God made himself know by appearing in Jesus: (Isaiah 65:1) “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name.” John was an eye witness to Jesus. Not only he heard him, but saw and touched him. (1 John 1:1-3)
We know God through scripture: Scripture is not merely a preserved copy of eyewitness testimony but is itself God-breathed living and active. (Hebrews 4:12) The words written down by prophets and apostals are the words of God. God has breathed them as one exhales during speech. We can know God truly through what He has told us about himself through scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
God is One: (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) The only true God. The bible speaks strongly that there is only one God and He alone is to be worshipped. (Isaiah 45:5-6) Gods desire is that people from all nations would know Him. We can be tempted to think that it doesn’t matter which god people worship but is to reject the true God and arrogantly think we can decide what He is like and how He would like to be worshipped. But the true God tells us who He is and how He wants to be worshipped. We cannot ignore this, we are called to love Him with all our hearts, minds and souls.
God is Three Persons: (John 1:1-2) God has always been triune; three persons. Jesus did not begin to exist when He entered the world as a human- He has always existed with the Father and the Spirit as God. (John 1:14) When thinking of God as three persons we mustn’t forget that there is only one God. This doesn’t mean that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each parts or modes of God. They are fully God and They are One. (Acts 2:32-33) There are three persons at work distinctly, but as One. The Father has raised the Son. The Son is at the right hand of the Father and has received from the Father the Holy Spirit who He has given to people.
God is Independent: He is love, Holy, Righteous and Eternal: apart from the world. (Acts 17:24-25) The world doesn’t add or give anything to Him. Rather, these verses show us that God is the giver of all things and the One through whom everything comes. (Romans 11:35-36) The world is dependent on God, but God is not contained by it or obligated to act in any way towards it. This means that where God does interact with the world, He does so freely.
God is Unchanging: His independence from the world also means He isn’t changed by it. (Psalms 102:25-27) God remains the same, He does not change. He is already complete; He doesn’t need to grow in anything. He is perfect, there is nothing that would improve God- it is therefore a good thing that He doesn’t change. Gods unchanging nature does not mean that He doesn’t work to make changes in the world, far it says He will change the earth and the heavens like a garment. But He, Himself, does not change. Meaning we can depend on his promises.
God is Eternal and Omnipresent: God isn’t bound by time or place. He relates to the world in time and place but He is not contained within it. He has no beginning or end and see’s all of time. (Psalms 90:2-4) He is from Everlasting to Everlasting. God is infinite, He is everywhere. (Jeremiah 23:24) We’re told thats God fills heaven and earth. Even Solomon says that, even heaven and the highest heaven can’t contained God. (1King 8:27)
God’s Knowledge and Wisdom: (Psalms 139:1-4) God is all knowing. Not only God knows our activities, but also our thoughts. He not only knows what we are doings, but also what we will do in the future. (Isaiah 40:14) God has knowledge without being taught. God doesn’t learn anything, because His knowledge is complete. (Romans 11:33) His knowledge paired with wisdom. In wisdom He discriminates between good and evil and brings just rewards and punishments on the righteous and wicked. God not only knows all things but also acts upon that knowledge.
God’s Sovereignty: God has complete power (Psalms 115:3) He does whatever pleases Him. (Ephesians 1:11) Everything Conforms to His will. What God wants to happen will happen and nothing can thwart his plans. Not only does God know what is best to happen, He is able to make it happen. We can trust God knowing He’s a good God who loves us and knowing He is in complete control of all things.
God is Holy: God is completely different to and separate from everything. (Isaiah 6:1-5) In this vision God is describe as Highly Exalted, Holy, with the earth full of His Glory. Isaiah reaction to this Holy God is “woe, is me, I am ruined.” Isaiah understands that God is far above him. Even to see the almighty king means He is ruined. As this vision continues, Isaiah’s guilt is taken away and he is not ruined. However, we see the appropriate response to God’s holiness in Isaiah, reverence and awe. Only through Jesus can we too come before this Holy God as his children.
God’s Justice and Righteousness: God is completely just. He will not overlook evil or let wickedness go unpunished. This is a good thing. We can know that whatever happens on this earth, justice will be done. The person who does great evil but lives an easy life and dies peacefully will not escape punishment. However, God’s justice is also devastating for humanity, for all have sinned and the just punishment for sin is death. (Romans 3:25-26) Through Christ sacrifice, God is both just and justifier of those who have faith in Jesus Christ. The cross is the answer to the problem. Jesus took the just punishment for sin; God is able to both remain just forgive those who have faith in Him.
God’s Jealousy, Wrath: God only has the rightful ownership of all thing. It is therefore right that He is a jealous God. Not willing to share glory or praise with any other. (Deuteronomy 6:13-15) God should be feared and be exclusively followed. He is not to be taken lightly or disregarded. His people are warned that God is a jealous God and His anger would burn against them if they followed other gods.
God’s Love: God loves. This should not be minimized. God has no necessity or compulsion to love us. Since He is completely independent He doesn’t need to love humans to complete and improve who He is, but God loves freely. (Romans 5:8) God shows us love through the death of Jesus Christ for us. And did this not when we loved him- but when we were sinners, when we were his enemies (Matthew 5:44-45). And God showed his love not only through Jesus's death and our forgiveness but also calling us his children. (1 John 3:1).
