Study 2: The Living God
It is one thing to speak vaguely about God. It is another thing to listen while He tells us what He is like. This study asks why knowing God matters, how He makes Himself known, and how sinners may approach such a God.
The God of Scripture is not a distant idea or an undefined spiritual force. He is the living God, the one true God, perfect in all His being, and worthy of reverence, worship, trust, and obedience.
Before you begin
It is important to look up the Bible references and think carefully about what they say, so that you can see for yourself the Bible’s teaching. In this study we are not inventing our own idea of God. We are listening to what God says about Himself.
That calls for humility. We are not free to shrink God down into something comfortable or manageable. We need the truth about the living God.
This study at a glance
Knowing God matters
The Lord Jesus says eternal life is to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
God makes Himself known
We have hints in creation and conscience, but God speaks clearly in His Word and supremely in His Son.
We need a mediator
The greatness and holiness of God do not drive us to despair, but show us why we need Jesus Christ.
Why is knowing God important?
Take a moment and answer that question honestly. Why is it important to know God? Then look up John 17:3 and see what the Lord Jesus says.
According to Christ, eternal life is not merely about knowing certain facts. It is to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. So this is not a side subject. It is at the very heart of life and salvation.
How can man know God?
The Bible shows that we are not left in total darkness. There are real hints that God is there, and there is also clearer revelation from God Himself.
Hints that God is there
- Creation, Romans 1:18-20
- Our conscience, Romans 2:14-15
God has made us in His image, and remnants of that likeness remain. Most people in history have believed in someone greater.
Special revelation
- God has spoken to us in His Word
- God has come to us and spoken to us
Look up Hebrews 1:1-3 and consider what it tells us about God speaking to us.
What does the Bible say God is like?
Scripture does not leave us to imagine God according to our own preferences. It tells us plainly what He is like.
God is Spirit
John 4:24. God has no bodily parts.
God is a Person
He has a personal name, Exodus 3:14-15, and has revealed Himself personally, John 14:6-9.
God is perfect
He is free from all limitations and imperfections, Exodus 15:11 and Psalm 147:5.
God is one
Deuteronomy 6:4.
God is triune
Matthew 28:19. One God, three persons, each co-equal and of the same substance.
What are the attributes or characteristics of this God?
Write down what God is like, then look up as many of these texts as you have time for and note the attribute each one shows.
God in relationships
- Father, Malachi 2:10
- Shepherd, Psalm 23:1
God’s qualities
- Faithfulness, 1 Corinthians 1:9
- Love, 1 John 4:8-9
- Unchangeableness, James 1:17 and Malachi 3:6
- Sovereignty and independence, Daniel 4:35
- Omnipresence, Psalm 139:7-10
- Omniscience, Hebrews 4:13
- Holiness, Isaiah 6:3
- Might and justice, Psalm 99:4
- Wrath, John 3:36
- Power and wisdom, Isaiah 28:29
How can man approach or know such a God?
We need a go-between, a mediator, and Jesus Christ is that person. We do not come to God by presumption, self-improvement, or vague spirituality. We come through the one mediator between God and men.
Look up 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 12:18-29, and Hebrews 4:12-16. The greatness of God shows us how much we need Christ.
Without a mediator
God’s holiness and justice leave guilty sinners exposed.
Through Christ
We may draw near with reverence and hope, because God Himself has provided the way.
How should Christians approach this one true God?
Since God is so great, we should think carefully about how we approach Him. Look up Hebrews 12:28, Psalm 145:1-2, Psalm 100, Psalm 96:4-7, and 2 Corinthians 6:16 to 7:1. Then ask yourself, how do I personally do that?
True knowledge of God should lead to reverence, gratitude, worship, holiness, and glad obedience.
You may be wondering
If God is Spirit, what does that mean?
It means God has no bodily parts. He is not confined by creaturely limitations.
How can God be one and yet triune?
Scripture teaches one God and three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are not asked to improve on God’s revelation, but to receive it reverently.
Why does God sometimes speak in human terms?
This is God accommodating Himself to our limited understanding, so that we may truly know Him without imagining that He is just like us.
Why do I need a mediator?
Because the God we approach is holy, just, and great, and we are sinners. Jesus Christ is the mediator God has provided.
Reflection and response
Take time over these questions and answer them honestly.
- What do we mean when we say God is holy? Read Isaiah 6:1-10.
- Look at Isaiah’s experience. What effect does God’s holiness have on you?
- What encourages you most about God, and why?
A simple prayer before moving on
Keep going
Having considered the living God, the next study turns to the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
