Who - Or What - Is God?
© 2003 By D. Eric Williams
A second witness to the existence of God is the "God shaped hole" (the "sense of deity"), in every human being. Evidence of this vacuum is found in the universal human need to worship something greater than self. Even the atheist acknowledges this need in his enshrinement of (collective), human reason as the supreme judge of all things. Recent neurological research has attempted to explain this phenomena as a physical or chemical action of the brain, claiming the brain "causes religious experience." Unfortunately this viewpoint misses the fact the brain actually reacts to experience in the "extra-corporeal spiritual realm."
Now then, who - or what - is this God each person seems to intuitively recognize yet finds so hard to understand?
According to the Bible there is one God, the Creator of all the universe, a living spiritual being without a physical body, infinite in perfection, power, wisdom and righteousness, without beginning or end. He is all powerful and everywhere present. He did not merely ascend to "godhood" but is eternally God. He has no need of creation but brought it into being for his purpose and glory. He is a God of love and mercy, showing a measure of grace to all mankind. As Creator, he is the final judge of all things and his judgements must be acknowledged and obeyed.
Moreover, God is one, and "in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power and eternity." This is a mystery to the human mind. God is one not three. There are not three separate beings in the Godhead; there is One in three persons. Thus the Christian God is one entity consisting of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
This is a truth that differentiates Christianity from all other religions. No other religion holds to the idea of a single God in three persons. Even those religions which use similar terminology try to make sense of this mystery by creating three, separate beings - sometimes even with physical bodies.
Yet, what of Jesus Christ? He had a physical body and according to Christian belief He is God. It is important to understand Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God, two natures in a single person - without any mixing of the two. In other words, eternal God the Son "stooped down" to inhabit human form without abandoning his station as God and without elevating Man to godhood.
Finally, God is a jealous God; He does not allow Mankind to worship any "god" but himself. Nor does he allow us to worship him in any way we please. As the Creator, he makes the rules and we are supposed to abide by them. Next week: The Nature and Condition of Man.
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