How to Explain Who God Is to a 5-Year-Old

Adonai, Elohim, Yahweh, Alpha, and Omega are a few of God’s names that he has revealed in the Bible that we might know him. He has many qualities he has revealed about himself in his creation and he has revealed so much more about himself in his Word. And yet there is still so much about himself that has not been revealed; and what he has revealed about himself is far beyond our ability to fully comprehend. 

When seeking to understand God, it is important for us to recognize that God is ultimately incomprehensible—man cannot in his finiteness understand God entirely. The human mind is unable to behold the mind of God, incapable to comprehend all his thoughts and plans. Psalm 139:6 says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” 

Still, God wants us to know him; if we cannot know all about him, we can know something about him, which is why we study his attributes, as those attributes are revealed in Scripture.

In systematic theology books, the author will typically organize the attributes of God into two categories called incommunicable and communicable attributes. The incommunicable attributes pertain only to God such as: omniscience (he is all-knowing), omnipotence (he is all-powerful), omnipresence (he is present everywhere). God’s attribute of infinity affirms his limitlessness as this pertains to time; this is also called his eternality—which means that God has always existed, will always exist. In addition to that he is also dependent on no one for life or sustenance (aseity).

Communicable attributes are ones that are shared by mankind in some limited way. These attributes are perfectly exhibited by God but when found in humans they are similar to his but imperfectly so. The Adventure Club lesson on God’s attributes summarizes it well by saying as: “God’s communicable attributes include his spirituality, invisibility, wisdom, truth, faithfulness, goodness, love, grace, mercy, patience, holiness, righteousness, jealousy, blessedness, and glory. (God has these attributes perfectly while man may have such qualities relatively—imperfectly.) God's wisdom is his perfect knowledge of how to accomplish his will perfectly” (Adventure Club: The Truth About The Bible and the Trinity, page 72).

This is a small glimpse of who God is and some of his attributes. God is perfect in loving his children, he is perfectly wise and all knowing, he is perfectly holy and is consistently so. Learning about God should inform the believer’s thinking, worship, and passion to serve God. He is set apart from all other beings as he has no beginning or end and does all things perfectly. Because of God’s lovingkindness he created a way for his wrath to be satisfied and for sinners to be justified through the sacrificial blood of his Son. Romans 11:33 says “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” Let this knowledge give the church more reasons to praise the name of the Lord!