YHWH, the name of God, signifies both “I am who I am” and “I will be who I will be” (Exodus 3:14). To put it another way, God is distinct from everyone and everything else. God is beyond our comprehension (Romans 11:33) and invisible (Colossians 1:15). This implies that God must take the initiative to tell and demonstrate to us what He is like if we are to know what He is like (John 1:18). For this reason, God gave us the Bible, the prophets, creation (Psalm 19), and, most importantly, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1–3).
God is eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), and separate from His creation (Acts 17:24–25). “If God is eternally loving, then who did He love before the creation of the world?” one may wonder. The response is that the Father (Ephesians 3:11), the Son (1 John 1:2), and the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14) are the three eternal Persons that make up the One God (Deuteronomy 6:4), and each of them has loved the others from all eternity by nature (John 3:35). According to John 5:19–20, God is therefore unity in diversity; in all that God accomplishes, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit cooperate in perfect, loving harmony.
God is a loving Creator
The actions of God are an outpouring of his love. For instance, the universe was created by the Father (Genesis 1:1), the Son (Colossians 1:16), and the Holy Spirit (Psalm 104:30) in concert (Psalm 33:6). This indicates that God is the uncreated Creator of everything that exists (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3). God also owns everything (Psalm 95:5) since He formed everything (Psalm 33:6), thus He is deserving of all of our love and devotion (Psalm 33:8–9) (Matthew 22:37). According to 1 John 2:23 and John 8:42, to love the Son is to love the Father because God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One does not exist without the other!
God’s abundant gifts of food, joy, sunshine, and rain are examples of how His love for His creation never ends (Acts 14:17). God enjoys bestowing pleasant gifts on everyone, even on His adversaries (James 1:17; Matthew 5:44–48)!
God is a merciful Savior
The Gospel is where God’s love for His enemies is most evident. God has warned us that we are guilty and worthy of death and hell because of our sin (Genesis 2:17; Romans 1:32). God is holy (Leviticus 19:2) and just (Deuteronomy 32:4). This puts us all in peril because, as we have all sinned against God (Romans 3:10–12), we have turned His gracious gifts against Him and other people (Ephesians 2:3), not even thanking Him for His goodness to us and to others (Romans 1:21).
However, 2000 years ago, God gave us His one and only, dearly adored Son (John 3:16), so that He may enter the world as a man, Jesus Christ (John 1:14), because of God’s immense mercy and love (Ephesians 2:4). In order to redeem us from the penalty we deserve, we must have faith in Jesus alone (Acts 4:12), and Jesus gave His life on our behalf (John 10:11; 1 Peter 3:18). In order for us to be accepted back into God’s family as pardoned sons and daughters (Romans 8:15–17) and to be made holy and loving, like God (Galatians 5:22–25), God also sent His Holy Spirit.
God is a righteous Judge
Acts 1:9–11 records Jesus’ ascent into heaven forty days after His resurrection. There, He is currently seated at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 2:33). God is now present in every one of His children via the power of His Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). But according to Acts 17:31, Jesus will bodily return to Earth on Judgment Day to condemn everyone who has rejected His gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8–10). All those who have not forgiven will be cast into the never-ending lake of fire by Him (Revelation 20:15). Then, according to Revelation 21:3–4, God Himself will descend into the earth and dwell there with His pardoned children in a regenerated creation that is sinless forever.
