The One God of the Bible

Introduction:

The history of mankind reveals that most societies have always been religious.  Not only have most societies been religious, but also religion has played a major role in those societies.  Some cultures have embraced a religion which was polytheistic in nature.  Their religion recognized the existence of many gods.  Such was the case in our text were those who were “makers of idols.” Ancient Greece was polytheistic, believing in the many gods of mythology.  Other cultures were monotheistic in their religions. They believed that only one God existed.

The Christian believes in the one God of the Bible.  Of this one God, Isaiah wrote, “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time?  who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD?  and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me.  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45: 21-22).   The Bible clearly teaches that there is but one God, and He is the God of the Bible.

It is this one God of the Bible that you will study about in this lesson. You will study about the Doctrine of God which is called Theology.  The Bible teaches two important truths about God that are covered in this lesson.  First, the Bible teaches you that God exists.  Secondly, it teaches you how He exists.

I. The Existence of God

The first truth that you will study is about the existence of God.  As the Bible begins, it states, “In the beginning  God. . . .”  It makes no attempt to explain God; it simply declares that He exists. You will examine two approaches to proving the existence of God.

A. Arguments of God’s Existence

From books on the subject of theology, you find different arguments as to the existence of God.  Three of these arguments are listed below. 

1.  Intuitional Argument

This argument states that mankind just knows by intuition or from within that God exists. 

2.  Cosmological Argument

This argument states since the world exists, there must be a cause for its existence.  This cause would be the existence of God. 

3.  Anthropological Argument

This argument is based on the fact that man has both  moral and intellectual qualities. Since other animals do not have these qualities, then a God must exist who endowed mankind with these them.

These three arguments are most commonly presented in any study of the existence of God.

B. Authentication of God’s Existence:

The second truth you will study is the essence of God’s existence.  This truth reveals how God exists.  There are five elements that constitute the essence of God’s existence.

A. Span of His Existence

The first element which constitutes the essence of God is the span of His Existence.  Of this element, John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).  This verse is similar to Genesis 1:1 which states, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”   One could correctly restate the words of John by stating, “When time began, God was.”  God has always been and He shall always be.  God is eternal in His existence.  Of the eternal nature of God,  the Psalmist wrote, “I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.  Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.  They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:  But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Psalms 102:24-27).  The God of the Bible is eternal in His existence!

B. Spiritual Form of His Existence

The second element which constitutes the essence of God is the spiritual form of His existence. Of this element, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For the invisible things of him . . . even his eternal power and Godhead .  .  .” (Romans 1:20). According to Paul, the Godhead exists in an invisible spiritual form which can be “clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20). Concerning the form of God’s existence, Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).   Jesus clarifies the spiritual form saying, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).  While the risen Christ was in the form of a man, the God of the Bible exists in a spiritual form.  Consequently, only Christ who became flesh can be seen. He chose to become flesh that he might die for the sins of the world.

C. Steadfastness of His Existence

The third element which constitutes the essence of God is the steadfastness of His Existence.  Malachi wrote of this steadfastness,  “For  I  am  the  Lord,  I  change not . . .” (Malachi 3:6). God does not change; He is steadfast in His existence. This is often referred to by theologians as the immutability of God. Of this immutability, James wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).  James is simply saying that God is steadfast.  As the writer of Hebrews wrote about Jesus (who is God) in Hebrews 13:8, it can be said about the one God of the Bible who is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”  God is eternal in His existence.

D. Spiritual Description of His Existence

The fourth element which constitutes the essence of God is a spiritual description of His existence. This description can be classified into two parts.

1. Character of God

The first way that God can be described is according to His character. There are two major attributes which describe what God’s character is like. 

a. Love: The most commonly known description of God is that He is a God of love.  John wrote of this love, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1^st John 4:8).  Surely, this well describes God’s character. Of the magnitude of this attribute, John wrote, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God is well-know for His love!  Out of His love comes grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

b. Holy: While many recognize that the God of the Bible is a God of love, they fail to recognize that the Bible teaches that He is also a holy God. Of His holiness, Moses wrote, “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?  who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).  Of all the attributes of God mentioned in the Bible, His holiness is mentioned more than any other.  Of this, Mark Cambron, in his book entitled Bible Doctrines, stated that “Holiness is indeed the ‘attributes of attributes.’ ” Nothing will cause one to have a distorted view of God more than to view God as a God of love without consideration of the holiness of God!  A balanced view of the character of God requires that one recognize the holiness of God.  Out of God’s holiness comes righteousness, justice, judgment, and wrath against sin.  Someone has said a God of love could not send anyone to Hell.  However, the unrepentant sinner will discover that a Holy God must execute righteous judgment. Of this balanced view, John wrote, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life [the love of God]: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God [the holiness of God] abideth on him” (John 3:36). 

2.  Capabilities of God

The second way that God can be described is according to His capabilities.  There are three common attributes of God which describe His capabilities.

a. Omnipotence: The first attribute of God that describes His capabilities is His omnipotence. This attribute means that God is all–powerful.   John wrote of this, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Revelation 19:6). Of this attribute, Moses wrote, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14a). Of God’s might, the angel Gabriel proclaimed “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). God is omnipotent; He is all–powerful!

b. Omniscience: The second attribute of God that describes His capabilities is His omniscience.  This means that God is all–  knowing. John wrote of this, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (1^st John 3:20).  Concerning the omniscience of God, Paul wrote, “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world”(Acts 15:18). God is omniscience; He is all–knowing.

c. Omnipresence: The third attribute that describes the capabilities of God is His omnipresence.  This attribute means God is everywhere.  Of His omnipresence, the Psalmist wrote, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there” (Psalm 139:7-8).

E. Substance of His Existence

John wrote of the substance of God’s existence, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one”(1^st John 5:7). Of this one God, Isaiah wrote, “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me. . .”(Isaiah 45:5). The Bible teaches there is one God, but that He exists in three persons. This teaching is referred to as the Doctrine of the Trinity. The plurality of His existence is found as God is first mentioned in the Bible. Moses wrote of His plurality, “In the beginning God . . .” (Genesis 1:1). The Hebrew word from which the word “God” comes is Elohim. This is a plural noun indicating three or more. So the Bible begins by revealing  one God who exists  in three persons. This plural existence of God was authenticated as Moses wrote, “And God said, Let us make man in our image . . .” (Genesis 1:26). The use of the word “us” reveals that this God of Genesis exists in more than one person. Of the triune nature of God, Matthew wrote, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost .  .  .” (Matthew 28:19). The word “name” is singular for He is but one God.  While the singular word “name” is used, the three persons of God are listed in this verse. God exists in the persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. While the word “trinity” is not found in the Bible, the teaching that there is one God who exists in three persons is clearly found in the Scriptures.

The Bible teaches you there is but one God, and that He is the God of the Bible.  From this lesson, you have learned that God exists and how He exists.