There is a point in every long study where the text turns the questions back on us.
That happened to me while working through election, predestination, salvation, and eternal security. I kept looking at the passages, following the author’s argument, tracing words, and letting Scripture interpret Scripture. But along the way, something else kept surfacing. Not from the text itself, but from the reactions many people have to these doctrines.

People begin to wrestle with the same concern in different forms.
Is God fair.
Is He good.
Is He loving.
Is He trustworthy.
Is He righteous in all He does.

None of those questions surprised me. What did surprise me was how clearly they pointed to something deeper. Before we wrestle with doctrines that challenge us, whether in salvation or in any other area of theology, we need a settled understanding of the One who gives them. Before we can understand what God does, we need to know who He is.

Scripture never hides that truth. When Abraham interceded for Sodom, he anchored everything in God’s character.

“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right” (Genesis 18:25, NKJV).

When God revealed His name to Moses after the golden calf, He began with His character.

“The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6, NKJV).

When Paul answered the hardest questions in Romans 9, he went straight to the nature of God Himself.

“There is no unrighteousness with God” (Romans 9:14, NKJV).

Each of these moments lifts our eyes from our questions to God’s character. The pattern is unmistakable. The Bible does not ask us to trust a system. It calls us to trust a Person.
To know His heart.
To see His ways.
To understand His character as He has revealed it.

That is what this new Bible study will explore. Not a philosophical list of attributes, but the character of God as Scripture itself unfolds it. Each passage in its own setting. Each attribute in its proper place. Each thread tied together in the Person of Christ, the exact image of God.

To begin, here is the framework that will guide this study. I found it helpful to see the fullness of God’s character laid out together, because it reminds me that the God who redeems is the same God who creates, judges, shepherds, loves, and remains faithful from age to age.

A. God’s Essential or Incommunicable Attributes

These belong to God alone.

1. Self-Existence (Aseity)
   God depends on no one.
   Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2
2. Eternality
   No beginning and no end.
   Psalm 90:2; Revelation 1:8
3. Immutability
   His character never shifts.
   Malachi 3:6; James 1:17
4. Omnipresence
   Fully present everywhere.
   Psalm 139:7-12
5. Omniscience
   Perfect knowledge.
   Psalm 147:5; Hebrews 4:13
6. Omnipotence
   Unlimited power.
   Genesis 18:14; Matthew 19:26
7. Sovereignty
   God rules all things.
   Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:34-35

B. God’s Moral Attributes

The beauty of His holiness displayed in goodness, righteousness, truth, and mercy.

8. Holiness
   Set apart, morally perfect.
   Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16
9. Goodness
   Everything God does is good.
   Psalm 119:68
10. Justice and Righteousness
    He always does what is right.
    Genesis 18:25; Psalm 89:14
11. Truth and Faithfulness
    God keeps every promise.
    Deuteronomy 7:9; Lamentations 3:22-23
12. Mercy
    Compassion toward the undeserving.
    Psalm 103:13; Ephesians 2:4
13. Grace
    Favor freely given.
    Exodus 34:6; Titus 2:11
14. Patience or Longsuffering
    God’s steady, restrained, purposeful delay in judgment.
    Exodus 34:6; 2 Peter 3:9
15. Jealousy
    His righteous covenant loyalty to His people.
    Exodus 34:14
16. Wrath
    God’s holy opposition to evil.
    Romans 1:18; Revelation 19:15

C. God’s Relational Attributes

How He relates to His people.

17. Love
    God loves because of who He is.
    John 3:16; 1 John 4:8-10
18. Compassion
    Deep tenderness toward the hurting.
    Psalm 103:13-14; Matthew 9:36
19. Forbearance
    Withholding judgment for a time.
    Romans 2:4
20. Kindness
    Benevolence rooted in His goodness.
    Titus 3:4-5

D. Attributes Revealed Through God’s Works

God shows His character through what He does.

21. Creator
    His power, wisdom, and goodness displayed in creation.
    Genesis 1; Psalm 19
22. Redeemer
    His mercy, justice, and love displayed in salvation.
    Isaiah 43:1; Ephesians 1
23. Judge
    His righteousness and holiness displayed in judgment.
    Acts 17:31; Revelation 20
24. Savior
    His grace and compassion displayed in Christ.
    Luke 2:11; Romans 5:6-8
25. Shepherd
    His nearness and care for His people.
    Psalm 23; John 10

E. The Christ-Centered Fulfillment of God’s Character

26. The Exact Image of God
    Jesus reveals the fullness of the Father.
    Hebrews 1:3

Everything threads toward Him.
Everything finds its clarity in Him.
Everything in God’s character shines through the Son.

This is where the study will begin.

As I step into this study, I want to slow down long enough to let Scripture shape my view of God instead of letting assumptions rise up and speak for Him. These attributes are not abstract concepts. They are the way God has chosen to reveal Himself to His people, page after page, covenant after covenant, all the way to Christ who is:

“The brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3, NKJV).

Every doctrine we hold, every promise we trust, every command we obey rests on who God is. This is the starting point, the foundation beneath everything else. If we want to handle Scripture rightly, we begin by beholding the One who speaks it to us. In the next post, we’ll look at the first attributes Scripture reveals about who God is in Himself — His self-existence, His eternal nature, and the unchanging character that anchors every promise He makes.

This study will unfold week by week. You can follow each new post as it’s added to the series page here:
Follow the Thread: Series Guide to the Character and Attributes of God