The Fundamental Principles, 1872, point no. 1
“That there is one God, a personal, spiritual being, the creator of all things, omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal, infinite in wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and mercy; unchangeable, and everywhere present by his representative, the Holy Spirit.”
1 John 3:20
What are some traits we learn about God from the Bible?
Omniscience
/ɒmˈnɪsɪəns/
the state of knowing everything.
“God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”
1 John 3:20
“For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.”
Psalm 139:4
We find that God is Omniscience, the God we serve has an intelligent purpose with a definite plan which will result in a perfect existence for all.
Omnipotent
/ɒmˈnɪpət(ə)nt/
having unlimited power.
“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”
Jeremiah 32:17
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11
“Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
Genesis 18:14
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began”
Titus 1:2
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man”
James 1:13
Jesus tells us that the Father God has a shape!
“And the Father himself, which hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape.”
John 5:37
We are told that Jesus is the express image of the Father.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”
Hebrews 1:1-3
“I have often seen the lovely Jesus, that He is a person. I asked Him if His Father was a person, and had a form like Himself. Said Jesus, ‘I am the express image of My Father’s person!’”
EGW, Lt253-1903.12; 1903
“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?”
John 14:9
In vision John reported what he saw:
“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
Revelation 1:12-16
Other accounts of His Hair (Isaiah 1:18), Eyes (Psalm 139:12), in Exodus we learn that God has a body, feet, hands...
“Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.”
Exodus 24:9-11
When talking to Moses, God described Himself as a person referring to his hands, back and face...
“And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back: but my face shall not be seen.”
Exodus 33:21-23
In Numbers we learn God has a mouth...
“And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
Numbers 12:5-8
Daniel describes God as also having physical form and sitting, wearing clothes and having hair.
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.”
Daniel 7:9
“And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”
Ezekiel 1:26-28
While it may seem like God is similar to us, it is because we were made in the image of God:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”
Genesis 1:26
In Genesis we read that we were created in the image of God.
“Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”
Genesis 9:6
The Bible tells us in James that we were made in the likeness of God.
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”
James 3:9
In Corinthians we learn that we were made in the image and glory of God.
“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God”
1 Corinthians 11:7
“When Adam came from the Creator’s hand, he bore, in His physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker.”
EGW, Ed 15.1; 1903
“And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”
Exodus 33:22-23
“...God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
1 Corinthians 11:7
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”
Colossians 1:15
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Timothy 1:17
“Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”
1 Timothy 6:16
“Christ emphatically impressed on the disciples the fact that they could see the Father by faith only. God cannot be seen in external form by any human being. Christ alone can represent the Father to humanity; and this representation the disciples had been privileged to behold for over three years.”
EGW, RH October 19, 1897, par. 9; 1897
God is not invisible, God just cannot behold our iniquity without devouring it.
“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he”
Habakkuk 1:13
“And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”
Exodus 33:20
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5
“And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for He is an holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.”
Joshua 24:19
This is because there is both a natural and spiritual body…
“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
1 Corinthians 15:44
But Angels can see the Father
“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 18:10
But when we are saved from earth we will be able to see Him
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.”
Revelation 22:3-4
“God is a moral governor as well as a Father. He is the Lawgiver”
EGW, Ms5-1876.13; 1876
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
Ephesians 4:5
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord”
Deuteronomy 6:4
“For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.”
Psalm 86:10
“That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.”
1 Kings 8:60
“Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.”
Deuteronomy 4:35
“Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God... Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”
Isaiah 44:6, 8
Who is this speaking of, the Father or the Son? Does the Bible give us other verses where we read who "the First and the Last is"?
“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Revelation 1:17-18
This is clearly speaking of Jesus who lived and died and was resurrected.
“I and my Father are one.”
John 10:30