What and Who is God?

God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is triune, eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens except through him and by his will.

To know this is wisdom. To learn this is Theology.

In our modern world, people pride themselves on creating their own identities and definitions. Pronouns oppress us. Political affiliations frustrate us. Gender confuses us and identities intimidate us. Truly, such inconsistent ideologies are concerns that must be met by the Church. This is where Theology comes into play. In order to know who we are, we must first understand who God is. He is not a figment, nor is He a creation out of our own imagination. He transcends His creation, and He alone is outside of time, matter and space. Knowing who He is and His purposes for His creation – meaning us- places us in right understanding of all reality.

What and Who is God?

Though, in our progressively post-modern society, it is popular to believe that God is whoever you desire Him to be according to your needs, pleasures and desires, scripture paints for us a very different picture.

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.”-Isaiah 44:24

Who is this great God that we serve? Theology reveals this answer as we study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15).

God is the Lord. He is Redeemer and Creator. He is the self-existing One. We cannot call God a “she” simply because we have a mother wound to fill or a father wound to heal from. We cannot claim that we are God, simply because we resent authority. We cannot determine His ways or alter His plans, simply because we are impatient. He is not an idol to mold into our image; rather we’ve been made in His image and He desires to mold us accordingly.

Thinking correctly about God is of utmost importance because a false ideas about God is idolatry. In Psalm 50:21, God rebukes the wickedness of man in this way: “You thought I was altogether like you.”

God is not like us. He is Creator and we are creation.

The study of God (Theology) puts the mirror in its proper place. Once we see who God is, we can see who we are not. Once we see who we are not, we can see what a great and gracious God we serve, who exposes and expresses Himself to His creation, through His creation and through the scriptures. He offers us redemptive forgiveness, an eternal family and unconditional love. All because He is good.

Katrina McCain