in His Son. And now, by His Spirit, He makes His dwelling in us so that the world may see Christ revealed through His people.
In Christ.
Godwin.
