Attributes are words that tell us what someone or something is like. When we read the Bible, we can learn the attributes of God. It’s there where God tells us who He is and what He is like. Every story, person, place, and event in the Bible is true and helps us learn who God is and grow in our relationship with Him. God has both incommunicable attributes (attributes that belong to Him alone) and communicable attributes (attributes of God that we can reflect, although imperfectly, to others.)
“The incommunicable attributes are things we submit to and the communicable attributes are things we aspire to.”
Jen Wilkin, Knowing Faith Podcast
Learning about the attributes of God has changed my life. When I was younger, I recall some of my Sunday School classes focusing on things like “David was brave, you can be brave too.” So when I opened the Bible, I was reading it thinking it was a book about me. Thankfully over the years, I have grown to understand when I approach the Bible, I need to remember the Bible is a book about God, not me. When considering what attributes of God’s character are revealed in a passage, the Daily Grace Company has an excellent tip: “Consider places where the text directly states the character of God, as well as how His character is revealed through His words and actions.”
You may have heard God is good, sovereign, merciful, etc. Yet, you may be wondering how these truths can apply to your daily life. “Knowing that God is good does not mean our questions will disappear. It does not mean we will be perfectly content with our circumstances. It does not mean the pain and sadness of hardship will not feel very real. But it means we have hope to hold fast to beyond what we face right now. It means we can cling to the promise of better things to come in God’s kingdom. It means we can rest in the assurance that one day all the bad things of this world will disappear, and we will see in full the glory of God’s goodness when Christ returns. It means that God, in His goodness, will draw near to comfort us and sustain us until that day. May our hearts be permeated with the truth we so desperately need as we walk through life in this world: God is good… all the time.” Aubrey Coleman, God is Good.
TLBP hopes you will grow in knowledge of who God is and will saturate these truths in your heart by continually reminding yourself of them. Sadly, we are all prone to forget and therefore need to be reminded again, and again, and again of the truths of who God is so that we can truly believe them with our hearts. We hope the resources below help you grow as you learn more about God’s attributes through the study of His Word, conforming you more and more into His perfect image.
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Who is God? What is He like? How does He relate to His people?”
A.W. Tozer
Loved Bible Resources on Attributes:
Resources on Attributes for Children:
- Our Loved Bible Resources for Children include printable Attributes of God Cards at the bottom
- Our Great God Attributes Song from The Village Church
- Citizens Church created coloring sheets featuring the attributes of God (scroll down the page)
- Character of God study from The Daily Grace Company
- The Village Church Attributes of God lessons
- ABC of God’s Attributes by Tiny Theologians
Helpful Articles/Podcasts/Resources:
- 10 Things You Should Know about God’s Incommunicable Attributes by Jen Wilkin
- The Attributes of God (Visual Theology) Tim Challies
- 10 Things You Should Know About God’s Attributes by Mark Jones
- What is God Like? Journeywoman Podcast with Jen Wilkin
- TGC Course “The Attributes of God“
- TGC Workshop “Reflecting God’s Character” with Jen Wilkin
- In His Image on Knowing Faith Podcast
- What is God Like? Communicable Attributes on Knowing Faith Podcast
- Infinite and Incomprehensible on Knowing Faith Podcast
- Self-Existent and Self-Sufficient on Knowing Faith Podcast
- What is God Like? Incommunicable Attributes on Knowing Faith Podcast
- God is Eternal and Immutable on Knowing Faith Podcast
Books
- The Attributes of God Study (Women) & The Attributes of God Study (Men) by The Daily Grace Co.
- None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different from Us (and Why That’s a Good Thing) by Jen Wilkin
- In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin
What resource or specific attribute of God are you interested in checking out next?
