God is bigger.

The first thing to say is that God is much ‘bigger’ than us in every sense. So we can never completely describe him or understand him. It would be like a slug trying to understand Einstein’s theories to expect us to understand God.

We do know something about God, but we are dependent on him revealing himself to us. He has done that through the Bible and through his Son, Jesus.

The Bible tells us that God is a living personal Spirit. He is not an impersonal force, but a living being who acts (Psalm 115:3-7). God is personal with his own characteristics. He is Spirit who exists apart from this world and is above and beyond it.

Three distinct persons in one.

Mysteriously but wonderfully, God is Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit. He is three-in-one. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinguishable persons within the Trinity and have different functions, yet they are perfectly united in the being of God. It is true in God’s case that 1 + 1 + 1 = One.

At the heart of the Trinity is love. God is completely self-fulfilled as a person. He didn’t create us because he was lonely or needy in any sense. No, he created out of his generosity and kindness.

God’s character is perfect.

Some things about God only apply to him, other aspects of God we share in as beings who were created in his image.

God is glorious, majestic perfection and utterly different to us in this way. He is infinite, without beginning or end or any limitation at all. He is self-existent, not dependent on anyone for anything. He is consistent and unchanging, so always remains dependably the same as he relates to us.

God is sovereign. He rules over all and is the final cause of all that happens in his universe. He is everywhere and knows everything.

God is holy. He is utterly pure and perfect and therefore utterly against evil, deceit, injustice and wrong doing. Because God is perfectly righteous he judges and punishes all that is wrong.

God is good. He is loving, merciful and compassionate.

God is complex and yet all these characteristics exist together perfectly in harmony. Jesus, the Son of God, reveals God to us perfectly. In him we see compassion as he cares for the lost and needy. We also see his anger against hypocrisy and false religion. We see in his death the very moment when God’s justice against wrongdoing meets God’s mercy for those who need forgiveness.