Who Is God?
A correct view of God is of critical importance to individuals, groups and nations. It shapes our worship, our lifestyles, our work habits, our family life, the decisions we make for the future--it affects every area of life.
Because God created man to be a worshipping being, the Bible talks a lot about true and false worship of God. Jesus said that those who would worship God must worship Him in truth (John 4:23-24). In other words, we must worship God as He is, and the way He wants. Man has come up with a lot of wrong ways of worship. Let's look at some the Bible lists:
- Idolatry - the true worship of a false god. Look at 1 Kings 18:20-46 and describe the idolatry taking place there.
- False worship of the True God - look at the following passages and describe what God thinks about worshipping Him the wrong way: Leviticus 10:1-3; Exodus 25:10-14 with 1 Chronicles 13:1-4,7-10; 15:1-2,11-13.
- Projection - projecting onto God attributes that are like themselves. Look at what God and the psalmist have to say about this. Write in your own words what they have to say: Psalm 50:21; 115:8
Unless you have a true understanding of who God is, then you will not be aware of how your culture's gods are shaping your understanding of God, which shapes your actions. One of the gods of the U.S. is pragmatism: the ends justifies the means. This attitude has infected the church in a major way. As George Gallup notes, “...you really don't find much difference between the churched and unchurched in terms of cheating, tax evasion, and pilferage..” As Americans, we need a good dose of the truth about who God is. Let us turn to the Bible to discover what God is really like.
God is Self-Existent
This means that God is free to do whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3); He is independent in thought (Isaiah 40:13-14) and will (Daniel 4:35). God has no intrinsic “needs”, e.g. He didn't create man because He was lonely. He created all things--including us--for His own glory. On the other hand, everything else is dependent on Him (Acts 17:24-29).
Look at the following verses and write in your own words what they say about God: Exodus 3:14; Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 40:18, 22, 23, 25; John 1:3; Hebrews 3:4.
God is Infinite
The concept that God is infinite is hard for us to grasp because we are finite creatures. To help you get a better understanding of the concept, look at the following passages: In Time - look at Psalm 90:2. What does this say about God? In Space - 2 Chronicles 2:6 and Psalm 139:7-10.
God is Unchanging
Take a look at the following verses and write out what they say about God's unchanging nature: Numbers 23:19; Psalm 33:11; 102:25-27; James 1:17; Joel 2:13.
God does not change in His Being or promises. He is perfect and consistent in character. He is not becoming perfect, but is always perfect; He is unchangeable in His character. God is not like a rock, immovable and static; He is like mercury: He does not change in His nature or character, but His responses are always consistent with His unchangeable nature.
Implications - what are some implications of this truth about God for life in general and your life in particular? Now let's apply these overarching attributes of God to some of His other attributes.
God is All-Knowing
What do the following verses say about God's knowledge? Psalm 139:1-4; Romans 11:33
God does not go through a process of finding out something in a period of time, or go through a reasoning process. He already knows it all! What does this say about God's knowledge of world events as well as your own personal life?
God is All-Wise
Wisdom is the application of knowledge to the attainment of ends in a way that glorifies Him most. God is wise in His choice of ends, and of the means to attain His ends.
What do the following passages say about God's wisdom? Romans 11:33; Ephesians 1:11,12
God is Truth
Think for a minute about what it means that God is all truth. What does this say about God and His ways?
Now look up the following passages and write out what they say about God's truthfulness: John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 1:18-20.
Apply - How does the knowledge of this attribute of God affect you?
God is truth, truthfulness, and faithfulness in ethical and logical terms. He is perfectly reliable, sees things as they really are, and is faithful to Himself and His revelation. All truth is God's truth. Therefore there is no such thing as an area of the secular and the sacred. Also, we are not afraid of questions which challenge our faith. They will only serve to clarify and strengthen our understanding of and faith in God. Faith focuses on a true object. Therefore, it really does matter what is true. Thus there are things and ideas which are true and things and ideas which are false.
God is All-Powerful
If you have taken a philosophy class in college you might have heard a professor argue that if God is all powerful then He can make a rock He cannot lift. But then He would not be all powerful, and thus not God. When we say that God is all powerful, does this mean that God can do anything? No. There are many things God cannot do. He cannot lie, for example. God cannot go against His own nature. When we say that God is all powerful, we are saying that God can do all His holy will. No one and no thing can stop Him from doing what He has purposed.
According to the following passages, what has God done? What is He doing? Colossians 1:16-17; Romans 8:28
God is All-Good
Goodness is a fundamental quality and cannot be defined. It is a part of God's very being, but it is expressed in ways we can understand.
Look at the following scriptures and write out in your own words how God's goodness is expressed: Psalm 145:8; 103:13; 1 John 4:7-10; Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 5:6-8
God is Absolutely Righteous
His law is described as righteous, and as such, is an expression of His nature.
What do the following passages reveal about the righteousness of God? Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 145:17,20; Exodus 34:7; James 1:12
Apply - how does this affect the way you look at life, i.e. at the actions of yourself and others. How does this affect the way you look at those who seem to get away with do what is wrong?
God is Absolutely Holy
How did God's holiness affect Isaiah, the golden-tongued orator? (cf. Isaiah 6:1-6) How should it affect your own life?
Take time and write out a summary of how this study of God's attributes has affected you.
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