…The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth… (Exodus 34:6 NKJV)
The Lord has given us various subjects of Biblical foundation to write about, all centered on encouraging us to have a close relationship with Him. This message is a brief account about God, and we won’t even be scratching the surface because He is infinite, great and beyond our understanding (Job 36:26). With the current environment in the world where there is an increase in violence, economic hardships, and natural disasters, people are turning to God – some for solace and comfort, and others for blame. Surely these types of events lead us to timeless questions about God, and the spiritually discerning will turn to ‘sources’ that give understanding about God.
As we know, some people around the world (even those who claim to be atheist or agnostic) have invented gods or idols that come in various forms and shapes, including material things and personal possessions. We Christians, on the other hand, believe in a Personal God who revealed Himself through nature (both in the terrestrial and in the celestial realms) and the Holy Bible (Romans 1:19-20; Genesis 1:27; 1 Samuel 3:21). The Bible makes no attempt to prove to us the existence of God; it asserts His existence from the beginning (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3). This God is neither an impersonal ‘force’ nor an abstract ‘principle’; He is a Living Being, and people find the true meaning of His existence by coming into an active relationship with Him (John 17:3). In a vision, the Lord Jesus said to us, “The message about GOD is very, very, very IMPORTANT. GOD is our GOOD NEWS!”
Personal God
In order to understand God, as Christians our primary source should be His revealed truth—the Bible—which illuminates His character and Person more fully. This same God has also given us a spirit of faith to help us understand who He is and what He expects of us (Romans 12:3). Although Moses knew about the God of his fathers prior to fleeing from Egypt (Hebrews 11:24-26), he had his first personal encounter with God at the burning bush at the age of eighty (Exodus 3:1-4). Paul too had a personal encounter with God (Acts 9:1-6), and so did the rest of the Lord’s disciples (John 21:25). Their encounters with the Living Christ gave them a personal faith to trust and obey His teachings. Even without a dramatic encounter with God, He has provided us with faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 12:3) and revelation about Himself so that we may know who He is and obey Him (John 20:29,31).
Having received the revelation of God by faith, “…we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13 NIV), we do not try to “prove” or argue whether God exists or not. As we reflect upon our awareness of right and wrong, we may also conclude that there is a moral God to whom all rational creatures are to be answerable to (Acts 17:23; Romans 2:15-16). Indeed, God has revealed Himself more fully through history, and that revelation is recorded in the Bible (Jeremiah 1:1-3; 1 Peter 1:21). The central truth of this revelation is that there is One God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; Jeremiah 10:10), who exists in the form of Trinity (Genesis 1:1-3; Job 33:4; Psalm 33:6; John 1:1-4; John 16:13-15).
When we undertake any study on the character of God, we must bear in mind that God is a unified personality. He is not made up of many parts. He does not simply have certain qualities like goodness, truth, love, holiness and wisdom; He is the full expression of these qualities. The Bible portrays God more fully in this way: He is love, He is light, and He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6; 1 John 1:5; 4:16).
God is Eternal and Totally Independent
God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), and we are dependent on Him for breath (Job 33:4; Isaiah 42:5) and food (Genesis 1:29-30). However, God is not dependent on man or anything (Acts 17:24-28). Throughout history and more so today, many people have, under the inspiration of the devil, tried to disprove the existence of God (Psalm 14:1). They have used every form of blasphemy and argument to try and discourage those faithful believers whom God has revealed Himself to, but to no avail. Today, God is still being preached and obeyed throughout the world. Soon, we will see His Righteous Judgement upon those who mock Him and don’t take Him seriously (Romans 2:15-16; Acts 17:29-31).Many don’t believe because they think they will be able to escape giving account for their sins. This is Satan’s trap to let them enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin while being blinded and corrupted by their “knowledge”. For atheists or agnostics who simply don’t believe that God exists, their unbelief holds no hope or future reward; they want to see in order to believe, but this is not a life based on faith (John 20:26-29).
Due to our human limitations, it is impossible to give a complete definition of God and the Bible forbids the use of anything in nature or anything made by man as a physical image of God (Exodus 20:4-5; Deuteronomy 4:15-19). When Moses asked for God’s name so that he could share with the children of Israel some idea of His character, God revealed the name “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). God’s response was to tell the people that He was independent, eternal and unchangeable.
God’s existence cannot be measured in time, for He is without beginning and without end (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 48:12; John 5:26; Romans 1:23). His Wisdom is immeasurable and therefore beyond the full understanding of man (Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:28; Daniel 2:20). God is infinite and without needs; absolutely nothing in creation or in activities of humans or angels can add anything to Him or take anything from Him (Psalm 50:10-13; Acts 17:24-25; Romans 11:36). He is not under anyone’s obligation and He depends on no one. Whatever He does, He does because He chooses to, not because He is required to (Ephesians 1:11).
When the Lord gave us messages and visions about pastors and others, many people said we are “judging”, but that is not true. It is the Lord who exposed the wickedness of those brethren and He gave the messages to correct and lead them to repentance. As members of the body of Christ, we have been granted the grace to speak God’s message to the believers on His behalf, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17 NKJV).
God is Majestic and Sovereign
God is the absolute Good News to those who fear and obey Him. As Creator and Ruler of all things, He is enthroned in majesty in the Heavens above (Psalm 47:7; 93:1-2; 95:3-5; Hebrews 1:3; Isaiah 6:1-3). God is the possessor of absolute authority and nothing can exist independent of it (Psalm 2:1-6; Isaiah 2:10-12, 20-22; 40:23). He maintains the whole creation (Psalm 147:8-9; Matthew 5:45; Colossians 1:17). God has absolute knowledge and Presence. This is a cause for both our fear and joy. We say fear because no sin can escape Him, and joy because those who trust in His mercy will never be disappointed (Psalm 139:1-12; Proverbs 15:3; Isaiah 40:27-28; 57:15).
In conclusion, since God is sovereign, all people must repent, submit to Him and obey Him (Acts 17:30-31). While the Lord has given us choice and free will, refusal to obey is rebelliousness against Him, and this has eternal consequences (Matthew 25:46; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; 21:8). When we try to be independent of God, we automatically become slaves to sin (Genesis 3:1-7; John 8:34). Unless we repent of our rebellious ways and surrender fully before our Sovereign God, trusting solely in His grace and forgiveness, there is no other way to escape God’s wrath and judgment (Acts 17:30-31; Ephesians 2:8).
Finally, don’t allow anyone to hinder your faith and walk with God. If you keep seeking the Lord, praying faithfully every day, studying the Bible, obeying His commands, living holy and repenting of your sins, your salvation and victory will be sure in Christ Jesus.
Would you like to have a personal relationship with God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit? Here is a
Your fellow brethren in the service of Christ Jesus,
Glenn and Preparing for the Kingdom Ministry Team.
