Center for Biblical Theology and Eschatology

Who Is God

by Clarence Bouwman

This is definitely a question with which people occupy themselves. That is obvious from the many sects we find in the world today. But it is just those sects which ask: can we know who God is? Can we make positive statements about Him? 

Well, we can't. In our own strength we don't know which way to turn. Neither by logical thinking nor by following our religious feelings will we arrive at God. We will only find the answer to the question "Who is God?", if we listen to Him. Listen to His Word, as we have received it in the Bible. 

We will have to listen as God speaks. The Bible says so very clearly. Time and time again we come across the call: "Hear the Word of the Lord". if we don't listen to His Word our knowledge of Him remains deficient. 

The apostle Paul draws this picture clearly in Acts 17. He is in Athens. He has explored the city, and has discovered altars for many idols and gods. There is even an altar for "the unknown god". We could say, for "God Unknown". So even "God Unknown" was served there; this shows how far the Greek idolatry had strayed from the true God. 

For the true God does reveal Himself! Paul states in his letter to the Romans (1:20) that God's decrees have been revealed since the creation of the world, and from there God's eternal power and divine nature shine forth upon Man. In other words: God's power and majesty can be seen in His creation. As long as we don't close our eyes to it, as long as we accept creation as God's work and don't let our vision be obscured by our own ideas like the theory of evolution, for instance. 

God Himself states clearly that He is the Creator of heaven and earth. They are the work of His hands. The Bible begins with that revelation. "In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis I:1) He is also the Creator of Man. He made Man and thus has a rightful claim to him. God is therefore righteous, within His rights, to demand that we serve and love Him. 

But isn't that asking a bit much. No, for when God created Man, He granted him so many gifts and possibilities that he could serve and love God of his own free will. 

But what happened Man abused this freedom and chose to oppose God. Soon after God created him, Man fell into sin and rejected God. In doing so, he defiled everything beautiful that God had made, himself most of all; because the choice against God meant a choice for death. God had warned that death would be the penalty for sin. God made this clear: "if man fails to acknowledge that he is Mine and that I have a rightful claim upon him, I will punish him with death. Eternal death. I will break all bonds with Man." 

You would think that God, having made this clear, would surely give up on Man, once Man rejected Him. But if we think this, we underestimate God; for after Man had fallen into sin, God revealed Himself as a merciful God, as a gracious God. He said, "There is salvation for man, though he deserves death. I am sending my Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, "that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16.) 

Jesus Christ takes Man's guilt upon Himself, and bears his punishment. In this way, God, in His mercy, makes sinful people His children again. He brings them back to the life which they rejected and to which they could not possibly return in their own strength. In short, we are saved from death through Christ, because God is merciful and gracious. But if Man will not believe in Christ he has no future, other than eternal death, because God is also just. Therefore whoever rejects Christ as Saviour "will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36). 

This God, Who for a lost mankind gave His only Son as Saviour, Who shows such great love, does not leave the world which He created to its fate either. No, He cares for all His creatures. 

Nothing can exist of its own power. No man, no animal, not even a bacteria or a virus. All these creatures exist because God cares for them. They exist as long as God allows them to. All creatures have a place and a function of their own. Nothing is without significance although our knowledge is often too limited to discover the significance. But God made everything wisely and in His wisdom he has a purpose for all creatures and whatever happens to them in their lives. Everything serves the realization of the master plan that God has for His creation, and the radical renewing of heaven and earth. God's almighty power is working toward that goal. (Almighty means: God is able to do all that He wills.) He carries out His plan with Divine wisdom and so reaches His goal, because He has promised it, and He is faithful and true. We can rely on His promises, for He does what He says. 

If, for example, He promises a Saviour to fallen Man, He really will give one. We received the Lord Jesus Christ, didn't we? When He promises a new heaven and a new earth, in which the consequences of sin, and even sin itself, will be wiped out, it will come to pass. 

It must be obvious by now that whoever wants to know God must study His works. Whoever examines what He reveals about His works will become more and more impressed with God's greatness. His greatness, His majesty, His glory are immeasurable. We cannot comprehend it. Compared to this great God, we humans are puny creatures. 

This is apparent, too, when He reveals Himself as three distinctly different persons. The one, true God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We cannot comprehend this either! Any attempt to explain it is doomed to failure, but we believe it, because that is how God has revealed Himself in His word. 

Who is God? Part of the answer that the Bible gives has been put forward in this tract. We sincerely hope that in it you have heard the call to listen to what God himself says in His Word; that you will read the Bible. 

You cannot disregard the one true God Who has revealed Himself in the Bible. For He says, "I alone am God No person or power on earth can claim equality with Me. Therefore I alone want to be worshipped and acknowledged as God. Therefore I want Man to place his trust in Me, in life and death. I want Man to listen to Me and to obey Me. Only if he does that will his life be secure forever." 

Amen!

For a poetic description of who God is, you might turn to some of the Psalms. For instance, read Psalms 8, 93, and 103. 

Rev Clarence Bouwman is the Pastor of Smithville Canadian Reformed Church in Smithville, Ontario. He has also been the minister of the Yarrow Canadian Reformed Church, the Free Reformed Church of Kelmscott, Western Australia, churches in Byford, Western Australia, and Chilliwack, B.C. As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. C. Bouwman, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service.