5 Key Character Traits of God

Guiding Scripture: Psalm 89:6-7 - “For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.”

• As believers, we often talk about God in terms of His function in our lives, or to put it another way, what He can do for us. However, as we mature in our faith, it’s important for us to recognize the nature of who God is outside of our personal preferences. What are some of the most important character traits of God, and how do those character traits help us understand Him better? Let’s talk about it today.
• God is holy.
  1. Isaiah 6:1-5 - In these verses, the prophet Isaiah describes a vision of God on his throne, and the central theme here is the overwhelming holiness of God.
  2. God’s holiness makes Him altogether different from us as created beings. We cannot compare to Him; no one can. When we realize this, our natural reaction should be reverence, worship, and repentance (Isaiah 6:5).
  3. The takeaway: Because God is holy and set apart, we won’t always understand what He does or why He does it, and we shouldn’t.
• God is sovereign.
  1. Jeremiah 32:17 - “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”
  2. God is “all the alls”---all-knowing (omniscient), all-present (omnipresent), and all-powerful (omnipotent).
  3. The takeaway: Because God is sovereign, we can trust that He is always in control, no matter how challenging our circumstances are.
• God is consistent.
  1. Malachi 3:6 - “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”
  2. Hebrews 13:8 - “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
  3. Numbers 23:19 - “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
  4. The takeaway: Because God is consistent, we know that He will never let us down.
• God is faithful to His Word.
  1. Isaiah 55:11 - “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
  2. The takeaway: Because God is faithful to His Word, we can trust in His promises to us. If we obey, He will always bring them to pass.
• God is good.
  1. Psalm 136:1 - “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
  2. God’s goodness is about more than just the good things He gives us, or the bad things He protects us from. It’s about His love for us and how He shows that love.
  3. God may not always seem good because of the things He allows, but we can trust that He is because His nature is a loving one (1 John 4:16).
  4. The takeaway: Because God is good, I know that everything He does in my life, both good and bad, is for my good (Romans 8:28).

Action Step: Which of the 5 attributes of God is most comforting to you right now? Which one is hardest for you to accept? Do a Bible study of the character trait that most challenges your view of God, searching for Scriptures that justify that trait in Him.