As finite, time-bound creatures, no corollary exists in us or in this world by which we can comprehend the fullness of God’s characteristics. Job's reaction when he encountered the Lord included utter silence followed by self-abhorrence and repentance. When confronted with God's holiness, Isaiah experienced dread and comes to see his own sin and unworthiness. On Mount Sinai, God revealed many of His characteristics to Moses. Moses bowed his head to the ground and worshiped God. Seeing God’s characteristics brings us to wonder and awe at His holiness and makes us see ourselves in light of who He is. The only appropriate response to the revelation of the Lord God is to bend our knees and confess with our tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9–11).
Shock and awe, fear and faith, worship and praise, adoration and delight, humility and love—these are some of the appropriate and inevitable reactions that occur when a believer in Christ contemplates the characteristics of God. Studying the doctrine of God and His characteristics may sound dull or dry to some people, but for Christians, pondering the characteristics of God is pure joy! We cannot love whom we do not know. God has revealed much more about His characteristics than general revelation alone; He has given us His Word (i.e. special revelation). By searching the Scriptures we can see more of who He is, which will prompt us to greater love for Him. We can also see how the patriarchs, prophets, disciples, and apostles responded to God's revelation of Himself. God's characteristics are revealed throughout the Old and New Testaments; we have examined just a few "highlights" of such revelations in this article. The appropriate response to God’s characteristics is to bend our knees and confess with our tongues that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9–11).