God's Personhood

The God of the Bible is a personal God. Personhood is generally understood to include three essential characteristics: intellect, feeling, and will. A person can think, feel, and choose. 

God Can Feel

Not only can the God of the Bible think, he can feel. He possesses feeling or emotion. Of course, since he is unchanging, his feelings are unchanging. For example, he has an unchanging feeling of anger toward evil, and he has an unchanging feeling of pleasure toward good. Consider these texts that depict the feelings of God: God's Spirit is grieved at sin. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" ( Eph. 4:30 ). Indeed, God expressed his great anger at sin: "The L ord will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the L ord will blot out his name from under heaven" ( Deut. 29:20 ); God's fury is poured out on sin: "This is what the L ord Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her' " ( Zech. 8:2 ).

Further, God takes pleasure in the death of the righteous. "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign L ord . Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" ( Ezek. 18:23 ). Compare Psalm 116:15 : "Precious in the sight of the L ord is the death of his saints." God also hates evil and loves good: "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy" ( Ps. 45:7 ). God takes pleasure in our faith: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" ( Heb. 11:6 ).