FAQs Mondays: What Is God?

As we remember that the Scriptures mainly teach what is to be believed concerning God and the duty he requires of man, we are driven to ask what the Bible teaches about God.  This post will explore the nature of God. Remember, these question and the italicized portions are from an adaptation of the Baptist Catechism.

What is God?

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Jesus instructs, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24, NIV). Ethan the Ezrahite sang of the Lord, "Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you" (Ps. 89:14, NIV).  As another Psalmist reminds us, "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit" (Ps. 147:5, NIV). Paul prayed, "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Tim. 1:17, NIV).

Are there more gods than one?

There is only one living and true God.  As the LORD said through Moses, "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deut. 6:4-5, NIV).  The Psalmist proclaims, "For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all the gods.  For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens" (Ps. 96:4-5, NIV).  Jeremiah exclaims, "But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.  When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath" (Jer. 10:10, NIV).

How many persons are in the Godhead?

There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory. Jesus' command to baptize forces us to contemplate the Godhead.  He states, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19, NIV).  Paul demonstrates the deity of the Father when he says,"Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live" (1 Cor. 8:6, NIV).  John reminds us of the deity of Christ when he says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-2, 14; see also Col. 2:9, Heb. 1:3).  Luke demonstrates the deity of the Holy Spirit in Acts 5:3-4, when he records that Peter equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God (see also 1 Cor. 2:11).

Conclusion

We serve the eternal, immortal, invisible, Triune God, who is holy, righteous, all-wise, all-knowing, and all-powerful.  We have only glimpsed the smallest portion of his glorious nature, and we must remember that God is inexhaustible in his perfections.  Next Monday, we will look at questions the help us to understand the works of God.  Until then we pray with Paul, "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14, NIV).