1. How do we know there is a God?
2. Was God born, or has He always existed?
3. Is there more than one God?
4. The Christian God is said to be a Trinity,
what is that?
1. Question: How do we know there is a God?
Answer: Although the Bible does not try to prove the
existence of God, Genesis begins by proclaiming "In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth," what it does is to provide us with the
indisputable reasons for why we know He must exist. To every person, except the
most irrational and unreasonable, the evidence is overwhelming.
A. We know there is a God because of His Creation. When we
see a fine automobile or the architecture of a beautiful building, we do not
question the fact that someone designed and built what is before us. By the same
reasoning we cannot view the complexities and harmony of the universe and our
Earth and not believe that there was a Designer and Creator who brought it into
being. Only those people who willfully choose not to believe in God attribute
all that we see as coming about by chance or accident. The Bible calls those,
who, against all evidence and reason, believe in theories such as the Big Bang
and Evolution—fools.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.
Rom 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for
God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Psa 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth
good.
B. We know there is a God because He has placed within each
one of us a "God-consciousness." While humans around the world may worship
different gods, they do so because of an inner voice that proclaims He exists.
It is a voice that speaks very clearly when we do something wrong and causes us
to feel guilt. It also gives us a foreboding that we will be held accountable
for what we do. However, there are those who have quite effectively "stifled"
their consciences and who no longer feel any guilt nor fear any judgment to
come. That is why men are so easily persuaded to embrace Evolution, because it
gives them an alternative to believing in God, which salves their conscience and
relieves them of fear; and that is why men can commit such evil acts and not be
troubled.
Rom 2:14-15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do
by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law
unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or
else excusing one another;)
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure
in them that do them.
1 Tim 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience
seared with a hot iron;
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them
that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and
conscience is defiled.
C. We know that there is a God because He has chosen to
reveal Himself to us by special revelation. Throughout history God has
manifested Himself to men and women in a variety of ways, and many of those
events are recorded in His Word—the Bible. The greatest event of all however, is
when God came to this Earth in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus very
openly confessed that He is God in the flesh and demonstrated to the world that
indeed He is.
Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the
LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before
me, and be thou perfect.
Gen 35:9-10 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came
out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob:
thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and
he called his name Israel.
Exo 3:1-2 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in
law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert,
and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD
appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked,
and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full
of grace and truth.
2 Cor 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed
unto us the word of reconciliation.
John 14:611 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye
should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen
him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus
saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known
me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then,
Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father
in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father
that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and
the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the
presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are
written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and
that believing ye might have life through his name.
2. Question: Was God born, or has He always
existed?
Answer: Although God is the Creator of all things, He alone
is self-existent. Nothing made Him, and He was not born. He has forever existed
in the realm of Eternity; and just as He had no beginning, He will have no end.
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are
in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him:
Exo 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I
come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your
fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what
shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: (I Exist
because I Exist) and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of
Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Psa 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or
ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God.
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that
inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place,
with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of
the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
3. Question: Is there more than one God?
Answer: There have been, over the course of human history,
literally hundreds of thousand of gods that have been, and still are worshipped
by mankind; and, depending on who you talk to, you will get many different views
of who, or what those god or gods are. However, if we study the Bible, we will
find that there has always, and only been one True and Living God, the Creator
of all things. Even God Himself, who possesses infinite knowledge, declares that
He knows of no other god.
Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt
this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and
beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
Deut 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and
Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not
persons, nor taketh reward:
Acts 17:22-25 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars'
hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too
superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar
with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship,
him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing
that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he
giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Isa 44:6-8 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and
his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me
there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in
order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are
coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid:
have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my
witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
4. Question: The Christian God is said to be
a Trinity—What is that?
Answer: Understanding the "Trinity of God" is one of the most
difficult of all concepts in the Bible. Further confusion is caused because many
people choose to use various terms that mean basically the same thing: The
Tri-unity of God; The Triune God; The Godhead. Although "Godhead" is the only
term that is found in the Bible (Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, Colossians 2:9) the
other expressions are frequently used by many Bible students. To begin to
understand these terms we must first fix in our minds that there is but one God,
but He is manifested in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit. However, the reasoning of our finite minds will not allow us to
totally grasp this explanation. Nevertheless, the Bible has given to us an
example that we all can relate to that can help us to process this seeming
paradox. When God made man we are told that "God created man in his own
image." As God Himself is a triune being, even so He made man with like
attributes. The Creation account tells us that "the LORD God formed man of
the dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life (spirit); and man became a living soul (soul)." Thus
man’s being is also a trinity—three in one. The Apostle Paul confirms this in
the New Testament when he says, "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and
body be preserved blameless." While many people have never considered
themselves to have three integrally combined parts to their being, nonetheless,
in practical experience, they express the reality of it—‘My body is tired.’ ‘I
felt in my spirit that something was not right.’ ‘My soul is crushed beneath my
troubles.’ As we see, each part of our being addresses a different aspect of our
nature—natural, spiritual, and psychological. While God is an infinitely greater
being than man, we see from the Bible a correlation between mankind and Him
because He made us "in his own image"—The Father is the Soul of God; the
Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God; and the Son is the Body, or the Expression of
the invisible God.
(For a more detailed explanation see
The Garden and the
Gospel, Dying and Death—Man’s Nature, and
The Garden and the
Gospel, Dying and Death—Man’s Design)
Gen 1:26-27 And God said, Let us (the Godhead)
make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul.
1 Thess 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
John 14:7-10, 16-18 If ye had known me, ye should have
known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip
saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto
him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the
Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the
words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth
in me, he doeth the works. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of
truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth
him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not
leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Deut 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart,
(spirit), and with all thy soul, (mind, emotions, and will) and with
all thy might. (bodily strength).
Psa 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts
of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
