“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.” The Psalmist, being inspired by God, certainly knew what he was talking about. Even if no other evidence was provided, man could sufficiently know that there is a God simply based on the basic design of the universe in which we live. However, thanks be to God that, in His infinite wisdom, He saw fit to provide additional proof of His existence. You see, that is because through nature man can know there is a God, but he cannot come to know God. In order to know God there must be a means through which man can know about God and understand, to some extent, who God is. The only means through which that could be accomplished was by God revealing Himself to man in some way.
In John 1:18, information is provided to let man know how he cannot come to know God. John recorded, “No man hath seen God at any time…” In other words, man cannot know God through physical senses such as sight for the countenance of God is far to glorious for mortal man to behold. However, John then went about to explain the means by which God can be known. “…The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” Wherein God could not be known through physical sensation, Christ brought with Him all that is necessary to know God. But what could that be?
Earlier in the chapter John is quoted as saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-14). Who else could this Word be than Christ? And as Christ is the Word, and He is the source through which the Father hath been declared unto the world, then would the revealed word of God not be the means through which man might come to know God?
I can know that you exist by doing nothing more than looking at you. Your physical presence is sufficient evidence to prove your existence. But without having some sort of knowledge about you revealed to me by you or another source, then I can never truly come to know you or who you are. Such is the case with God. His existence is evident from His physical creation, yet knowing of Him is not sufficient to say that one knows Him. In order to know Him then careful attention must be given to what He hath declared unto us.
Therefore, what does inspired revelation indicate as to whom God is?
· God is one (Mark 12:32).
· God is true (John 3:33).
· God is a Spirit (John 4:24).
· God is faithful (I Corinthians 1:9).
· God is the judge of all (Hebrews 12:23).
· God is light (I John 1:5).
· God is love (I John 4:8).
· God is (Exodus 3:14).
By no means is this, or can there be, a complete list of God’s qualities and characteristics, but maybe these brief descriptions help in revealing somewhat who it is that we as Christians have dedicated our lives to. In Psalm 46:10, the Lord’s plea is “Be still, and know that I am God…” How is this possible? By examining who He claims to be and what He has proven of Himself, comparing the two, and realizing His glory, might, power, and dominion. Come to know who God is today through studying His word and applying His desires to your life. Then and only then will you truly know who God is.