Intro
God’s character in the Bible
The Bible does not leave God’s character up for guesswork. It tells us directly what He is like.
Some of His attributes belong to Him alone:
eternal — no beginning, no end
uncreated — He depends on no one
all-powerful — nothing is too hard for Him
all-knowing — He knows every thought
everywhere present — nowhere is outside Him
unchanging — He is the same forever
Other attributes describe His moral character:
holy — pure, set apart, without any evil
righteous and just — He always does what is right
loving — steady, committed love toward His people
merciful and gracious — slow to anger, full of kindness
faithful — He keeps every promise
truthful — He cannot lie
These are not our ideas about God. These are His own descriptions of Himself.
The Bible teaches the character of God through what He says and what He does. He does not leave us to guess.
He is one. Before anything else, He is the only true God. Everything that follows stands on this. Isaiah 45:5 says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me.”
He is eternal. Psalm 90:2 says, “from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” He was not created. He had no beginning. He will have no end.
He is almighty. Genesis 17:1 introduces Him as God Almighty. Jeremiah 32:17 says nothing is too hard for Him. Creation itself is proof — He spoke it into being.
He is all-knowing and everywhere present. Psalm 139 says He knows when we sit and when we stand, and there is no place we can go from His presence. He is not localised. He is not watching from a distance. He is fully aware.
He is unchanging. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” His character does not shift with the times. What He hated in Genesis, He still hates. What He loved then, He still loves.
He is holy. This is His most repeated attribute. Isaiah 6 shows angels crying, “Holy, holy, holy,” before Him. Holiness means He is pure, set apart, and free from all evil. This is why sin is serious — not because God is petty, but because He is holy.
He is just. Psalm 89:14 says righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. God does not overlook evil. He will judge every wrong.
He is loving and merciful. Exodus 34:6–7 is the passage where God personally describes Himself to Moses. He is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” His love is not soft sentiment; it is strong, loyal, and sacrificial.
He is faithful and truthful. Numbers 23:19 says God is not a man, that He should lie. He keeps His word. Psalm 100:5 says His faithfulness endures to all generations.
He is a Father. He is not just a ruler; He is a Father to those who come to Him through Jesus. He is not distant, cold, or angry. He is holy and loving at the same time.
When we read the Bible, these attributes are not abstract. They are seen in action. God creates. God speaks. God rescues. God forgives. God disciplines. God keeps promises. God sends His Son. God raises Him from the dead. Every attribute shows up in real history.
So what is God like in the Bible? He is the one true God, holy and loving, just and merciful, unchanging and faithful, personal and knowable — fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
Muslims often recognise some of these attributes — oneness, sovereignty, mercy — but wonder whether the Christian picture of God matches or clashes with what they already know. They want to see God’s character in the Bible plainly.
Why Muslims Ask This
Christians believe the Bible gives a clear, consistent picture of God’s character. He is one, holy, loving, just, merciful, faithful, and unchanging — the same from Genesis to Revelation.
Christian View
Islam affirms many of God’s attributes — mercy, power, knowledge, justice, oneness. Christianity shares these and adds that God has made Himself fully known in Jesus, and that His love is displayed most clearly at the cross.
Islamic View
Oneness: Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5.
Eternity: Psalm 90:2; Revelation 1:8.
Power: Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26.
Knowledge: Psalm 139:1–4; Hebrews 4:13.
Presence: Psalm 139:7–10; Jeremiah 23:24.
Unchangeableness: Malachi 3:6; James 1:17.
Holiness: Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15–16.
Justice: Psalm 89:14; Romans 2:6.
Love: 1 John 4:8; Romans 5:8.
Mercy: Exodus 34:6–7; Ephesians 2:4–5.
Faithfulness: Numbers 23:19; 2 Timothy 2:13.
Truthfulness: John 17:17; Titus 1:2.
These are not separate gods or separate sides of God. They all belong to the one true God at the same time.
Biblical Basis
“The God of the Old Testament is harsh, but the New Testament God is gentle”
This is a common misreading. The same God is in both. He is holy and loving throughout. The Old Testament is full of mercy (the exodus, Ruth, Jonah, Psalm 103). The New Testament is full of warnings (Jesus talks about hell more than anyone else). The tone has not changed. The story has moved forward.
“How can God be loving and also punish?”
Because real love takes evil seriously. A God who never judged would also be a God who never cared. The Bible shows a God who loves His people enough to deal with sin, not ignore it — and who bore that judgment Himself in Christ.
“Isn’t it arrogant to say you know what God is like?”
If we were guessing, yes. But Christians are not guessing. They are receiving what God has said about Himself in Scripture and shown in Jesus. Confidence in what God has revealed is not arrogance — it is trust.
“The Qur’an also describes God’s attributes. What’s different?”
Christianity teaches many overlapping attributes (mercy, power, justice). But Christianity goes further: it says this God has drawn near personally in Jesus, that His love is displayed most clearly at the cross, and that He is eternally Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those differences are not small.
Common Objection
God in the Bible is not a distant mystery or an angry ruler. He is the one true God, holy and loving, just and merciful, eternal and present, faithful and true.
His character does not change. You can know it by reading Scripture and by looking at Jesus — because Jesus is the clearest picture of what God is like.
Conclusion
Why this matters
A wrong picture of God leads to a wrong life. If you think God is only angry, you will live in fear. If you think God is only kind, you will live carelessly. The Bible gives the true picture — and the true picture is good news.
God is holy, so sin is real. God is loving, so grace is real. God is just, so justice will come. God is merciful, so there is hope through Jesus. These are not four different gods. This is one God, perfectly Himself.
If you want to see what God is really like, look at Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 calls Him the exact representation of God’s being.
Why It Matters
Read Is God Personal or Distant? next, and then Why Do Christians Call God Father? to understand how the Bible describes God’s relationship with His people.
Many people think God’s attributes compete with each other — mercy vs justice, love vs holiness. In the Bible they do not compete. The cross is where they meet.
The Hebrew word for holy, qadosh, means “set apart” or “other.” God’s holiness is not only moral purity but also His uniqueness as God. Nothing created compares to Him.
FAQs
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Author
Shafraz Jeal
Shafraz Jeal is the founder of By Design Ministry, created to help people discover Jesus, understand the Bible, and grow in faith. After encountering Christ in 2016, his life was radically changed, and that journey continues to shape everything he shares.