Foundations of Faith - 2 of 5

Who is God?

All of Scripture is an intricate mosaic that reveals a God who is deeply involved in creation and who cares intimately for humanity. And if we believe the Bible to be true, then we have to believe that the God it describes is true in His intentions and unified in His character.

So what does God’s Word tell us about who God is and what He cares about? While the following list is nowhere near exhaustive, let’s take a closer look at four foundational truths about God:

God is Creator and He actively creates.

The word God uses to describe Himself—“Yhwh”— essentially means, “I am who I am” or “I absolutely am.” In other words, He is timeless. He is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. Nothing can exist apart from Him, because all life was created by Him and only exists through Him.

God is righteous and just.

In Jeremiah, God describes Himself as the One who practices “justice and righteousness.” In Scripture, those words often go together. The word “justice” describes a legal decision made by God that results in right actions that honor God’s decrees. God is able to perfectly practice justice and righteousness because He is just and righteous. His decrees and actions are based on His own truthful character.

God is relational.

God created us so that we could experience the joy and love that He is and then spread that joy and love to others. He does not need us to complete Him, but He wants us to enjoy His presence and partner with Him in caring for His creation.

God is love.

God creates humans with love. He establishes and keeps His covenant with Israel throughout Scripture because of His faithful love. And He sends His only Son to rescue humanity because of His everlasting love. God is able to do all these things because He is love. And so when we delight in God, we get to experience love that’s beyond our ability to generate.

How do we delight in God?

In John 14, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” To delight in God, we must first come to know Him. And to know Him, we must know Jesus who created the way through His death and resurrection for us to spend eternity with Him.

Because Jesus became “God with us,” we can have a personal understanding of who God is. We can boldly draw close to Him and experience His love for ourselves. And in drawing close to Him, He makes us righteous and shows us what His justice truly looks like.

Action Step:

Ask God to reveal who He is to you as you study today’s Scripture passages. Create highlights and notes on any words about God’s character and nature that stand out to you, and then reflect on that list throughout the day.