Did you know that the word “God” appears over 4,000 times in the Bible? Clearly, there is a lot to learn about Him! But don’t get overwhelmed by the details and debates because understanding a biblically accurate God doesn’t need to be difficult.
The great truth is that as much as we want to learn about God, He also wants to be known… and He wants to know us! Our amazing, all-powerful God is always moving toward us in love. In fact, the whole Bible is like a love story of God creating, sustaining, wooing, guiding, protecting, equipping, and calling out to His beloved children again and again.
God longs to be in a relationship with us, and He is committed to treating His children with compassion and love. So, if you really want to understand a biblically accurate God, let’s explore what the Bible says about our God of relationships, compassion, and love.
The God of Relationships
The God of the Bible is actually one God in three persons. Now I know this can be hard to grasp, but it’s pretty amazing when you think about it. God the Father created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). God the Son came to earth to bring eternal life to anyone who believes in Him (John 3:16). And God the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters during creation and moves through believers’ hearts even today (Genesis 1:2, Ezekiel 36:26).
This understanding of God as three-in-one is called the Trinity. It is part of the beautiful mystery of God. It also teaches us something important about His character. Think about it like this: God the Father is in a relationship with God the son and God the Holy Spirit. That’s how important relationships are God– they are literally part of Him! And our relational God wants to form a relationship with every person that He creates.
The Bible is full of stories of God forming friendships with people. You may know some of the classic Bible stories about Abraham, Moses, and David. We like to focus on the flashy parts of the stories like Moses crossing the red sea or David fighting with Goliath. However, have you ever thought about how each of their stories begins? Were they searching through Scripture trying to understand God or begging for God to reveal Himself? No, God was the one who initiated the relationship.
God appeared to Abraham. God got Moses’ attention with a burning bush. God sent a prophet to anoint David. God was reaching out, longing for a relationship with His children. And He is doing the same thing today. He wants to be in a relationship with you. It’s what you were made for!
The God of Compassion
God doesn’t expect you to be perfect. He understands that you are a flawed human being and that sin is part of this world. Instead of condemnation, he offers you compassion.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is able to “empathize with our weaknesses” because He was “tempted in every way, just as we are– yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:14-16). There is even a story in Matthew 4 about Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. So, when you feel tempted to sin or remorseful about something you did, turn toward Jesus. He will treat you with compassion.
God’s compassion also extends to us when we’re grieving. The Bible calls God the “Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). So, when I have a friend going through a hard time, I don’t offer them advice about God’s will, timing, or mysterious ways. Instead, I pray that the God of compassion would comfort them in their troubles.
Jesus understands our grief because He experienced it firsthand. When Jesus stood by Lazarus’ tomb, he knew that Lazarus would walk out of the grave. But Jesus loved his friend and seeing his sisters’ grief broke Jesus’ heart. So, yes, Jesus wept (John 11:32-35). And He’ll be with you when you weep.
The God Who Loves Us
If you want to define a biblically accurate God in one word, it would be love. God is love. And God loves you. We teach our children songs about God’s love, but sometimes we forget about it as adults.
The Bible says, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” (1 John 4:16). Love is God’s defining characteristic and the most important thing to know about Him. It permeates everything He does and is the reason behind His every action.
God created us out of love. When we turned away from His love, God the Father sent His son, Jesus, to call us back into a loving relationship with Him. Because God is a loving Father, and Jesus sacrificed on our behalf, we can now “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Sometimes we have trouble accepting how much God loves us. We let shame or guilt get in the way. But it doesn’t have to be like that. God offers us forgiveness and salvation, and His love is always available to us.
Now that you’ve learned about our relational, compassionate, loving God, you may feel drawn to learn more about Him. That tug you feel in your soul is Him calling you into a deeper relationship with Him. The Bible is a great place to start growing in faith, and there are many wonderful resources out there about God’s word. If you’ve never read the Gospel of John– that is a great place to start. As you read, look for examples of God’s relationships, compassion, and love. And remember that you can also reach out to God anytime, anywhere. He is always with you and always ready to hear from you.