How to Know God and His Attributes

Nothing will change your life more than what you believe about God. Get it right, and everything else falls into place. Get it wrong, and every area of your life will eventually show the damage. That is not opinion. It is the consistent testimony of Scripture and the hard-won experience of every generation of believers who have gone before us.

As A.W. Tozer once observed, nearly every error in doctrine and every failure in the Christian life can be traced back to wrong thoughts about God. The reverse is also true. Right thoughts about God produce right living. They steady us when suffering comes. They anchor us when doubt presses in. They give us confidence in prayer and boldness in obedience.

This article is part of the Christian Basics series, which covers the foundations of Christianity. Here, we will consider how we can know God and what His attributes reveal about His character.

What the Bible Claims About the One True God

The Bible never argues for God's existence. It simply declares it. The very first words of Scripture are, "In the beginning God" (Gen. 1:1). There is no preamble. No defense. No philosophical proof. God is, and everything else follows from that fact.

Scripture also makes clear that there is only one God, and no one is like Him. David praised Him in this way:

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all." (1 Chron. 29:11)

The Psalmist asked the same searching question:

"God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?" (Ps. 89:7–8)

God Himself declared it through the prophet Isaiah:

"I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols." (Isa. 42:8)

And again:

"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." (Isa. 43:10)

There is one God. He shares His glory with no one. And He has revealed Himself in His Word so that we might know Him.

C.H. Spurgeon understood the weight of this truth: "Plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in His immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead."

Why Knowing God Matters More Than Anything Else

There is no greater pursuit in this life than seeking to know God. Jesus Himself said so. In His prayer to the Father on the night before He was crucified, He defined eternal life in personal terms:

"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)

Eternal life is not merely living forever. It is knowing God. That single truth should reshape how we spend our time, what we study, and what we value most.

The prophet Jeremiah delivered the same message centuries earlier. God told His people that the one thing worth boasting about was not wealth, strength, or wisdom:

"But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord." (Jer. 9:24)

Knowing God is the one pursuit that matters for eternity. Everything else we chase will eventually fade. But the knowledge of God endures, and those who possess it are changed by it.

How to Know God Through Jesus Christ

If knowing God matters this much, the next question is obvious: How can we know Him?

The primary way that we can know God is through Jesus Christ. When Jesus came to earth, He did not merely teach about God. He revealed God. He made the invisible God visible.

Philip once asked Jesus to show them the Father, thinking that would be enough. Jesus answered with a gentle rebuke:

"Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" (John 14:8–9)

Paul confirmed this truth to the Colossians:

"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." (Col. 2:9)

Jesus is not merely a messenger from God. He is God in human flesh. To see Him is to see the Father. To know Him is to know God.

And Jesus does more than reveal God to us. He enables us to know God by removing the barrier that stood between us and our Creator. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way:

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Heb. 1:3)

Jesus made purification for sins. He dealt with the guilt that separated us from a holy God. Through His atoning work on the cross, He opened the way for sinful people to know the living God personally and permanently.

What Are the Attributes of God?

An attribute is a quality or characteristic that is true about someone. When we study the attributes of God, we gain a greater understanding of who He is, how He acts, and why we can trust Him.

Some of these attributes stretch beyond the limits of our understanding. We are finite creatures trying to comprehend an infinite God. But our ideas about God need to be as true and as accurate as possible, because what we believe about Him will shape everything else we believe and do.

The Bible reveals many attributes of God. Each one deserves careful thought and reverent study.

The Holiness of God

God's holiness means that He is untouched and unstained by the evil in the world. He is absolutely pure and perfect. There is no darkness in Him at all.

Moses and the people of Israel celebrated this truth after God delivered them through the Red Sea:

"Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Exod. 15:11)

The Psalmist commanded the people to worship God for this very reason:

"Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!" (Ps. 99:9)

And when Isaiah was given a vision of God's throne room, the angels did not cry out about God's power or wisdom. They declared His holiness:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" (Isa. 6:3)

Because God is holy, He calls His people to be holy. We are to be set apart from sin and set apart for God. Our lives are to reflect His character in an unrighteous world:

"Since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Pet. 1:16)

The Righteousness and Justice of God

Righteousness describes the perfect agreement between God's nature and His acts. He never contradicts Himself. He never acts against His own character. Justice is the way in which God carries out His righteousness in His dealings with humanity. There is no action God takes that violates any standard of morality or fairness.

The Psalmist linked these two attributes together as the very foundation of God's rule:

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." (Ps. 89:14)

And again:

"Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules." (Ps. 119:137)

This truth should comfort every believer. The God we serve is not arbitrary. He does not act on whim. Every decision He makes and every action He takes flows from a nature that is perfectly righteous and perfectly just.

The Sovereignty of God

Sovereign means chief, highest, and supreme in power. It means superior in position to all others. The sovereignty of God is one of the most encouraging truths in all of Scripture, because it assures us that nothing is out of God's control and that His plans cannot be stopped.

God declared this through Isaiah:

"By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'" (Isa. 45:23)

He repeated it with even greater force:

"Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'" (Isa. 46:9–10)

Paul applied this doctrine directly to the daily experience of believers:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Rom. 8:28)

If God is sovereign, then nothing that happens to us is wasted. Nothing is accidental. Nothing escapes His control. We can trust Him with every detail of our lives.

The Eternality and Immutability of God

Since God is eternal, there has never been a time when He did not exist. He had no beginning and will have no end. He is not bound by time. Having always existed, He sees the past and the future as clearly as He sees the present. With that perspective, He has a perfect understanding of what is best for our lives. We should trust Him with all areas of our lives because His vantage point is infinitely greater than ours.

"Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?" (Isa. 43:13)

"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.'" (Isa. 44:6)

Closely connected to God's eternality is His immutability. God never changes in His nature or purpose. What He was yesterday, He is today. What He promises, He keeps.

This matters more than we often realize. The Bible contains countless promises for those who belong to God. Every one of them rests on the unchanging character of the One who made them.

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." (Mal. 3:6)

"So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us." (Heb. 6:17–18)

God can be trusted to keep His Word because He does not change.

The Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence of God

God knows all things, both possible and actual. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He knew all of our sins at the time of our salvation. Yet He still forgave us and received us into His family forever.

"For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps." (Job 34:21)

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." (Ps. 139:1–6)

God is also present everywhere in the universe. It is foolish to think we can hide from Him. But this truth is not only a warning. It is also a profound comfort. A believer may experience the presence of God at all times and know the blessing of walking with Him.

"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me." (Ps. 139:7–10)

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." (Prov. 15:3)

And God is all-powerful, having more than enough strength to do anything He wills. His omnipotence is seen in His power to create all things (Gen. 1:1), His preservation of all things (Heb. 1:3), and His providential care for His people (Ps. 37:23–24).

"Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." (Jer. 32:17)

"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.'" (Rev. 19:6)

The Love and Mercy of God

God is love. His love is unconditional. It is not based on the attractiveness or merit of the one He loves. Love expresses itself in action, and God demonstrated His love for us in the most costly way possible: He sent Jesus to die in our place.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor. 5:21)

God's mercy is the practical expression of His compassion toward those who have opposed His will. His mercy is most vivid when set against the dark backdrop of human sin. We did not deserve kindness. We received it anyway.

"If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared." (Ps. 130:3–4)

"The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made." (Ps. 145:8–9)

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." (Eph. 2:4–5)

The Truth and Faithfulness of God

God is the only true God. His truth stands above every competing claim. He is truthful even if every human being is found to be a liar. His words and His judgments always prevail.

"Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God." (Ps. 31:5)

"For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!" (Ps. 117:2)

"By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, 'That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.'" (Rom. 3:4)

We live in a world full of broken promises and shifting standards. God's truth does not shift. His faithfulness does not waver. And for those who take refuge in Him, that steadfast character is not merely a doctrine to affirm. It is the ground we stand on every single day.