The Nature of God

The Nature of God is that He is

1. A Spirit.
2. A Personality.
3. A Unified Being (One).
4. Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Trinity).

The Spirituality of God

God is a spirit. (John 14:24) The word spirit comes from the Greek word, pneo. It means to breathe or blow. A spirit is invisible, immaterial and powerful. God is invisible. (Colossians 1:15) Because He is a Spirit, God is not confined to time and space.

A spirit does not have flesh and bones. (Luke 24:39) However, God sees, hears, smells etc. The following scriptures support this statement: 2 Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 5:21; 15:3; Isaiah 65:5; Jeremiah 16:17; 32:19

No one is equal to God and nothing can be likened unto Him. (Isaiah 40:35) Exodus 20:4 says man should not make any graven image of things in heaven, earth or the water. Deuteronomy 4:15-23 says man should not

1. Make a graven image in the likeness of a male, female, animal, bird, thing that creeps on the ground or a fish.
2. Worship the sun, moon or stars.

Men should be the people of the Lord -- His inheritance.

The Personality of God

God is a Personality. Personality is a combination of intelligence, mind, will, reason, individuality, self-consciousness and self-determination¹. God is intelligent. (Genesis 1:1) God has a mind. (Genesis 1:31) God has a will. (Genesis 1:26) God reasons. (Genesis 2:18) God is an individual. (Genesis 17:1) God is Self-conscious. (Exodus 3:14) God is Self-determined. (John 3:16) Since God has all of these qualities, He is a Personality.

Several Names of God show His Personality. These names are:

1. Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord Will Provide – Genesis 22:13,14.
2. Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord that Healeth – Exodus 15:26.
3. Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord our Banner – Exodus 17:8-15.
4. Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace – Judges 6:24.
5. Jehovah-Ra-ah: The Lord my Shepherd -- Psalm 23:1.
6. Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness – Jeremiah 23:6.
7. Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord is Present – Ezekiel 48:35.

The Scriptures show God is vastly different from heathen gods. Jeremiah 10:10-16 says God is true, living, everlasting, the Maker of all things, has wisdom and executes wrath. This scripture also says heathen gods perish and are dead. Acts 14:15 states God is living and the Maker of all things in heaven, earth and the sea. This scripture also says idols are useless. According to 1 Thessalonians 1:9, God is living and true.

The Scriptures also reveal God repented (Genesis 6:6), grieved (1 Kings 11:9), became angry (Deuteronomy 6:15), may become jealous (Exodus 20:5), loves (Romans 9:15) and hates (Proverbs 6:16). He also sees, hears, instructs, corrects and teaches knowledge. (Psalm 94:9,10) God keeps the universe in tact (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17), supplies the physical needs of all living creatures (Psalm 104:27-30) and guides and shapes the affairs of nations (Psalm 75:6,7).

The creation of the universe and man is the work of an Intelligent Being. Intelligence is a characteristic of personality. Since God created the universe and man, He must be a Personality.

The Unity of God

Deuteronomy 6:4 states the Lord God is one. The word one used in this scripture means a unit. It comes from the Hebrew word 'echad that means a unit. The word 'echad has its root in the Hebrew word 'achad, which means to bring together or unify. Therefore, the statement, "the Lord God is one," means God is a unified Being or one God in three Persons.

The Trinity of God

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This was revealed when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. (Matthew 3:16,17) At this event, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus and God the Father spoke from Heaven. By these manifestations, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were made known to the world as three separate Persons. Jesus explained how the Persons of the Trinity work together when He taught about the work of the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13-15)

The Trinity of God is also revealed in the Old Testament. God used the personal pronoun us when He said, "Let Us make man…"¹. (Genesis 1:26) Other uses of the word Us are found in Genesis 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8. The Hebrew word Elohim is translated God. In the Old Testament it is used most often in the plural sense.

The Attributes of God

The attributes of God are His qualities. God has two types of qualities. They are natural qualities and moral qualities.

The natural qualities of God are

1. Omniscience.
2. Omnipotence.
3. Omnipresence.
4. Eternal and Immutable.

The moral qualities of God are

1. Holiness.
2. Righteousness and Justice.
3. Mercy and Loving-kindness.
4. Love.

The Natural Qualities of God

Omniscience means God is all knowing and perfect in His knowledge. (Job 37:16; 1 John 3:20; Isaiah 40:28; Romans 11:33; Psalm 147:5)

Omnipotence means God is all-powerful. He can bring to pass anything He wants. (Job 42:2; Genesis 18:14; James 4:12-15; Daniel 4:35; Psalm 103:21)

Omnipresent means God is everywhere. (Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23,24)

Eternal means God has always existed, exists now and will exist forever. (Revelation 1:4,8; 4:8)

Immutable means God does not change. (Malachi 3:6)

The Moral Qualities of God

Holiness means God is pure. He is free from all evil. (1 Peter 1:15,16; Psalm 99:9; Habakkuk 1:13)

Righteous and Just means God does not make mistakes when dealing with men. (Ezra 9:15; Psalm 145:17; Jeremiah 12:1; 1 John 1:9; Romans 3:26; Revelation 15:3; Acts 3:14)

Mercy means God is loving and kind to persons who do not deserve it. He does this because He wants to. God seeks the welfare of sinners at the cost of great sacrifice to Himself. (John 3:16; Romans 9:15; Psalm 103:8,17)

Loving-kindness means God is gracious to His obedient children. He blesses His children for their obedience. (Romans 8:32; Psalm 103:4; Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

Love means God is love. He gave His son so that the world would be saved. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8-16)

God spares lives, gives health, increases blessings, comforts and gives eternal life. (Psalm 103) He makes the sun to shine on the unjust and gives them rain. (Matthew 5:45) He anxiously waits for sinners to repent and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (2 Peter 3:9)

God protects the saints (Psalm 91). He heals them from sickness. (Isaiah 53:5; Psalm 103:3) God loves Jesus Christ, the saints, sinners and the ungodly. God revealed His love by making a great sacrifice for the salvation of men. (Romans 5:6)