If you ask a group of people what God is like, you will receive many different answers. Some will say He is a force somewhere in the cosmos, while others picture a benevolent grandfather type who overlooks “little sins.” Most of the time, the description given will reveal more about the speaker than about the real Jehovah. In fact, the true God might surprise you.
As the Father reveals Himself in Scripture, one word that’s never used when referring to Him is “it.” God is a person; in every reference, He is given a name (Yahweh, Elohim, Lord) or referred to by masculine pronouns (He, Him). He fits all of the attributes of personhood—intelligence to reason, emotions to feel, and the will to make decisions. From Genesis to Revelation, God displays these features.
Scripture also shows God’s immutability. Let us be clear about what that means: Neither the Lord’s nature nor His character ever changes—He is always Spirit, and His love remains constant. We can all expect that God’s principles and laws will hold true and that He will act exactly as He has promised. While He does adjust His emotions to fit a situation, delight, anger, and other feelings are nuances of His being, not new traits.
God is eternal—He has no beginning or end. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No one created Him; God simply is. That’s hard for humans to understand, but if the Lord were completely explainable, He would be like us and unworthy of worship. If we are to honor the Father, we should know Him as He really is—eternal and unchanging.
