Who is God?

Image Credit: God Creates the Heavens and Earth (Genesis 1:1–2:2) by Carolyn Dyk – Wycliffe Bible Translators. Image courtesy of FreeBibleimages.org.

    Every question in theology begins with the nature of God. It does not begin with what we feel or assume, but with what God has revealed. The goal is not to describe Him based on our preferences or past experiences, but to carefully learn from the way He has chosen to disclose Himself through His Word.

    We cannot understand God completely. He is infinite, and we are not (Isa 55:8–9). Yet we are not left in darkness. As Moses wrote, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” (Deut 29:29). God, in His mercy, has spoken. And in speaking, He has made Himself known.

    Scripture teaches that God is Spirit (Jn 4:24), eternal (Ps 90:2), unchanging (Mal 3:6), all-powerful (Jer 32:17), and all-knowing (Ps 147:5). He is holy (Isa 6:3), just (Ps 89:14), merciful (Exod 34:6–7), patient (Rom 2:4), and good (Ps 100:5). These are not mere attributes that describe parts of Him. They reflect who He is in fullness. God is not a collection of characteristics. He is one in essence and perfect in every way. We cannot separate His holiness from His mercy, or His justice from His love. Each quality exists in harmony and is never at odds with the rest.

    One of the most important truths that Scripture teaches is that God exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is not three gods. This is one God who eternally exists as three distinct and co-equal Persons (Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14). We refer to this as the doctrine of the Trinity. Though the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, the teaching is clearly revealed throughout. At the baptism of Jesus, the Son is baptized, the Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and the Father speaks from heaven (Matt 3:16–17). The doctrine may be difficult to grasp in full, but we are called to confess it because it is how God has revealed Himself.

    Some may wonder why it is necessary to study these matters. Is it not enough to simply say that God is love? But Scripture never invites us to choose one attribute at the expense of others. While it is true that “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8), it is also true that He is righteous (Ps 145:17), jealous for His glory (Exod 34:14), and a “consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). He is full of compassion, and yet He will “by no means clear the guilty” (Exod 34:7). When we only emphasize what makes us feel comfortable, we may be tempted to reshape God according to our own desires. True worship flows from truth, and truth comes from taking God as He is.

    The more we learn who God is, the more we become aware of our smallness and sin. That awareness is not something to avoid. It reminds us that theology is not a study of ourselves, but of the One who made us, upholds us, and, through Christ, has made a way to dwell with us. Knowing who God is may humble us deeply, but it also grounds our faith and lifts our eyes beyond ourselves.

    May we learn to speak of Him as He has spoken of Himself. And in doing so, may we worship rightly.