SEEK 37 – Knowing God

SEEK 37 – Knowing God

 Question: What is God?

  Bible Reading: Isaiah 40

Text: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” (Isaiah 40:28).

This is the ultimate question – although perhaps it would be better to ask, ‘who is God?’. There is so much that could be said. In ASK we looked at the uncreated God (Question 10), the gender of God (Question 11), the Trinity (Question 12) and the mind of God (Question 13). In fact, most of the questions in ASK and in this book are answered on the basis of the character of God, who he is, what he has done, and what he says. But when we talk about God, what are we saying? What do we mean?

Sometimes when people say ‘I don’t believe in God’ I ask them to tell me about this God that they don’t believe in. Invariably they give an answer which prompts the response – “I don’t believe in that God either – now let me tell you about the one that I do”. This is not a question of my God verses theirs – it is a question of reality – of who God really is – not just what we perceive him to be. By definition a god of our own imagination is not God.

One of the best answers to the question ‘What (who) is God?” is in the Shorter Catechism (can I suggest you get The Illustrated Westminster Shorter Catechism published by Christian Focus – it is a beautiful edition of a really helpful book). Here is question four.

Q: What is God?

A: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

That’s a great summary.

We would not know God unless he revealed himself to us. He does. Firstly, we can learn of God’s eternal power and divine nature from what he has made (Romans 1:18-20). All human beings have that knowledge. We also have the awareness of God, and his laws within us (Romans 2:15). But because of our corrupt nature we have lost the knowledge of God. We suppress the truth and even become foolish enough to deny God. So we need God to reveal himself to us. He does. Through his word.

Take for example Isaiah chapter 40. As you read through it jot down how many things you learn about God. He is the God who speaks; whose word endures forever; he is sovereign; he cares for his people; he is greater than all creation because he is the author of all creation; he cannot be understood, nor can we instruct him; the nations and powers of this world are a drop in the bucket compared with him; he cannot be represented through anything we make; he brings the rulers of this world to nothing; he controls the stars; he is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth; he never grows tired or weary but he gives strength to the tired and weary.

We can use lots of big words to describe all this. God is omnipresent (he is everywhere); God is omnipotent (he is all powerful); and God is omniscient (he knows everything). I prefer the pictures and images given us in chapters like Isaiah 40.

The point is that we don’t make a ‘god’ in our own image. And we do not sit in judgement upon God. We accept what he says to us about himself, and we humbly seek to know him.

Hebrews chapter 1 tells us that in the past God revealed himself in different ways (prophets, dreams, miracles) but that in these last days the ultimate revelation of God is Jesus. He is ‘the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3). To know Jesus is to know God. Which is a wonderful thing for us personally. I find God to be incomprehensible – which is as it should be – how could a finite and limited mind like mine expect to comprehend and understand the Infinite? But I love the idea that when I look at Jesus (as he is given to us in his Word) I see exactly what God is like. The ultimate answer to your question is just simply – look at Jesus. God is like Jesus. God is Jesus.

There is one aspect of God that I think is missing from the Shorter Catechism answer. That is found in 1 John 4:16 where the statement is made, ‘God is love’. It is a profound and deep statement which means a lot more than the shallow cultural meme ‘love is love’. To know that God is love, to know that he so loved the world that he gave his only Son (John 3:16), to know that we are to walk in love – is to have the deepest knowledge of the greatest truth. I pray that you would know this personal, almighty, all knowing, all powerful, all loving God.

Consider: If God is incomprehensible, how can we possibly know him? Only if he reveals himself to us. How does he do that? Do you accept the revelation of God in Jesus Christ? Is this a real question to you, or just a matter for argument?

Further Reading:   Knowing God – J I Packer

Prayer: O Lord God, how can I know you? To know you is to have eternal life – and yet we have been shut out from the tree of life. Reveal yourself to me. Have mercy upon me. Let me know your love, your truth, your faithfulness, your mercy. Lord, I want to see Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart, forgive me and grant me eternal life, for your glory, Amen.

SEEK 36 – Non-Christian Friends

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