So, What’s God Really Like?

So, What’s God Really Like?
Is there really a God? If so, what's he really like? Have you been asked those questions lately? Maybe you've asked those questions yourself because of conflicting information you've heard.

In the sixth chapter of Isaiah, the prophet describes a vision of God. Obviously, he was convinced that God existed! So, what is God like?

We can know what God is like by looking at the names given for him in Scripture. Each name--Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, Yahweh (or Jehovah), Abba--reveals an aspect of God's character.

Yet there are some aspects of God's character that are mysterious. For example, God has always existed. (See Ps 90:2.) That's mind-boggling.

Another mysterious element of God's character is the fact that he never changes (see Mal 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Heb 13:8). In other words, he is forever consistent.

Still another is the fact that God is infinite--limitless. This infinity is expressed in different ways. In regard to time, God is eternal; he always was, is, and will be. In regard to space, he is omnipresent, or everywhere at once. No corner of the universe lacks his presence. In regard to power, he is omnipotent, or all-powerful. God can do anything that is consistent with his character. In regard to knowledge, he is omniscient, or all-knowing. There is nothing and no one that God does not know completely. He knows everything about you.

We can comprehend many of God's characteristics because he shares them with us to some degree. These include the abilities to think, to love, to make wise choices, to communicate, to work, and so on. Though God's ability in these areas is light-years beyond ours, he has given us some capacity to resemble him in certain areas. Remember, we are made in the image of God.

There are many different ideas and belief systems centered on the question, Who is God? Christianity is based on the confident assertion that the real God, the God of Isaiah and of the Bible, has revealed himself to us, and we can know him.