One of the most critical questions a believer should ask is: Why should we choose to believe in a God whom we do not see?
Who is God? Where is God? And why is He so interested in whether I believe in Him?
These are some of the biggest questions we ask ourselves when we get saved.
In this module, you will get to know who the person of God is.
The Trinity of God (Triune God)
God exists in three persons:
- God the Father
- God the Son
- God the Holy Spirit
They are one and the same, as we will learn. You cannot separate one from the other.
1. God the Father
God the Father is our Father who is in heaven.
The best expression of this divinity is love. If you want to know God, consider these scriptures:
- 1 John 4:12: “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Although He is the Father of creation, He best expresses Himself through love. That is the very reason why the only commandment given by Christ Jesus was:
- Matthew 22:37: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
- Matthew 22:39: “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
If you have not learned to love God, and then love your brothers and sisters, you have not truly known God the Father.
Yes, we acknowledge the divine power, majesty, sovereignty, and mightiness of our God, but this simple yet elusive aspect of love must be emphasized in the life of a New Testament believer.
2. God the Son
God the Son is the person of Jesus Christ. He is the only Son of God.
Let us first consider the aspect of love because He is the perfect embodiment of the commandment above.
Jesus Christ is love, and this was demonstrated when He gave up His life for the sins of the world. Consider this scripture:
- John 15:12-13: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Now, let us look at the other attributes of the person of Christ, namely; the Word, the Preeminence, and the Christ in you.
Jesus Christ the Word
Jesus Christ is the Word that was present at the beginning of creation.
He then took on the form of flesh and became visible as a human being.
Scriptural references:
- John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
- John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus Christ the Preeminent One
Jesus Christ is the true likeness of the invisible God. Remember, no one has seen God, but Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
Through Him, everything was created, both in heaven and on earth.
Scriptural reference:
- Colossians 1:15-16: “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.”
The Mystery of Christ in You
Now that you are born again, you are in Christ, and Christ is in you. If everything in creation was made for Him and through Him, then, upon your salvation, you were also regenerated in Christ.
Scriptural references:
- Colossians 1:27: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
- Colossians 2:6: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”
- Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
This is a mystery that eludes many believers today. You need to know that the life you now live is not your own but is of Christ Jesus.
This means you live by His faith. Specifically:
- If Christ is not sick, then you are supposed to live in divine health.
- If Christ is wealthy, then by His faith you are also wealthy.
- If Christ is loving, then you are also loving.
- If Christ is full of grace and truth, then you also are full of grace and truth.
- If all power and dominion belong to Christ, then all power and dominion belong to you as well.
- If Christ healed the sick and raised the dead, then you can also do the same.
- If Christ was persecuted, then you will also be persecuted for the sake of the gospel.
3. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the third person of the Triune God.
Scriptural references:
- John 4:24: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Since you are in Christ and Christ is in you, the Spirit of Christ also lives in you.
Scriptural reference:
- 1 Corinthians 6:17: “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”
Upon His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ promised that He would ask the Father to send believers the Holy Spirit.
Scriptural reference:
- John 14:16-17: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
As believers, the Holy Spirit is indwelling in us. This is why our bodies are the temples of God, illustrating that God resides in us.
Scriptural reference:
- 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
The God in Us
As a New Testament believer, you need to understand that God is not far from you.
Sometimes, when the issues of life weigh us down, we feel that God is far away. Even amidst the chaos and ongoing evil in the world, we often ask ourselves: Where is God?
The answer is simple: God is in us, dwelling as the person of the Holy Spirit.
The only thing we need to do is ask Him to help us hear His voice and know His heart.
Scriptural reference:
- Acts 17:27-28: “That they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.”
How to Know God
Since you have received eternal life, it is paramount to know God, for eternal life means knowing God.
Scriptural reference:
- John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Your walk in salvation hinges on your capacity to hear God. We have already established that God is with us and in us.
After knowing this, God wants you to seek Him and know Him. He is more than willing to reveal Himself and manifest His glory, power, and might through you.
Scriptural references:
- Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
- Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me, and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
All that God requires of you is to surrender to Him, yielding to the person of the Holy Spirit as He guides you to build intimacy with God.
God the Father wants to dwell with you if you are willing to break and surrender before Him in prayer.
Scriptural reference:
- Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
The Word and the Spirit
As a born-again believer, there are two critical instruments to knowing God:
- The Word of God – Jesus is the Word. To know Him, you must read the Bible.
- The Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit is your helper in prayer. To pray correctly, you must learn to yield to Him.
Remember, God is with you and in you. All you need to do is ask Him how to pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you to pray and help you understand the Word of God.
Further Activity
Consider engaging in the following activities to improve your knowledge of God:
- Join a community of believers – the church.
- Set aside specific times during the day or night to speak to God in solitude.
- Start or enroll in a Bible study group.
- Fellowship regularly with a group of believers.
- Read your Bible consistently and strive for mastery.
- Ask the Holy Spirit, as a person, to help you read, understand the Word, and pray.
- Sit under a teacher of the Word to help you understand concepts and doctrine.
- Be involved in service to the kingdom.
Digest Questions
- Is Jesus God? Is God and Jesus Christ the same person? Is Jesus the Son of God?
Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is the only Son of God. He is the Word that was present at the beginning of creation, who was with God and who was God (John 1:1). - How can Jesus be with God and man at the same time? Is Jesus God in human form?
Jesus, the Word, took on flesh and became a human being (John 1:14). He is the visible image of God—the very likeness and image of God (Colossians 1:15-18). - Who is God in your life?
God is love. If you love one another, then God dwells in you (1 John 4:12, John 14:23). - Who is the God of the universe?
In the beginning of the universe, God the Father commanded the Word (Jesus Christ), and the Spirit (Holy Spirit) hovered over the face of the deep (Genesis 1:1-2). - Who is the real God in Christianity?
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are one and the same (Genesis 1:1). - Is the Holy Spirit a He, She, or It? Is the Holy Spirit a Person?
The Holy Spirit is the third person of God in the Holy Trinity. He is not a force, idea, or shadow of divinity. Neither can we assign gender prefixes to Him. He is our helper, comforter, advocate, intercessor, and counselor who teaches us all things (John 14:26). His awareness and interaction with us affirm that He is a person. The Holy Spirit dwells with us and in us if we profess the Lordship of Jesus Christ (John 14:17). - How can we know God?
The first step to knowing God is through prayer. As believers, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus is also the living Word, which implies that you must also read the Bible. Finally, partner with the Holy Spirit in prayer and intercession to know the mind and heart of God concerning your life. The Holy Spirit is your teacher and trainer in both prayer and studying the Word.
