I am starting a new series for new to Christianity, new to Protestantism, or just has a series of questions they are wanting to know more about.
God is one: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) Jesus repeats that same confession as the greatest commandment’s foundation (Mark 12:29). Isaiah records the Lord’s own claim: “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5)
Class note: Christianity is not a buffet of gods. There is one true God. That is why idolatry is not a small mistake. It is a false picture of reality.
God names Himself When Moses asks for a name, God answers, “I am who I am.” Then He says, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) That name means God does not borrow existence from anyone. He is. He was. He will be.
Class note: Created things have a beginning. God does not. He is not one more item inside the universe. He is the One on whom the universe depends.
God is Creator The Bible opens with this sentence: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Isaiah later asks, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” (Isaiah 40:28)
Class note: If God made all things, then He has the right to define what those things are for. Creation is not an accident that later needed a religious explanation.
God is spirit Jesus tells the woman at the well, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) God is not a statue, a force of nature, or a larger version of a human body. He is personal, living, and not confined to one place.
Class note: That is why worship is not mainly about finding the right building. It is about coming to the real God as He actually is.
God does not change “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6) His character is not moody. His promises do not expire because culture moved on.
God is holy, just, and loving Holiness means God is set apart and morally pure. Justice means His ways are right. Love is not a side hobby of God. Scripture says it outright: “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
Hold those together. A God of love with no holiness would be soft. A God of holiness with no love would be terrifying and distant. The God of the Bible is both.
One God in three persons The Bible never says there are three gods. It does show the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as distinct persons who share the one divine name and work.
Jesus sends His disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) Notice “name,” not “names.” Paul blesses the church this way: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)
John begins his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Jesus also says, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
Class note: The word Trinity is later church language. The claim itself comes from the text: one God, three persons, not three gods and not one person wearing three masks.
Why this matters for class If God is only an idea, class becomes opinion-sharing. If God is the living Lord of Scripture, class becomes listening. We do not invent Him. We receive what He has said.
That also means our first job is not to shrink God into something comfortable. Our first job is to know Him as He names Himself: the one Lord, the I AM, the Creator, Spirit, unchanging, holy, just, and loving.
Questions for discussion
- What is the difference between believing there is a god and believing the God of Deuteronomy 6:4?
- How does Exodus 3:14 challenge the idea that God is just a helpful feeling?
- Why would John 4:24 change the way a person thinks about worship?
- How do Matthew 28:19 and John 1:1 keep us from saying either “three gods” or “Jesus is only a prophet”?
- If God is both holy and love, what happens when we drop one of those truths?