When we think of God, we think of an all-powerful being who created the universe and everything in it. Christians believe that God is both an almighty creator and a merciful father. This is based on the Bible’s account of God’s character and actions. We also see God as three distinct individuals[1].
In the Old Testament, we see God as a powerful creator who is also holy, just, and filled with the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, we see God as a loving father.
Christians believe that these two aspects of God are equally important. But many people cannot understand that God is also a person. Is God a person? God has human qualities and characteristics. This makes Him a unique and special God who is worth getting to know. Our faith and God’s Word reveal God as both an almighty Creator and our loving Father in heaven.
Contents
What Is A Person?
A person is an individual who has a mind, emotions, and a will. Each person is unique and has their own way of viewing the world. How a person thinks, feels, and acts makes them who they are. In the secular world, non-human persons include animals and social entities.
A person is a complex being with his own thoughts, feelings, and actions. What makes up a person is distinctive to each individual and cannot be defined in a straightforward sentence. A person with self-awareness expresses his or her intentions in words and actions and responds to the words and actions of others. People are able to think about what they are doing (unlike animals), which makes them unique.
Is God A Person?
God exhibits the characteristics of a human being. A person is typically defined as “a self-aware, rational being with a mind, emotions, and a will.” Is God a person? Yes, God possesses human traits. The Scriptures also describe God as a person. It also reveals three distinct persons within one God.
God Is Immanent
For in him we live, move, and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ — Acts 17:28
God’s immanence is His fellowship with and concern for humanity. Those who believe in the immanence of God believe that He is present with all creation but remains separate from it.
His sovereignty extends everywhere simultaneously. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:6 that God is over all, through all, and in all. He added in Colossians 1:17 that God is likewise before all things, holding all things together. He is also present in our lives even when we don’t realize it, and He is always working for our good (Romans 8:28). This is God’s immanence: His omnipresent existence among all things, including time and space.
God Possesses A Mind
How great are your works, Lord, and how profound are your thoughts! — Psalm 92:5
The mind of God is said to be the source of all knowledge and understanding. It is a mind that is not limited by the physical world, and as such, it can approach a non-physical and purely intellectual mind. In other words, the mind of God is beyond our comprehension.
We must be humble in our quest to understand the world around us. We should also be open to the possibility that there are things in this world that we will never be able to fully understand.
God Possesses Emotions
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now, remain in my love. — John 15:9
For many people, the concept of a loving God is hard to reconcile with the idea of God as a rational being who also experiences emotions and self-awareness. Scholars and writers say that there are seven divine emotions: love, joy, anger, sorrow, compassion, jealousy, and guilt. But God has emotions because He is a personal God who relates to us on a personal level. These feelings are essential to who God is and how He relates to us.
God Has Free Will
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes. — 1 Corinthians 1:1
God has free will. It is important to remember that God has a mind and is conscious. This means that He has the capacity to make decisions and choose. Second, God is not answerable to any authority, is not limited by any external constraints, and cannot be coerced. This means that He has the freedom to act as He pleases. With these things in mind, it is clear that God has free will.
What Differentiates Between Something That Is Personal And Impersonal?
When we talk about things that are personal, we are usually talking about things that are important to us on a very intimate level. On the other hand, when we talk about things that are impersonal, we are usually talking about things that are not as important to us on an intimate level.
Likewise, there are different ways of describing God, as He is beyond human understanding. He is said to be both personal and impersonal. This means that He has a relationship with His creation but is also beyond all relationships.
A Personal God
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. — John 15:15
The concept of a personal God who interacts with us and has a personality is an important aspect of Christian belief. God is active and involved in the lives of human beings. He hears their prayers and responds to them. He is ever-present and understands the struggles they face.
This view of a personal God suggests that life has a purpose and that even in our darkest places, God is with us. He does not exist as some distant impersonal force, but intimately knows and loves us for who we are. Is God a person? Having a personal relationship with the Lord proves that He is a person.
Divinity Of An Impersonal God
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. — Isaiah 55.8
The Abrahamic religions all teach that God is one and alone; He is separate from and transcendent above everything else that exists. He is also filled with the Holy Spirit. While we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26), we are not identical to Him in other ways.
- Omniscient—God is all-knowing.
- Omnipresent—God is everywhere.
- Omnipotent—God is all-powerful.
What Is God’s Personhood?
One God
I and the Father are one. — John 10:30
Abrahamic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic, believing in one God who is not a physical being like humans but rather a personal being. In Christianity, it is believed that there is only one God, and this is supported by the Bible. For example, Isaiah 44:6 states, “The Lord, King of Israel and Redeemer, Lord of Hosts, declares: I am the first and the last; no other God exists besides me.”
The Trinity Doctrine
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. — 2 Corinthians 13:14
God exists as three persons. The Bible mentions God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is a deity of unity and plurality. Genesis 1:1–2 reads, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the Spirit of God was moving over its surface.”
Jesus, the Son of God, speaks of both His Father and His Holy Spirit in Isaiah 48:16 and Isaiah 61:1. He then confirms that He has fulfilled those prophecies in Luke 4:14–21. When Jesus was baptized, we see all three parts being referenced, with the Holy Spirit descending upon Him while His Father spoke from heaven (Matthew 3:16–17), and this is also seen in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20). Thus, God exists as three persons.
Conclusion
The deity of God may be difficult to grasp for a human being. But, the Scriptures will reveal that God is both a personal God and an almighty God. Is God a person? Yes. When we have a personal relationship with the Lord, He walks with us in our everyday lives, and He knows what we are going through. God is also an almighty being because He created the universe and everything in it.
As His creation, we can only see a glimpse of who He is through His Word. The Bible reveals the supremacy of God as three persons. Most importantly, it also reveals the earthly personhood of God in the person of Jesus Christ, our Messiah, and Savior.