What do we believe about God? Today’s culture would tell you that is a loaded question with many answers. Contrary to what today’s society would say, the Bible tells us exactly what we can believe and have confidence in concerning God.
God’s first commandment in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5 is, “You shall have no other Gods before Me.” There is only one true and living God. This God is omnipresent (everywhere all the time), Omnipotent (all-powerful), and Omniscient (all-knowing). There are two things we know about God. First, He is incomprehensible, meaning our finite minds cannot understand Him. The second is that God is knowable, meaning God is knowable, and we can grow in our knowledge of His character and attributes.
Some of the attributes of God are: intelligent, spiritual, and personal. God is all-knowing, so it stands to reason that He is brilliant. He is spiritual, meaning He is a superior being and is not restricted by a physical form. God is personal, meaning that He personally relates to each of His children.
God is the only being that was not created; He is self-sufficient. God is also, self-existent, meaning He needs nothing outside of Himself to maintain an exsistance. He depends on nothing and is fully complete in Himself. God made all things and creatures, but He has always been since before time began. God is also eternal; not only has He always been, but He will always be.
God is glorious—the radiance of His diety and shining reflection of His majesty. The Bible has many references to the glory of God (Numbers 16:42, 1 Chronicle 16:28-29; 29:11; Psalms 19:1; 24:7-8; 72:19; 96:3; Romans 11:36; Revelation 4:11).
God is unchanging. We change our minds minute by minute. But God is all-wise and all-knowing and has no reason to change His mind or actions. He is always perfect and will always behave perfectly. He is never more or less faithful – He always is faithful. He is never superior or less than before – He remains constant. His character or the way He operates never changes.
God is the creator. He created all things out of nothing by His power. God is a redeemer, rescuing all that call upon His name. God is a preserver. He protects and defends His creation. No creature, no matter how small, escapes His concern. God is the ruler. He exercises control over the entire universe.
The Trinity is a complex concept for us to wrap our minds around, and the Bible does not explain it. The Bible reveals one God in three persons. Although we worship one God, we believe He is three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person of the god-head had a distinct role, but all three have the exact nature and characteristics.
Even though there are things we cannot understand about God, there are some certainties about God that we can take comfort in. God is sovereign and holy. Many people question God’s sovereignty because of the evil in the world, stating, “If God is good, then why do bad things happen?” Or, if He is so powerful, why can’t He make His will come to pass? The answer to that question is that it’s not in our time but God’s. As you read through the Bible, you will see many times when the children of Israel thought God had forsaken them, but the truth is enough time hadn’t played out yet. God has a plan and a purpose. We have to be patient as we wait for the fullness of God’s plan to unfold.
