Why the Question “Who Is God?” Still Matters
Every generation is confronted with the question “Who is God?” The church has always carried the responsibility of reflecting on revealed truth, clarifying it, defending it, and making it meaningful in each historical context. While cultures, philosophies, and languages change, the Christian understanding of God remains rooted in biblical revelation.
Throughout church history, different eras have emphasized different aspects of God’s nature. The early church wrestled with the doctrine of the Trinity, the medieval period explored proofs for God’s existence, the Reformation emphasized God’s sovereignty, and the modern and contemporary eras continue to ask how God exists, speaks, and relates to human history. Yet Scripture consistently presents God not as an abstract idea, but as the living, personal Creator who reveals Himself.
This article explores who God is according to the Bible, how Christians can truly know Him, and why this knowledge matters for faith and worship today.
Who Is God According to the Bible?
The Bible presents God as the One who has revealed Himself to humanity as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is not an impersonal force, but a living, personal Spirit who speaks, acts, loves, judges, and saves.
Because God has revealed Himself, every human being has some awareness of a higher being (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:19–20). The crucial question, however, is not simply whether God exists, but which God is being known and worshipped. Christian faith insists that the true God is the God revealed in Scripture—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Existence of God: Biblical and Theological Perspectives
God’s Existence in Scripture
Interestingly, the Bible does not attempt to prove God’s existence in a philosophical sense; it assumes it. Scripture opens with the declaration, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). God’s existence is presented as foundational to reality, life, and meaning.
When Scripture speaks of denying God, it treats such denial not as intellectual ignorance but as moral resistance. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). This denial reflects a way of living without reference to God, not a genuine lack of awareness of Him.
Rational Arguments for God’s Existence
Throughout history, Christians have engaged in natural theology, offering rational arguments that point toward God’s existence:
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Ontological Argument (Anselm): God is the greatest conceivable being, existing both in thought and reality.
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Cosmological Argument (Aquinas): Everything that exists has a cause; therefore, the universe requires a first, uncaused cause—God.
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Teleological Argument (Plato, William Paley): The order and purpose in the universe imply an intelligent Designer.
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Moral Argument: Humanity’s universal sense of moral obligation points to a higher moral lawgiver.
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Mental Argument: Human reasoning and rationality are best explained by a transcendent, divine mind.
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Christological Argument: The life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ point unmistakably to God’s active presence in history.
The Limits of Rational Proofs
While such arguments can be helpful, they have limitations. They often point to a generic “higher power” rather than the personal, triune God of the Bible. Scripture teaches that true knowledge of God comes through faith and divine revelation, not reason alone (Hebrews 11:6).
The Bible also insists that humanity’s problem is not lack of evidence but sinful suppression of truth (Romans 1:18). Rational arguments may remove intellectual obstacles, but they cannot replace repentance, faith, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
The Nature of God
The nature of God refers to who God is in His being. Scripture reveals God as:
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Personal – God thinks, wills, speaks, and relates to humanity.
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Spiritual – God is spirit and not bound by material form (John 4:24).
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Holy – God is morally pure and wholly set apart from sin.
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Transcendent – God is exalted above creation, infinite in majesty.
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Immanent – God is near, present, and actively involved in human history.
These truths guard against two extremes: viewing God as so distant that He is unreachable, or so familiar that He is reduced to human categories. The biblical God is both exalted and near.
How Do We Know God?
The Bible teaches that God desires to be known. However, He is known on His own terms, through the ways He has chosen to reveal Himself. Scripture points us to at least three primary ways believers come to know the true God.
1. Knowing God Through His Names
The names of God in Scripture are not mere titles; they reveal His character, attributes, and actions. Each name highlights a different aspect of who God is in relationship with His people.
For example:
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Jehovah Shaddai (Genesis 17:1) reveals God as the Almighty who faithfully sustains those who trust Him.
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Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22:14) shows God as the One who provides.
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Jehovah Rapha (Exodus 15:26) reveals Him as the Lord who heals.
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Jehovah Shalom (Judges 6:24) declares God as the source of peace.
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Jehovah Ra’ah (Psalm 23:1) portrays God as the Shepherd who guides and protects.
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Qadosh Israel (Isaiah 1:4) emphasizes God’s holiness and moral perfection.
Through these names, God discloses that He is powerful yet personal, holy yet compassionate, transcendent yet near. Studying the names of God helps believers move beyond vague ideas of God and encounter Him as He truly is.
2. Knowing God Through Jesus Christ
The clearest and fullest revelation of God is found in Jesus Christ. The New Testament proclaims that God has made Himself known decisively through the person of His Son.
Scripture declares that Jesus is:
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“The image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15)
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The One in whom “all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9)
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God’s final and complete self-disclosure (Hebrews 1:1–3)
To study Jesus—His life, teachings, compassion, authority, death, and resurrection—is to study God Himself. Jesus does not merely speak about God; He reveals God. His ministry demonstrates God’s holiness, love, justice, mercy, and saving power.
This Christ-centred knowledge of God is essential. Without Christ, God may be conceived as distant or abstract. In Christ, God is known as Redeemer, Saviour, and reconciler.
3. Knowing God Through Scripture
God is also known through the Scriptures, which bear authoritative witness to His character, will, and redemptive work. The Bible assumes God’s existence and presents Him as the foundation of all reality (Genesis 1:1).
While some people attempt to deny God’s existence, Scripture teaches that such denial is not intellectual but moral and spiritual (Psalm 14:1; Romans 1:18). God has made Himself known, yet human beings often suppress this truth.
True knowledge of God, therefore, requires faith and divine revelation (Hebrews 11:6). Scripture does not merely inform the mind; it transforms the heart. Through the written Word, believers encounter the living God who speaks, convicts, comforts, and calls people into a relationship with Himself.
Also Read: The Authority of Scripture: Why Christians Should Pray Using the Scripture
The Attributes of God: What God Is Like
God’s attributes describe His perfections. They are commonly divided into non-communicable (unsharable) and communicable (sharable) attributes.
Non-Communicable Attributes (Unsharable)
These belong to God alone and cannot be shared with humanity:
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Omnipresence – God is present everywhere at all times.
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Omniscience – God knows all things perfectly.
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Omnipotence – God is all-powerful.
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Immutability – God does not change.
Human beings may reflect God’s wisdom or power in limited ways, but they can never possess these attributes in their divine fullness.
Communicable Attributes (Sharable)
These attributes reflect God’s moral character and are, in measure, shared with humanity:
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Holiness
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Righteousness and justice
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Love
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Mercy and grace
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Truth
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Benevolence
Scripture calls believers to reflect these qualities, for example, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). While humans never become divine, they are called to mirror God’s moral likeness.
The Work of God: Creation and Providence
God’s work is revealed in creation and providence. He created all things out of nothing (ex nihilo), calling both the physical and spiritual realms into existence (Genesis 1–2). Creation is not part of God’s being but the result of His sovereign will.
God also sustains creation through providence, preserving life and directing history toward His purposes (Psalm 104).
God as Trinity: One God in Three Persons
Christian faith confesses that God is one in essence and three in persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This doctrine safeguards both God’s unity and His relational richness.
Each person is fully divine, yet distinct in role:
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The Father initiates creation and election
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The Son accomplishes redemption
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The Spirit applies salvation and sanctification
Though the Trinity remains a mystery beyond full human comprehension, it invites worship rather than confusion.
Conclusion: Why Knowing the True God Matters
Knowing who God truly is shapes how believers worship, live, and serve. A vague awareness of a higher power is not enough. Scripture calls us to know the holy, triune, self-revealing God who has made Himself known through His names, through Jesus Christ, and through His Word.
This knowledge leads not merely to understanding, but to faith, repentance, obedience, and worship.
Who is God to you?