The question "Who is God?" stands as the most fundamental inquiry any human being can make. Scripture reveals that God is not merely a higher version of ourselves or an abstract force, but the self-existent, eternal, and unchanging Creator who possesses attributes that set Him infinitely apart from His creation while making Him intimately knowable to those He has redeemed.

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God's Independence and Self-Existence

God exists by the necessity of His own nature, requiring nothing outside Himself for His existence or happiness. When Moses asked for God's name at the burning bush, God replied, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14), revealing His absolute self-existence. Unlike everything in creation that depends on something else, God is completely independent. He declares, "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine" (Psalm 50:12). This attribute, called aseity, means God's existence, knowledge, power, and joy come from within His own perfect being.

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God's Unchanging Nature

God never changes in His being, perfections, purposes, or promises. "I the Lord do not change" (Malachi 3:6) and "with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17). This immutability provides the foundation for all our confidence in God. His love toward His people never wavers, His promises never fail, and His character never shifts. When Scripture speaks of God "repenting" or "changing His mind," it describes how His unchanging character responds to changing human circumstances, not any alteration in God Himself.

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God's Perfect Knowledge

God's knowledge is complete, immediate, and eternally present. He "declares the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10) and knows "all things" (1 John 3:20). His omniscience extends beyond mere facts to perfect understanding of all possibilities, all relationships, and all meanings. God's knowledge is not gained through observation or learning, but flows from His perfect being. This truth brings both comfort and conviction—comfort that God fully understands our circumstances, and conviction that nothing can be hidden from His sight.

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God's Unlimited Power

God's omnipotence means He can do whatever He wills to do, limited only by His own perfect nature. "Nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37), yet God cannot lie, sin, or deny Himself because such actions would contradict His perfect character. His power is not raw force but wise strength directed by His holy purposes. Every atom in the universe continues to exist because God actively sustains it by "the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3).

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God's Everywhere Presence

God's omnipresence means He is fully present everywhere simultaneously, not spread thin across space but wholly present in every location. David marveled, "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?" (Psalm 139:7). This presence is not merely spatial but personal and active. God fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24) while dwelling in a special way with the humble and contrite (Isaiah 57:15).

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God's Perfect Holiness

Holiness stands as God's central attribute—His complete separation from and opposition to all sin and evil. The seraphim cry "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:3), using the Hebrew superlative to declare God's absolute moral perfection. His holiness is not merely the absence of sin but the fullness of moral excellence. This attribute makes sin so serious and forgiveness so costly, requiring the perfect sacrifice of Christ to reconcile holy God with sinful humanity.

 

God's Steadfast Love

God's love flows from His nature, not from any attractiveness in its objects. "God is love" (1 John 4:8) describes His essential character, not merely His actions. His love is not mere sentiment but loyal commitment that seeks the ultimate good of its objects. This love is demonstrated supremely in the cross, where "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Unlike human love that often fluctuates, God's love is as unchanging as His nature.

 

God's Perfect Justice

God's justice means He always acts according to what is right and gives each person what they deserve. "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice" (Deuteronomy 32:4). His justice demands that sin be punished, but His mercy provides a way for that punishment to fall on Christ rather than on believing sinners. God's justice is not cold retribution but the necessary expression of His holy character.

 

The Unity of God's Attributes

These attributes are not separate parts of God but different ways of describing His one, simple, perfect being. God's love is holy love, His justice is loving justice, His power is wise power. All His attributes work in perfect harmony because they are simply different aspects of His unified perfection.

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Knowing God Personally

While God's attributes might seem overwhelming, they are revealed to us so we might know Him personally through Jesus Christ. Christ declared, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). In Jesus, we see God's attributes perfectly displayed and graciously offered to sinful humanity. The infinite God makes Himself knowable to finite creatures through His Son.

Understanding God's attributes should humble us before His greatness while drawing us to trust His goodness. We serve a God who is too wise to make mistakes, too powerful to be defeated, too loving to be cruel, and too faithful to abandon His promises. In this God we find our greatest treasure and eternal security.

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For Further Reading

• The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock - A comprehensive Puritan treatment of God's perfections

• Knowing God by J.I. Packer - An accessible modern exploration of God's character and attributes

• The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul - A powerful examination of God's most central attribute

• The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink - Clear exposition from a Baptist perspective

• The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 - "Of God and of the Holy Trinity"