Often we can get confused about the nature of God and the attributes of God. The two are not the same thing. Here’s why:
The nature of God refers to those things about God that are irrevocable and given. The attributes of God pertain more to his personality and character such as his patience, kindness, goodness, majesty, etc.
If we haven’t experienced the attributes of God we can argue them as false, inapplicable, etc. For example, if you don’t experience my loyalty as a friend, you won’t be convinced or know that I am loyal. Similarly, our experience determines the depth of God’s attributes we experience in our lives regularly.
However, the nature of God is cast in stone. We can’t fully explain them but they are who He is nor can we argue them. They are fact and absolute. It’s as true as the sky is blue (ha ha ha ha rhyming without meaning to).
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What is the nature of God?
The nature of God consists of the following:
- Spirit
- Person
- Trinity
- Eternal
- Light
- Love
God’s nature is who he is at the core of his makeup. His nature is the sum of his attributes, character, and personality. Let’s look at each aspect of the nature of God in more detail.
God is spirit
God is spirit. This means he is invisible and without physical form (1 Timothy 1:17). Unless God chooses to reveal himself to you and me in a physical form for a specific purpose, we don’t see Him with our natural eyes.
The fullness of God is so great it can’t be contained. This is probably why we will spend eternity learning more about God. It takes an eternity to fully appreciate the magnificence and awesomeness of our God.
To worship God as spirit, we are to worship him in spirit and in truth as per John 4:24. It requires faith on our part to engage with God to experience and know him in an intimate level. God desires for us to know him deeply. To do so, we approach him with confidence and faith Hebrews. (It takes faith to admit that God exists so don’t discredit your faith).
God is a person
When Jesus came to earth he became fully man while staying fully God. He was the incarnate God walking among people. Yet, God was and still is a person. He is the originator of all emotions and is capable of deep love and pain.
Think of all the times in the Old Testament where God’s heart ached for Israel to quit their idolatrous lifestyle and become consecrated to him. God loved Israel deeply – he called them his people. Today, the same is true. God calls us his people. He empathizes with our situations, emotions, and perspective. He experiences and expresses love, joy, patience, compassion, righteous anger, excitement, and humor.
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If God wasn’t a person, he wouldn’t be able to laugh nor would we be able to say “God has a sense of humor”. God is not a good idea, a figment of someone’s imagination to give them hope and coping skills through a rough time, or some energy that flitters around energizing people.
No! He is real and capable of deeper intimacy than any human alive today.
God is love and light
I was in my early twenties when God dropped the revelation that He is LOVE. Every school year, I had to memorize 1 Corinthians 13, thinking it was God’s way of teaching me how I had to love like he loved.
When I pieced 1 John with 1 Corinthians 13, I saw God had embedded the core of his attributes right there. He knew this Scripture would be used at countless weddings and sermons. So, he uses it to remind us of his nature. He is Love. He is the author of love.
He isn’t love in the wishy-washy way that society portrays and teaches love. No! God is love thus he is secure, healthy, reliable, and mature. He is perfect because He is love. Thus, no fear can come near him nor any darkness. God’s love and light illuminate our path while strengthening us to live from our encounters with him.
We do not need to fear. God who is love casts out all fear and he who is light reveals all things so we can be empowered, equipped and drawn deeper into his heart.
God is the Trinity
Although God is one God, he expresses himself in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is 100% fully God. The Trinity is a complex truth that baffles our human understanding. However, it remains an irrevocable nature of God. Each person of the Trinity is equal and eternal.
Check out this article Attributes and nature of the true God for more insight on the Trinity (this article also inspired this post on the nature of God).
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God is eternal
Our God was never created nor will he die. He is eternal. Because God is eternal, he is also omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (all-present). He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is in the middle as much as either side of time.
No matter what we go through, we are never alone. God being eternal means that he sees us for who we are. He remembers who he has made us be and spends every moment of our existence wooing us back to our true identity. When we think no one else notices or hears us, God who is out of time and eternal sees and hears us.
In him, we belong.
Resources to deepen your understanding of God’s nature and attributes
Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links which means that I get a small commission (at no extra charge) when you purchase my recommended products. All products recommended are those I believe wholeheartedly will help you live in the freedom God has for you as well as deepen your relationship with Him.
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The True Nature of God By Andrew Wommack |
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Indescribable DVD By Louie Giglio |
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How Great Is Our God DVD By Louie Giglio |
Subscribe today to download scripture cards about God’s nature. Plus all the other awesome Freebies.
