There is only one God. Here is what we know is true of God:
God is eternal - has always existed, exists now, and will always exist.
God is holy - without fault, perfect.
God is truth - his word stands always, unchanging, reliably true.
God is present - everywhere, at all times.
God is powerful - no limit to his power.
God is all-knowing - he has full knowledge of everything, always.
God is creator - nothing exists that is not created by him.
There is only one God. And all of the above is true of him. We know this because Scripture reveals this to be true of God. He has chosen to make himself known to humankind, to reveal this about himself to us.
Scripture also reveals that Jesus possesses these exact same characteristics as God. As does the Spirit of God. For example, let's take eternal.
Scripture says of Jesus, "He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him."12
Also, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him."13
But, if there is only one God, how could Jesus also be God?
On earth, we live in a three-dimensional world. Each person has height, width and depth. Two people might look something like each other. They might have similar interests, similar occupations. But a person cannot actually be the same as another person. They are distinct individuals.
God, however, lives without the limitations of a three-dimensional universe. He is spirit. And he is infinitely more complex than we are. That is why Jesus the Son can be different from the Father. And, yet the same.
The Bible clearly speaks of: God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. But it also clearly tells us that there is only ONE God. If we were to use math, it would not be, 1+1+1=3. It would be 1x1x1=1. God is one.
When Isaiah stated, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."14 Immanuel literally means "God with us."
Jesus said that to know him was to know God. To see him was to see God. To believe in him was to believe in God.
To see more about Jesus life and how he proved these statements, please see the article "Beyond Blind Faith."
However, there is something else about God that you should know. He loves you and cares about you.
Jesus tells us, ""As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."15
Jesus invites us, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."16
All of the struggles to try to do enough for God...Jesus offers us a new freedom. We experience his love, and we have a new motivation to please God. It is not out of fear, but out of joy in knowing him.
One of Jesus' followers, Paul, experienced this and commented:
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."17
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