What's God Really Like?

Do you want to know what God is like, I mean really like? It’s not too hard to figure it out- the Bible clearly tells us about Him, His nature, and His characteristics. The key is getting into the Word to find out about Him. One passage that gives a good deal of information about Him is found in Galatians.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

The fruit of the Spirit comes from the Holy Spirit, and He is God. Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit describes God. He is love, joy, peace, and so on. It is who He is, and it is what He produces in us as we seek to become more like Him. When we begin to look closely at the fruit of the Spirit, the nature and characteristics of God are evident. For example, the longsuffering aspect of God is shown in numerous places in the Bible. The Word says He is longsuffering and not willing that any person should perish, meaning He is willing to patiently wait if it means that someone may be saved from eternal punishment.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. II Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

He is faithful and gentle and kind. The fruit of the Spirit paints an accurate picture of what the Lord is like. Each fruit portrays another facet of Who He is. For example, you can study the fruit of love and read I Corinthians 13 to gain greater understanding of the love of God and the God of love. It provides such insight into the personality and person of God.

Often, I come across people who make certain statements that tell me they have not really searched the Scriptures to know Him. Their image of God is based on what others have said, religious ideas, or even their own imaginations. They view Him as Someone we cannot know or understand. However, the God of the Scriptures is a personal God who wants to know us and be known by us. He is a relational God and is not trying to hide from us or keep us at arm’s length. He is the loving Creator and our good Father.

I invite you to get to know the Lord more and more through the pages of His Word. He’s waiting for you there.