All understanding of spiritual realities and the gospel of Jesus Christ must begin with a correct understanding of God. Who is God? What is God like? Where does God live? What does God do? Has God created anything? Why does God create anything? These are the starter questions on which we build our knowledge of God. There are no questions more important than these. The truth of God is the single foundation on which every Christian belief is built.
Spiritual living hangs off the deep conviction that there is a God, and He is knowable. Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Every belief we have, every doctrine we believe, and everything we explain to other people grows from this greatest of all theological truths – God!
The Bible begins in Genesis 1:1 with His revelation, In the beginning, God… Before there was anything material, before time began, when there was no known universe, God was already there. This is why we say He is the pre-existent One, He existed before anything else. All Scripture testifies to the existence of the only true God (John 17:3).
From the very first verse in the Bible, we see that God is NOT like mankind. He is different to us and separate from us. This God who existed before the beginning, the Bible repeatedly says is eternal, the everlasting God (Genesis 21:33). He is without beginning and without end. There simply is none other to compare with eternal God (Deuteronomy 33:27).
Being eternal means God does not depend on anything or anyone to support or enhance His existence. Jesus’ testimony was that God His Father has life in himself (John 5:26). Meaning, God is perpetual life in and of Himself, dependent upon nothing, and unable to be affected by anything external. He cannot be added to, and no part of Him can be taken away or lessened. He never weakens, nor does He get stronger, and He never tires. He is life, constantly existing in His fullest capacity without the ability to be anything less that perfectly self-sustaining without flaw or defect.
The apostle Paul summarises God in Acts 17:24-25, the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. God is self-sufficient, not needing anyone to serve Him out of necessity. The Almighty who dwells on heaven’s throne has no need for anyone or anything to provide for Him because God needs nothing to enable Him to exist in holy perfection and harmony. Mankind is beneath God, created by God, dependent upon God, and governed by God. God exists as King over all.
In 2 Kings 19:15, Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Hezekiah rightly perceived the exalted nature of God, ruling over all heavenly beings, ruling supreme over all the earth. This is the pre-existent One whom Isaiah saw sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke (Isaiah 6:1-4).
Heaven is consumed with worship of God. Seraphim are enamoured with the awe-inspiring holiness of their creator. Thunderous declarations of Yahweh’s holiness fill the air in the throne room with sounds of praise. Nothing is of greater importance in heaven than the pronouncement of God’s indisputable and inescapable holiness. Everything God is, and everything God does manifests His intrinsic holiness and expressive glory. Therefore, the whole earth is full of his glory! His majestic character shows through every part of the created world. The Designer’s infinite intellect and creative power is placed on display through the complexity and diversity of everything that exists because of His will and power being actioned.
Through these foundational revelations, God reveals Himself in clear and unique ways. God IS – He is eternal, He is unassisted, and unparalleled. God knew exactly How He wanted Moses to understand Him, and God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). God reveals Himself through Scripture in the precise ways He wants us to communicate Him to others.
We are to speak of Him with the same clarity and certainty as God speaks of Himself. We are to speak of the importance of God, of the uniqueness of God, and of mankind’s dependence upon Him. We should even be willing to extend our vocabulary, learning new words to enable us to give the greatest expression of God that we are capable of. There should be seriousness and sincerity in our speech when telling others of this Great God who IS.
In all our conversations of the Almighty, we should express a sense of awe, of wonder, and amazement. After all, who is like our God, to whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? (Isaiah 46:5). Jehovah stands apart, He stands alone in the beauty of His intrinsic holiness and glory. Is not God high in the heavens? (Job 22:12). From heaven God reigns, governing all, with nothing escaping His attention or the boundaries of His will.
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all (1 Chronicles 29:11).
In the beginning – God
Let us celebrate God!