Who is the God of the Bible?
All the nations of Africa
believe in the existence of a supreme being. They say it is He who sends rain. He is the Creator who lives far away from mankind and is not really interested in us.
But the Bible, which is called the Word of God, tells us clearly who the true God is and that He is really and truly interested in us all. What does the Bible say about God? It says: "We know that an idol stands for something that does not really exist; we know that there is only one God. Even if there are so-called `gods,' whether in heaven or on earth, and even though there are many of these `gods' and `lords', yet
for us there is only one God, the Father, who is the Creator of all things and for whom we live; and there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created and through whom we live" (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). Deuteronomy 4:35 and 39 says: "The Lord has shown you this, to prove that He alone is God and that there is no other ... The Lord is God in heaven and on earth. There is no other god." These verses teach us that there is only one God (Read Deuteronomy 6:4;
Isaiah 44:6 and 8; Mark 12:29; Galatians 3:20). Furthermore, the Bible teaches that God is SPIRIT. He has no flesh and bones like a human being (John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17). Those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. In spirit: That means with
all our love, fully dedicated to Him, obeying Him with all our heart and with complete adoration.
In truth: That means without false or distorted motives, honestly, with an undivided heart. The Bible also teaches that God is a TRINITY. This is very difficult to understand. But when God speaks about Himself or addresses Himself he says "us" or "we". And
now "we" will make human beings... (Genesis 1:26). "Now the man has become like one of us" (Genesis 3:22). "Who will be our messenger?" (Isaiah 6:8). When people are baptized we hear the minister saying: "I baptize you in the name (not names) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). When the pastor closes the service he pronounces the benediction by saying: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:13). Does this mean that there are three Gods: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? No! There is only one God with three personalities in the Godhead. Our small human understanding cannot explain or grasp this mystery. All we can do is to believe it because this is how God revealed Himself
to us. The second Person, the Son, became a man in a miraculous way (read Matthew 1:18-22; Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 2:1-14). He had to become a real man to be able to pay the debt of the sins of man by His own blood on the cross (Philippians 2:5-11). He rose from the dead and in His glorified body ascended to heaven (Luke 24:50-52; Acts 7:56). On the day of Pentecost the third Person, the Holy Spirit, descended to earth (Acts 1:5-8; Acts 2:1-13). He is still here and also lives in the hearts of the children of God. We don't understand how He does this, but it is wonderful to know it. If you are a real Christian, He is also in your heart (Romans 8:9). But the greatest miracle of all is that the God of the Bible, who is too wonderful to understand, loves you and me and is interested in everyone of us. "For God so loved the world (you also) that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever (you included) who believes in Him (you also) shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). Please
understand that you need no one else to speak to Him on your behalf. You can speak through Christ to Him in prayer, because on the day of His crucifixion, when the curtain hanging in the temple was torn from top to bottom, the road to His heart was opened for us (Matthew 27:51). "When you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen" (Matthew 6:6). This is a command of Jesus. God is too wonderful in His being to explain Him. But the most wonderful news is that He loves us, and that we may know Him personally.
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