No other question is more important than “Who is God?”
Get this one right — and experience who He is each day — and you’ll enjoy life to the full! We see this in Deuteronomy 7:12-13, Psalm 16:2, John 10:10, and James 1:17. We also see this today.
One of my mentors told me, “I am convinced that the answers to every problem and issue of life for both time and eternity are resolved through a correct understanding of God.” What hope!
Another mentor said, “When I don’t take time to reflect on the God I serve, He becomes too small to help me; so, I decide to handle the anxiety myself and blame God for it later.” Yikes!
I love what A. W. Tozer wrote: “The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long.” Again, what hope!
Who is God?
So, “Who is God?” Among many other biblical and theological words, 5 stand out. All 5 words are multiplied by eternity and infinity.
In other words, what do we mean when we say, “My love falls impossibly short of God’s love?” Everything about God stretches not only across the 100 billion light-years of this universe, but also stretches far beyond this universe to God’s throne in heaven.
So, what are the 5 words that answer, “Who is God?”?
1. God’s Sovereignty
Remember, each word is multiplied by eternity and infinity. That’s what it means to be the Lord God, after all!
“Sovereign” appears hundreds of times in Scripture and is embedded 6,700 plus times in the sacred divine name, YHWH. The latter typically appears as the word “LORD” capitalized in most modern Bible translations.
When we think about who God is, we begin by describing Him as all-powerful (omnipotent) and everywhere-present (omnipresent).
The biblical heroes of the faith rejoiced in both aspects of God’s sovereignty. King David said, “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). Later he prayed, “Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all” (1 Chronicles 29:11).
The initial followers of Jesus Christ prayed, “Sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them” (Acts 4:24). Later the Apostle Paul described God as “the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
So, does God’s power and presence permeate every moment and millimeter of your life?
Yes! You’re never alone. And you’re never powerless. God is with you asking, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Call out to Him now.
2. God’s Providence
Unlike “sovereign,” the word “providence” (referring to God) doesn’t appear in a single Bible verse. In some ways, that’s fitting. After all, “providence” speaks of God’s eternal, infinite, and (mostly) invisible hand at work in nations, tribes, families, and individuals.
Heroes of faith — Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, Ezra, Esther, and many others — rejoiced in God’s providence, which increased their faith and trust in Him. Job humbled himself before God and said, “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). Centuries later, the Lord assured the prophet Isaiah: “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’” (Isaiah 46:10).
After witnessing a tremendous miracle, King Nebuchadnezzar wrote to everyone in his empire: “He [the LORD] does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:35). The Apostle Paul reaffirmed that God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).
So, does God’s guidance and goodness permeate your life?
Yes! Life is abundant when you recognize and rejoice in both today!
3. God’s Holiness
“Holy” and its synonyms appear more than 1,600 times throughout the Bible. It quickly becomes clear that God is holy, people aren’t, God expects us to be holy, and we can’t be without His divine transformation.
After giving the Ten Commandments, the Lord told His ancient people: “Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who made you holy” (Leviticus 22:32). He also told them: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).
Old and New Testament heroes of faith talk about the dichotomies of holiness, which both challenged them and spurred their faith into action. In the middle of the Bible we’re told, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom” (Psalm 45:6). Toward the end of the Bible, we’re told, “God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).
So, does God’s glory and purity permeate your life?
Yes! Now is the time to confess any known sins and embrace God’s holiness anew.
4. God’s Love
Jesus and His apostles didn’t invent the idea of God’s love. Far from it!
Remember the Lord’s sacred name, YHWH? Here’s the first part of how the Lord Himself defines it: “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD, and he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin’” (Exodus 34:5-7).
Did you notice the word “love” appears twice?
Actually, “God” and “love” appear adjacent to each other many, many times throughout the Bible, especially in the New Testament. The most famous of those verses is John 3:16. Other famous verses about God’s love include Romans 5:5, Romans 5:8 and Romans 8:38-39. Still, others include 1 John 4:7-10, 1 John 4:16, and 1 John 4:19. But it’s not enough to just know about God’s love.
So, does God’s graciousness and passion permeate your life?
Yes! Open your heart and arms to receive His love right now.
5. God’s Plans
When we think about who God is, we can’t finish before we talk about Him as all-knowing (omniscient). This doesn’t mean God knows all the facts in the universe. Well, that’s true, He does, but God knows much, much more.
Remember phone books? A million facts, but none that could change your life. By themselves, facts are just facts. God not only has all knowledge, but also has all-discernment, all-insight, all-understanding, all-wisdom, and “way-above-our-heads” ways.
The Lord puts it this way: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
In other words, “God alone knows” multiplied by eternity and infinity.
None of us knows 0.000001% of everything that’s true and right and important and life-changing. So, why in the world are we ever tempted to think we know better than God? We know better than Him on how to run our lives? Not a chance!
So, does God’s mystery permeate your life?
Yes! Humbly acknowledge His higher, heavenly wisdom and ways today.
God Is More
In this article, I don’t want to imply that 5 words alone can describe who God is. Believe me, I know He is much more!
When I read Scripture, I’m reminded that the Lord God is One in Three (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) infinitely and eternally.
When I’m stressed, I remember the Lord’s presence is with me and thank Him for His infinite and eternal joy and peace.
When I’ve sinned, I recall the Lord’s holiness and love and thank Him for His marvelous, amazing mercy and grace.
Bottom line: Don’t forget to experience who God is each day— so you can enjoy life to the full!
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/ChristianChan
FAQs
Who is God according to the Bible? ›
God in Christianity is believed to be the eternal, supreme being who created and preserves all things. Christians believe in a monotheistic conception of God, which is both transcendent (wholly independent of, and removed from, the material universe) and immanent (involved in the material universe).
Who is God and what did he do? ›We read in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, that God created everything—light, earth, water, air, plants, animals, and humans. God created the entire world out of nothing—and everything that God created, God called “good.” God saved the best for the last day of creation; he created man and woman in his own image.
What are the five values of the kingdom of God? ›love God and love your neighbour. honesty / truth. humility. joy in others' achievements.
Who is God in the Bible characteristics? ›Another characteristic of God is that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8, NIV) He is also gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). God the Father committed history's most powerful act of love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to live among us, die for us, and forgive us.
Who is God simple definition? ›God : the supreme or ultimate reality: such as. : the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped (as in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism) as creator and ruler of the universe.
What are 3 characteristics of God? ›In Western (Christian) thought, God is traditionally described as a being that possesses at least three necessary properties: omniscience (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), and omnibenevolence (supremely good).
Who Is God a person? ›God is more than person; God is superperson, superpersonality, supreme consciousness, and superintellect. God is a person and has these qualities without the human limitations. God is an intellect which is not limited or finite, not faulty or corrupted.
What does all truth is God's truth mean? ›Science. “All truth is God's truth” is probably the most familiar and famous quote from St. Augustine (A.D. 354-430). Those five words express confidence in God, truth, the Bible, science and the ultimate alignment of all inquiry and discovery.
What are God's truth for us? ›God's Truth is reality based on His omniscient wisdom and knowledge, not on our own subjective standards. God teaches us His Truth through the Holy Spirit. His indwelling Spirit guides us, counsels us and leads us in the Truth. He reminds us of the Truth we have learned so we can live a life of Truth.
Who created the God? ›We ask, "If all things have a creator, then who created God?" Actually, only created things have a creator, so it's improper to lump God with his creation. God has revealed himself to us in the Bible as having always existed. Atheists counter that there is no reason to assume the universe was created.
Who Named God God? ›
Hagar: The Woman Who Named God | Genesis 16, 21 | Women of the Bible.
What are values 5? ›The 5 Values are: Honesty, Integrity, Accountability, Excellence, and Fun. The way we understand these Values and how they are applied to our business are described below.
What does the Bible mean when it says the kingdom of God is within you? ›Jesus said, "for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" in response to the Pharisees asking when the Kingdom of God will come. The saying has numerous explanations including that enlightenment is within you, in your heart, and your spark of God has always been there.
What are the keys of the kingdom of God? ›The keys of the kingdom is a Christian concept of eternal church authority. Christians believe it was established in the 1st century AD, initially through Saint Peter, then through the rest of the 12 Apostles.
What are 2 characteristics of God? ›He is both fully merciful and fully just. In light of God's other attributes of goodness, mercy, love and grace, there are some who might, in error, say that God is too kind to punish the ungodly. But to believe this means we dull the reality of his infinite, unchanging justice.
Who is God and why is he important? ›In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. God is typically conceived as being omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent, as well as having an eternal and necessary existence.
What is God's greatest characteristic? ›Elihu says that God is the one “who is perfect in knowledge” (Job 37:16), and John says that God “knows everything” (1 John 3:20). The quality of knowing everything is called omniscience, and because God knows everything, he is said to be omniscient (that is, “all-knowing”).
Who is God and how is God? ›God identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:15; Acts 7:32). He also describes himself as “I am.” By these two names, we know that God is both intimately personal and concerned with individual people he loves dearly and he is the most supreme being, even “being” itself.
What one word means God? ›monotheism, belief in the existence of one god, or in the oneness of God.
What are the four divine attributes of God? ›necessary existence (God exists, and could not fail to exist), aseity (God's existence does not depend on anything else; God is uncaused), immutability (God does not change), and. eternal or everlasting existence (God exists at all times or outside of time).
What are the three divine persons of God? ›
A Trinity doctrine is commonly expressed as the statement that the one God exists as or in three equally divine “Persons”, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Who is the first person in God? ›ADAM1 was the first man. There are two stories of his creation. The first tells that God created man in his image, male and female together (Genesis 1: 27), and Adam is not named in this version.
Is God a person or a thing? ›The most striking difference between Christian and Muslim theologies is that while, for Christians, God is a person, Muslims worship an impersonal deity. Despite the importance of this difference for a host of theological issues, it is a difference which has gone largely unnoticed by Christians and Muslims alike.
Is God a woman or? ›The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Book 239, states that God is called "Father", while his love for man may also be depicted as motherhood. However, God ultimately transcends the human concept of sex, and "is neither man nor woman: He is God."
What are the basic truths? ›We believe that: (1) the Scriptures are God's revelation of himself to mankind; (2) they are infallible (never wrong); and (3) they are the divinely authoritative guide for our faith, belief, and manner of living (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21).
What is the difference between God is truth and truth is God? ›The word Satya (Truth) is derived from Sat, which means 'being'. Nothing is or exists in reality except Truth. That is why Sat or Truth is perhaps the most important name of God. In fact it is more correct to say that Truth is God, than to say that God is Truth.
What did Jesus say was the truth? ›Jesus said “I am the Truth” which is a key emphasis in the gospel of John. Please turn to your Bible and read the first chapter of John, particularly verses 1-18. Here is a ringing affirmation of the deity of Jesus Christ. Verse one says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Who said that God is truth and truth is God? ›Answer. Answer: "truth is god" was said by Mahatma Gandhi .
Who is the truth in the Bible? ›The Bible has much to say about truth and directly relates it to God. In fact, the definition of truth in "Harper's Bible Dictionary" includes the statement that "God is truth." And this is how He is understood in Christian Science, the Science by which Jesus healed.
What Scripture says God's Word is truth? ›[17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. [18] As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. [19] And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
What are the 8 divine attributes of God? ›
Each of them ascribes to God a pair of properties from the following list of divine attributes: (a) perfect, (b) immutable, (c) transcendent, (d) nonphysical, (e) omniscient, (f) omnipresent, (g) personal, (h) free, (i) all-loving, (j) all-just, (k) all-merciful, and (1) the creator of the universe.
WHAT ARE GODS 10 attributes? ›God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is eternal, everlasting, and His words stand firm forever. God is giving and gracious, he is compassionate and merciful. He is our Father to whom we can cry Abba Daddy.
What are the 8 Word of God? ›The word of Christ, the Bible, is God speaking to us about His Son, or God speaking to us through His Son. The Christian church has been in agreement for nearly 2,000 years that the Bible is the Word of God, one that speaks primarily about his Son, Jesus Christ.
What are the 7 powers of the Holy Spirit? ›The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are an enumeration of seven spiritual gifts first found in the book of Isaiah, and much commented upon by patristic authors. They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
What are the 12 powers of God? ›Product Description. Twelve Powers in You re-introduces the idea popularized by Unity Church leader Charles Filmore that the body has twelve powers: faith, wisdom, enthusiasm, power, imagination, understanding, love, order, life, strength, release and will.
What is the character of God? ›God's character is to show mercy to his creation. As we learn to be like God, we become more merciful ourselves, forgiving others just as God forgives us. This grace opens the way for us to become whole and to live in God's kingdom today. We don't have to wait until eternity to enter God's kingdom.
What are the 4 Omni words of God? ›Gaining deeper insight into the four "Omnis"—omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, and omniaction—can revolutionize your healing practice by giving you a more complete understanding of God.
What is the divine nature of God? ›The divine nature refers to the spiritual attributes of God (His spiritual nature), the righteous character of God (His righteous nature) and the supernatural possibilities of God (His supernatural nature). Possessing the divine nature, therefore, makes us act like God.
What are the four pillars of God? ›The Four Pillars of Christian Life
“Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love” Paul understood that the disposition of our hearts determines the value of our gifts. The 4 Spiritual Pillars are about the disposition of our hearts and the surrender of our hearts to God.
One obvious meaning of the number three is the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In a general sense, number three in the Bible also signifies growth and reproduction. There were three apostles of God: Peter, John, and James, who followed Jesus Christ to the garden of Gethsemane.
What are the nine attributes of God? ›
And God's attributes are very different than human attributes. For example, the Westminster Shorter Catechism describes God by his attributes. He is “Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” And that definition only covers nine attributes.