A Tragic Mistake
At Calvary almost everyone rejected Jesus. Only a few recognized Him for who He truly was. Among them were the dying thief, who called Jesus Lord, and the Roman soldier who said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).
When the apostle John wrote, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11), he was thinking not only of the crowd around the cross or even of Israel alone, but of all generations that have lived on earth. With the exception of a few people, all humanity, like that screaming crowd at Calvary, failed to recognize Jesus as their God and Savior. This greatest and most tragic mistake shows that what people lack most is knowledge of God.
Ways of Knowing God
Many theories that try to explain God, and many arguments “for” and “against” His existence, show that human wisdom is not able to rationally comprehend the Deity. Attempting to know God by human wisdom alone is like trying to study constellations with an ordinary magnifying glass. Therefore, for many, God’s wisdom is “hidden wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:7). To them God is a mystery. His wisdom, as the apostle Paul wrote, “none of the rulers of this age understood; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8).
One of the main commandments of Scripture calls us to love “the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37; cf. Deut. 6:5). But we cannot love someone we know nothing about, nor can we fathom the depths of God through research (Job 11:7). So where is the way out? What should we do so that we can know and love our Creator?
It Is Possible to Know God
Understanding the difficult position people are in, God in His love and mercy revealed Himself to us through the Bible. It shows that Christianity is not the result of human search for God, but the result of God’s revelation of Himself and His purposes for humanity. This revelation of God about Himself was given to bridge the chasm between a rebellious world and a merciful God.
The greatest love of God was revealed through the supreme revelation—Jesus Christ, His Son
The Knowledge of God
The knowledge of God, unlike any other knowledge, requires the participation of both mind and heart—that is, the whole human personality, not just its intellect. A person must be open to the Holy Spirit and willing to do God’s will (John 7:17; cf. Matt. 11:27). Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).
That is why unbelievers cannot understand God. The apostle Paul exclaims: “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:20–21)
When studying the Bible, we come to know God in a completely different way than we acquire other knowledge. We cannot place ourselves above God and treat Him as an object of analysis and quantitative measurements. In our search for knowledge about God, we must submit to the authority of His revelation of Himself—that is, the Bible. Since the Bible interprets itself, we should submit to the principles and methods it offers. Without this biblical guidance, God cannot be known
The Existence of God
Two main sources testify to the existence of God: the book of nature and Sacred Scripture.
Testimony of creation. Anyone can learn about God through nature and human experience. David wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Ps. 19:1). John affirmed that God’s revelation, including nature, enlightens every person (John 1:9). And Paul declared: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made” (Rom. 1:20)
Is God One? Who Then Is Christ and the Holy Spirit?
God is one. In contrast to the pagans who surrounded the Israelites, this people believed in one God. The concept of monotheism is also emphasized in the New Testament (Mark 12:29–32). This monotheistic conviction does not contradict the Christian concept of the Triune God, or Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It only confirms that there are no other deities besides Him.
Although the Old Testament does not give an exact indication of the Trinity of God, there are still confirmations that the Godhead does not consist of one Person. Sometimes Bible writers convey the Creator’s direct speech using plural pronouns and endings, for example: “Let Us make man in Our image” (Gen. 1:26); “Behold, the man has become like one of Us” (Gen. 3:22); “Let Us go down” (Gen. 11:7)
The Relationship of the Persons of the Godhead
The first coming of Christ reveals to us the truth about the Triune God much more clearly. The apostle John shows that the Godhead is a unity of three co-eternal Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Between these Persons there is no disunion, yet each Person has His own Divine authority and attributes
Though consubstantial, they lived in complete self-giving and love for one another. Such a long abiding with each other testifies to the perfect, absolute love between Them. The words “God is love” (1 John 4:8) mean that each of the Persons of the Godhead finds in life for the others complete satisfaction and happiness
