Studying the attributes of God helps us to know about God. Learning about God helps us to grow in our intimacy with Him. There are too many attributes to list here but you can start your personal journey with this introductory study.
What are the attributes of God?
The attributes of God are truths about him. Studying these truths helps us to know who God is, what He is like, and what to expect of Him and from Him. Basically, His attributes describe aspects of His character.
Because there is nothing or nobody like God in the universe, it is important that we make His attributes a unique study.
We can never know God completely. But God is always willing to reveal himself to us because He wants to be known more than anything else.
Whatever He reveals we can come to know as far as our imperfect hearts and minds will allow.
And we can learn to love Him by what He reveals and what we come to accept about Him.
One final note before we jump in…
God’s attributes are interconnected. God’s nature cannot be disassembled and each part examined.
As you study these truths, you will find that you might struggle to see differences among some attributes.
That’s part of the whole journey of getting to know God. Embrace it.
Attributes of God in the Bible and their meaning
The attributes of God are often categorized into two groups: incommunicable attributes and communicable attributes.
I will explain what these are, describe the meanings of each attribute and give two Scriptures that you can read right now about that attribute.
Let’s dig in!
Incommunicable attributes of God
The incommunicable attributes of God are those qualities that He alone possesses. They cannot be shared with humans. These attributes are what truly makes Him God. As humans, our minds cannot truly understand these qualities no matter how much we try to define or describe them.
Here is a limited list of God’s incommunicable attributes.
Omnipotent – God is all powerful. His power is unlimited. There is nothing in His purpose that can fail to come to pass. Everything in His purpose will be accomplished. (Genesis 18:14, Matthew 19:26)
Omnipresent – God is everywhere all the time at the same time. He does not dwell in a body like we do so he is not restricted by space or time. (Psalm 139:7-10, Hebrews 13:5)
Omniscient – He knows all things. Everything that can be known is already known by God. While humans are always discovering things, this is not so with God. For God, there is nothing new or surprising. He sees the past, present and future all at once. (Job 37:16, Rom. 11:33–36)
Self-existent – Nothing or nobody brought God into existence. He was not created. God just is. There is nowhere we can look to find God’s origin or source. (Isaiah 46:9, Colossians 1:17)
Self-sufficient – God needs nothing or nobody for Him to continue to exist. He is independent of the things that are visible and invisible. He does not depend on anyone. He does not need a support system like we do. All life and energy are already in him and sustains all that he has created. (Psalm 50:12, Acts 17:25)
Immutable – God never changes. His character and nature are constant and consistent throughout time and eternity. God is whole and perfect. He needs nothing updates and requires no improvements. (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17)
Infinite – God was not created so He has no beginning and no ending. God is not limited by time or space. In fact, God created time. There are no restrictions or boundaries on Him. (Isaiah 46:10, Acts 17:24–28)
Eternal – God is eternal. He has always existed and he will always continue to exist. Before time began, He was. After time is done, He will be. God’s existence cannot be measured with time, not even if we tried to count in trillions of years. (Psalm 90:2, John 17:5)
Incomprehensible – God and his ways are beyond our understanding. Although God reveals himself to us, our finite minds cannot wrap around him. There is nothing to compare God to in order to fully know or understand Him. (Job 11:7-9, 1 Corinthians 2:11)
Inscrutable – God’s ways and decisions often make no sense to us. No matter how much we try to study or trace Him to understand the motivations behind his actions, we will walk away with an unsolved mystery. God’s ways cannot be explained by any human intellect. (Psalm 145:3, Ephesians 3:8)
Sovereign – God is supreme. He has the ultimate authority over all. Things are never out of control. Rather all things are in His care. He rules the universe according to His own will to accomplish His own purposes. He owes nobody an explanation of his actions nor justification for his decisions. (Psalm 115:3, Ephesians 1:11)
Transcendent – God is above all, exalted over all things visible and invisible. He surpasses all the things He has created. In every sense, God is higher, bigger, and beyond creation. He cannot be contained in, boxed in or limited by the things he has created. His transcendence makes Him truly in a category all by himself, completely different from created beings and things. (Jeremiah 23:23-24, Ephesians 4:6)
Immanent – God is near to His creation. Although he is transcendent, this does not mean He is far away. God did not create the world and then went far away leaving it to function on its own. Not so. He is very present and intimately involved in human affairs. He is a personal God who is aware of all the details of your personal and public life. His heart is wrapped up in ours. (Isaiah 57:15, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Communicable attributes of God
The communicable attributes of God are those qualities of himself that can be shared with humans. God can transmit them to us so we too can possess them.
However, because of our sinful nature, there is a limit to how much we can truly hold these qualities. So, although we will show these attributes, we do so inconsistently and imperfectly.
Here’s a list of the communicable attributes of God.
Holy – Holiness is hard to define and describe because it is the very nature and essence of God. It cannot be completely captured in words. Holiness means to be set apart. God is separate from humans and set apart from all of creation.
There is none other that is like Him. He invites those of us who believe to be separate from the world. (Isaiah 6:3, Matthew 5:48)
Loving – Love isn’t just a word that describes an aspect of God’s nature. It embodies all that He is. God is love. Just like a bird cannot help but fly, God cannot do otherwise than to love. And the most powerful demonstration of His love is all that Jesus has done and continues to do for us. Our behavior towards him doesn’t affect his love towards us. God’s love is unconditional. (Psalm 103:11, 1 John 4:7-8)
Good – God is good. Looking at the world around us, wouldn’t make it seem true. So people debate and disagree over it. But the state of the world is not a reflection of the goodness of God. Instead, God’s goodness is manifested in his daily provision for us, his forgiveness and his faithfulness. The goodness of God is that attribute that makes him kind, caring, friendly, and pleasant. Only God is good. (Psalm 86:5, Mark 10:18)
Wise – God makes the best decisions all the time. God knows all there is to know. He sees every situation in all its finest details and skillfully does what needs to be done for the perfect outcome. No plan of God contains mistakes because He is perfect at using all that He knows. His counsel and guidance are always sure and true. God not only acts wisely but is also the source of wisdom. (Job 28:20, Romans 11:33)
Just – God is always fair. He does not show favoritism or partiality. When it comes to His judgments, he is consistent in justice. God is morally perfect. He does what is right all the time. One day, He will bring back complete justice to the world and then universe. (Isaiah 30:18, Luke 18:1-8)
Faithful – God is true. Whatever God says is true; He does not and cannot lie. He stands by His words and keeps His promises. Therefore, God can be trusted. We can depend on Him and be certain that He never disappoints. (Deuteronomy 7:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:24)
Merciful – God doesn’t give us what we truly deserve. Because of sin, what we should get is a death sentence. Instead, God has made eternal life our inheritance if we want it. There is no greater evidence of his mercy than this. God is quick to be compassionate instead of anger and wrath. His mercy extends to all, not just those who accept Him. (Psalm 145:8-9, Romans 11:32)
Gracious – While God doesn’t give us what we deserve (mercy), He also gives us what we don’t deserve (grace). The gift of eternal life and salvation is the result of God’s grace. Grace isn’t just what God does. It is who He is. Therefore, He will always be quick to give us what we can never earn: His love, forgiveness, compassion, favor, and kindness. We get all this and more especially when we did nothing to deserve it. (Exodus 33:19, John 1:14)
Final words on the attributes of God
I pray this quick study was helpful. It’s easy to forget who God is and what He is like.
That’s why it’s important to commit to studying the attributes of God constantly.
As you engage in any Bible study, regardless of the topic you’re looking at, always look for the attributes of God.
His greatest desire is to be known so it is his greatest pleasure to reveal himself.
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