What's God Like?
I recently had a revelation about what God is like. I can’t remember whether I read it somewhere or if it just came to me as I was reading the Bible, but either way I’d like to share it with you. First though, let’s refresh our knowledge of algebra!
x = 5
Pretty easy, right? x equals 5. 5 is the same as x.
How about this:
y = x
In this case, y equals x. x is the same as y. If we have no other
information, then we only know that they’re the same as each other. But if we
know what else one of them equals, we’ll automatically know what the other one
equals too. Assuming the statement above, x = 5, is still valid, then we now
know what y is: 5! If x = 5, and y = x, then y = 5.
Now let’s expand on that concept and see what the Bible says about God.
1 John 4:7-8 (NLT) says:
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Look at those last three words: “God is love”. This could also be written as: “God = love”.
So if God is love, then what is love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV) says:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Since God is love, we can substitute ’love’ for ‘God’ in the above passage. Doing so, we then get the following description of Him:
God is patient.
God is kind.
He does not envy.
He does not boast.
He is not proud.
God does not dishonour others.
He is not self-seeking.
He is not easily angered.
He keeps no record of wrongs.
God does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
God never fails.