How could we describe the incomprehensible, eternal God in a small article? I can only scratch the surface slightly. Who is God and how can we find him? Can we find God in the Creation, in the Bible, and what about Jesus Christ?
God Reveals Himself
If God would not reveal Himself, we would know nothing of Him, for no one has ever seen God. This is written in John 1:18. Bbut the living God is a loving God who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). That is why God shows Himself, He reveals Himself.
Three Sources of Revelation
Gos is love, so He decided to show Himself in three ways so that we can experience Him:
- In Creation
Creation teaches us that there must be a creator who is an ingenious inventor. Paul writes: “Since the creation of the world, his works have been a visible reference to him, the invisible God, to his eternal power and divine nature. So men have no excuse.” (Romans 1, 20) But creation is not showing you the character of God. - In the Bible
The Bible shows us the character of this Creator God. Without the Bible we would not know anything of God’s character. - Through Jesus Christ
So that there would be no doubt about God’s character, God sent his Son. Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn, standing over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15). Do you want to know God? Then study Jesus Christ and read the New Testament.
God is Good
God has created everything “good”. The Hebrew word for “good” means “towb” which also means: beautiful, bountiful, friendly, morally righteous. In the deepest sense only God is really good. Jesus once said: “Good is only one” (Matth. 19, 17). Jesus first meant God the Father. But when we look at the life of Jesus, we see that Jesus himself was also “good” in the deepest sense. In Jesus Christ we meet this good God himself. John describes it in this way:
“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”
John 1, 18 (ESV)
Who is the one at the Father’s side? It is Jesus Christ.
God is Just
If God was only “good”, we would soon no longer take him seriously. This is the image of God of many people who think they can do everything without ever having to answer for it before the eternal God. But God is also just. Because God is just, he must punish sin. This is why we read a lot in the Bible about the wrath of God and His judgment. James writes in an ingeniously short way: “Behold, the Judge is at the door!” (James 5:9) Can a loving God judge people for their actions? Yes, he can. Because he is not only good, but also just. When someone does you terribly wrong, you even wish for God to punish.
God is Love
But God is love. That is why he has prepared a way in which all people can receive the free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Because God is love, he sent his Son to take upon himself the punishment on the cross that you and I deserve. God foretold this already 500 years before the death of Jesus on the cross through the prophet Isaiah:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
Jesaja 53, 5 (ESV)
When these prophetic words became reality, Jesus could say: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Even today, Jesus reaches out his hand to all people and says:
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
John 6, 35 (ESV)
Do you want to know more? Here are some websites:
- God as creator: Creation.com
- Knowing God personally: Everystudent.com (from CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ)
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- Sky (Bild von free-photos auf Pixabay, CCO): Bild von free-photos auf Pixabay, CCO
