HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE GOD?

The sovereignty of God is often questioned because man does not understand what God is doing. Because He does not act as we think He should, we conclude He cannot act as we think He would.” –  Jerry Bridges

A weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal ran an interesting article titled “Re-Defining God” about how so many in our modern world are redefining who God is. One seminary professor said, “People seek out new gods the way they seek out new products in the marketplace.” If you are already a believing Christian, the question of who God is might seem like a no-brainer. However, a moment’s reflection will reveal how vital it is to think about this question.

If you asked ten believers to describe God in one word, the answers would probably be things like omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, loving, forgiving, trustworthy, holy, righteous, eternal, indescribable, etc. At the end of the day, does it matter what word(s) you choose? It does because how you describe someone reveals how and what you value that individual. You can describe God in a way that positions Him as the lynchpin in a religious system. Or your description can position God as someone you have a life-changing relationship with. Your answer will likely determine whether you describe a God you know or just a God you know about.

Where do you start in describing God? It’s normal to think we need a prepared explanation of what we believe about God. But while it is good to know what you believe, book-style prepared descriptions often fail to resonate with people. There are some basics in how to describe God.

First, God is Spirit who exists apart from this world and is above and beyond it. God is Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit. He is three in one. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinguishable persons within the Trinity and have different functions, yet they are perfectly united in the being of God.

God is infinite, without beginning or end or any limitation at all. He is self-existent and not dependent on anyone for anything. He is consistent and unchanging. He rules over all and is the final cause of all that happens in His universe. He is everywhere and knows everything. He is pure and perfect and therefore against evil, deceit, injustice, and wrongdoing. Jesus, the Son of God, reveals God to us perfectly.

Who God is determines everything else. So, we need to know who our God is. And thankfully, He hasn’t left us in the dark. We don’t have to work out His identity or speculate about what He’s like, for He has revealed Himself to us in the person of the Son. “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3).

Maybe you cannot find the perfect words to describe knowing God. That’s okay. Be yourself. Describe your personal experience of God. Then trust the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do in opening the other person’s mind to what you’re saying.

Discussion Questions:

1. God is…? How would you complete that sentence?