Bible Study Course

LESSON 3

Introducing:
The True God
 LESSON 3

Introducing:
The True God
GOD DOES We live in a world of religious confusion. According to some estimates,
there are over 4,200 religions in the world.
EXIST AND
REVEALS A 2017 Pew Research Center report listed the following as the top five religions:

HIS NATURE, • Christianity (2.3 billion adherents)

POWER AND • Islam (1.8 billion)

PURPOSE IN • Hinduism (1.1 billion)

HIS WORD, THE • Buddhism (500 million)

HOLY BIBLE. • Folk religions (400 million)

Religion, at its core, seeks to explain the identity of the Creator God and what that God
expects of His creation. Yet the problem with having thousands of different religions is
that you could have thousands of different explanations of who and what God is! Even
within the major religions, like Christianity, there are hundreds of denominations offering
different explanations of God.

Can these diverse and sometimes diametrically opposite religions all be worshipping the
same God? Common sense would require us to recognize that they cannot all be right.

Unfortunately, many deal with that answer by rejecting all religion and choosing not to
believe in God at all. The Pew Research Center estimates that 1.2 billion people, roughly
16 percent of the world, is secular, nonreligious, agnostic or atheist.

So can we really know whether God exists or not? If God truly does exist, wouldn’t He
reveal Himself to us?

The purpose of this third lesson is to show that God does exist and reveals His nature,
power and purpose in His Word, the Holy Bible. As you study this lesson, you will discover
that many explanations of God found in the various religions (including Christianity and
Judaism) do not accurately reflect what the true God reveals about Himself in the writings
He inspired.

Let’s explore the pages of your Bible to discover the true God.

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 PART 1

God in Prehistory

GOD NOT ONLY Where can we find a record of God’s existence before the universe
existed?
CLAIMS THAT
John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the _________, and the _________ was with _______,
HE EXISTED
and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. _____ things were made
BEFORE THE
through Him, and without Him ____________ was made that was made.”
CREATION,
BUT THAT HE Two important revelations about God are made in these verses.

HAS ALWAYS
1. God existed before the physical universe existed.
EXISTED AND God not only claims that He existed before the creation, but that He has always existed
“INHABITS and “inhabits eternity” (Isaiah 57:15).

ETERNITY.” Look up Psalm 90:1-2 and fill in the blanks:

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the ________________ were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from _________________ to _________________, You are God.”

The above passage reinforces the vital truth that God is eternal. He existed prior to the
creation and will exist for all eternity.

No matter how hard we try, we humans often have difficulty wrapping our minds around
the concept of eternity. As David noted, some things are “too profound” for us to
completely understand (Psalm 131:1). We are physical and can only understand the
spiritual through the revelation of spiritual knowledge from God (Deuteronomy 29:29;
1 Corinthians 2:9-11).

Though science has made many amazing discoveries, it is inherently deficient because it
only seeks answers through the observation of the physical. In order to fully understand
God and the true origin of the creation, we must accept and receive spiritual knowledge—a
realm of knowledge not considered by science.

TERMINOLOGY 2. There are two divine beings who are God.

These beings are referred to as the Word and as God. The Word is described as being with
Elohim
God and also being God (meaning the term God is broader than just one being).
Plural version of the Hebrew
word Eloah, which is used
This explains why the Hebrew word Elohim is used for God in Genesis chapter 1:
throughout the Old Testament
Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth.”
to describe God.
In Hebrew, the “im” ending makes a word plural (similar to the “s” ending in English). The
singular word is Eloah, the plural is Elohim.

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 WHEN WE A few verses later, we read Elohim using the plural pronouns Us and Our: “Then God
[Elohim] said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26).
CONSIDER The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon defines Elohim like this:
GENESIS 1:1, “pl. [plural] in number. a. rulers, judges . . . divine representatives . . . b. divine ones,
ALONG WITH superhuman beings including God and angels.”

JOHN 1:1, WE Before the creation of the physical universe, two beings existed eternally together. Both
SEE THAT were known as God (Elohim). God inspired the Hebrew word Elohim to describe Himself
in Genesis 1:1. This word is plural, though it usually takes a singular subject. When we
THERE ARE consider Genesis 1:1 along with John 1:1, we see that there are two divine beings who are
TWO DIVINE called God. God and the Word are two distinct beings, yet both are revealed as God.

BEINGS WHO But how can two distinct beings both be God?
MAKE UP THE As we will see throughout this lesson, the Bible reveals the answer. The Bible refers to
ONE SINGLE the being who holds supreme power and authority as the Father, and the other being as
the Son. God is also frequently described by using familial terms that reveal an important
GOD FAMILY. element of His nature—that He is a family of divine beings. At the present time, that family
consists of two beings, the Father and Son. But we will also see that His purpose is to
expand His family to include many children.

As we progress through this lesson, we will learn more about the distinction between God
and the Word.

How are “the Word” and “God” later distinguished?

John 1:14: “And the Word _____________ flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the only ______________ of the Father.”

John 6:38-39: “For I [Jesus Christ] have come down from ____________, not to do My own
will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who _______ Me.”

Divested
Deeper insight
To be deprived of power,
rights or possession. In the The being identified in John 1:1 as “the Word” came to earth as a human being. In
case of the Word, for 33 years other words, He divested Himself of the power and spiritual existence of being God.
He willingly deprived Himself
of His eternal spirit existence Philippians 2:5-7: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
as God and all the powers who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to
associated with it to come be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the
to earth as a human being,
likeness of men” (Revised Standard Version).
Jesus Christ.
God, the Word, willingly “emptied Himself” to become a physical human being—
Jesus Christ, the begotten Son of God.

Jesus Christ was born through His human mother, Mary (Luke 1:26-31), but He was
begotten by the divine being revealed in John 1:1 as God, who at this point became
known as the Father (John 1:18; 3:16).

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 JESUS SAID The following shows the distinction between the Father and Son:

THAT ONE OF The Father The Son

THE REASONS
Also known as: Also known as:
HE CAME WAS
God, the LORD, the Word, God, Jesus,
TO REVEAL the Most High God Jesus Christ, the LORD, the Lord
THE FATHER TO
MANKIND. Lesson 4 (“Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today and Forever”) will cover in greater detail the
reasons Jesus came to earth.

How was the Father revealed to mankind?

John 1:18: “No one has ________ God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, He has _____________ Him.”

Matthew 11:27: “Nor does anyone _________ the Father except the Son, and the one to
whom the Son wills to __________ Him.”

Deeper insight
Jesus said that one of the reasons He came to earth was to reveal the Father to
mankind. This was a shocking statement to the Jews of His day. The Jews prided
themselves on being strict monotheists. They believed there was only one being
called God. By telling them He was “revealing” the Father, Christ was saying they did
not have a full understanding of God. They did not grasp that there were two beings
known as God.

Look up the following scriptures to learn what other details Christ

revealed about His relationship with God the Father:

Scripture What Jesus revealed

John 6:38

John 8:28

John 14:28

Matthew 6:9

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 JESUS WAS The fact that Jesus was revealing the Father to humanity has another startling implication.
Students of the Old Testament know that God directly communicated with many human
CRYSTAL beings throughout history. Men such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Moses
CLEAR THAT interacted with God in different ways. But Jesus revealed that the being who interacted
with various people in the Old Testament was not the Father, because Jesus was revealing
NO HUMAN the identity of the Father to mankind for the first time. To the Jews, the implications of what
BEING HAS Jesus was saying were incomprehensible and heretical.

EVER SEEN OR Think: If those men in the Old Testament were not interacting with the being known as the
HEARD THE Father, with whom were they interacting?

FATHER AT
ANY TIME. Who was the God who interacted with humans in the Old Testament?

John 5:37: “And the Father Himself . . . you have neither heard His _________ at any time,
nor seen His ________.”

1 Corinthians 10:4: “For they [ancient Israel] drank of that spiritual _________ that
followed them, and that Rock was __________ .”

John 8:58: “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, __________ Abraham was,
________ .’” (See also Exodus 3:13-14.)

Deeper insight
Many people assume the God who interacted with humans in Old Testament times
was the Father, but Jesus was crystal clear that no human being has ever seen or
heard the Father at any time.

Did people ever see or hear God in Old Testament times?

Theophany Read the following examples of theophanies in the Old Testament.

When God visually manifests
Himself to a human being. 1. Genesis 17:1-5: Who spoke to Abraham?

2. Genesis 28:12-13: Who spoke to Jacob?

3. Exodus 33:17-23: Who spoke to Moses? What was Moses permitted to see?

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 THE GOD WHO After reading the previous scriptures, answer the following questions:

TALKED AND 1. What is the implication of these scriptures in light of Jesus’ statements about no one
seeing and hearing the Father in John 1:18; Matthew 11:27; and John 5:37?
WALKED WITH
HUMANS IN OLD

TESTAMENT

TIMES WAS NOT

THE FATHER,

BUT THE ONE
WHO LATER 2. Who was the being who appeared to the Old Testament patriarchs, such as Abraham,
CAME AS Jacob and Moses?

JESUS CHRIST.

Since this point is so essential, we will state it clearly:

The God who talked and walked with humans in Old Testament times was not the Father,
but the One who later came as Jesus Christ. He was “the Word”—the God being who acted
and spoke on behalf of the Most High God (the Father).

We should note that God the Father is also mentioned in the Old Testament (see Genesis
1:26 and Psalm 110:1, for example). He just is not the One who appeared to people during
that time.

In the scriptures we have covered so far we have seen that there are two beings who are
identified as God: the Father and the Word (who became Jesus Christ, the Son of God).

Do other scriptures confirm that there are presently only two beings in
the God family?

Romans 1:7: “Grace to you and peace from God our ___________ and the Lord
__________________.”

Deeper insight
The New Testament contains many letters (most of them written by the apostle Paul).
These letters, or epistles, often begin with a salutation similar to the above scripture,
mentioning only the Father and Jesus Christ. What is interesting is that none of these
letters includes the Holy Spirit as a third person in the Godhead. This is significant
because most of mainstream Christianity believes God is a Trinity, composed of three
personages (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

But when the New Testament authors wrote letters, they always wrote in the name of the
Father and Son.

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 NOWHERE DO New Testament Salutations
THE APOSTLES Epistle Salutation
DEFINE GOD “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Romans 1:7
Jesus Christ.”
AS A TRINITY
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
COMPOSED OF 1 Corinthians 1:3
Jesus Christ.”
THE FATHER, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
2 Corinthians 1:2
Jesus Christ.”
SON AND
“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through
HOLY SPIRIT. Galatians 1:1 Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead).”

Ephesians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.”

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Philippians 1:2 Jesus Christ.”

Colossians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.”

“To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Thessalonians 1:1 “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Timothy 1:2 “To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from
God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”

2 Timothy 1:2 “To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Titus 1:4 “To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.”
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Philemon 1:3
Jesus Christ.”
“. . . elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in
1 Peter 1:2 sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.”

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God

2 Peter 1:2 and of Jesus our Lord.”

1 John 1:3 “. . . and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son
Jesus Christ.”

“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father
2 John 1:3 and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth
and love.”

“To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and
Jude 1:1 preserved in Jesus Christ.”

The above salutations of these epistles (and many scriptures within them) show us how
Paul, Peter, John and Jude viewed God—as the Father and Son. Nowhere do the apostles
define God as a trinity composed of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

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The Trinity The only verse in the Bible that includes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is Matthew 28:19.
The belief that the one God is But that is a verse describing baptism, not the nature of God. (For more insight on this
composed of three persons— scripture, read “Does Matthew 28:19 Prove the Trinity?” Also note that the additions to 1
the Father, Son and Holy John 5:7-8 found in some Bibles are acknowledged as spurious by scholars.)
Spirit. This doctrine wasn’t
fully formulated until the When one considers the number of scriptures that mention only the Father and Son,
fourth century. it becomes clear that the biblical teaching is that only God the Father and Jesus Christ
presently compose the Godhead.

Think about these questions:

• The Bible describes prayers being directed to the Father through Jesus Christ. If the Holy
Spirit were God, wouldn’t we have examples of people praying to the Holy Spirit?

• The Bible describes Jesus Christ being conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). If the
Holy Spirit were a person, wouldn’t the Holy Spirit be Christ’s father and not God the
Father?

• The Bible describes Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father (Colossians 3:1),
but nowhere describes the Holy Spirit seated or in the heavenly throne room of God. If
the Holy Spirit were a person, why wouldn’t he be shown to be seated beside the Father
and Jesus?

• The last part of the book of Revelation describes Jesus returning to earth and the Father
eventually coming down to earth to dwell (Revelation 21:3), but nowhere describes the
Holy Spirit also coming down to earth. If the Holy Spirit were a person, why wouldn’t he
come down with the Father?

If the Holy Spirit is not a coequal person in the Godhead, how does the
Bible describe it?

Luke 24:49: “Behold, I send the _____________ of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city
of Jerusalem until you are endued with ___________ from on high.”

Acts 1:8: “But you shall receive ____________ when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Acts 2:38-39: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
________ _________. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are
afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’”

Deeper insight
The Day of Pentecost in the year A.D. 31 was significant because it was the first time
the Holy Spirit was given to a large group of people. After that day, the Holy Spirit
was made available to all who would be called by God, repent, be baptized and have
hands laid on them.

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 The language the Bible uses to describe the Holy Spirit describes power. Simply put,
the Holy Spirit is not a person, but the power the two members of the Godhead—
God the Father and Jesus Christ—use to project Their will, Their influence, Their
nature and Their creativity throughout the universe, including affecting the minds
The Holy Spirit of human beings.
The power and operational
presence of the mind and The Holy Spirit is the power that emanates from God—it is not another person that
influence of God, as well as has its own personality. In fact, the very words used for Spirit in the Old and New
His character. Testaments are ruach and pneuma, both of which essentially mean breath, air or
wind. As breath proceeds from a human being, the Holy Spirit proceeds from God.

In both the Old and New Testaments, God’s Spirit is described as the power God
uses to make things happen. Psalm 33:6 describes the creation being done through
the power of His Spirit: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the
host of them by the breath [ruach, often translated spirit] of His mouth.”

In the New Testament, Paul wrote that the many signs and wonders done through
him were “by the power of the Spirit of God” (Romans 15:19). God accomplished the
great miracles done through Paul by the power of His Spirit.

Symbols Describing God’s Holy Spirit

The Bible uses various physical symbols to describe His Spirit. Look up the following
scriptures and identify what symbols they use to describe the Holy Spirit.

Scripture Symbol

Matthew 3:16

John 20:22

Acts 2:2

Acts 2:3

John 7:37-39

1 Timothy 4:14

What about the verses that appear to personify the Holy Spirit by calling
it “He”?

John 14:16: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another ____________, that He
may abide with you forever.”

Deeper insight
This is one of a few scriptures in the New Testament that use the pronouns “He” or
“Him” to refer to the Holy Spirit. But this is actually a language and translation issue.

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 In this case, the Greek word translated “helper” is parakletos (which means “called
to one’s side” or “helper, succorer, aider, assistant”). Much like the Latin-based
languages, the Greek language used to write the New Testament assigns gender
to nouns.

For example, in Spanish, the word for table is mesa and is a feminine noun. The
pronoun used to refer to mesa would be ella (like the English word “she”). So a
Spanish speaker could say, “Esa mesa se ve muy firme. ¿Te importa si pongo mis
cosas en ella?” If this was translated literally into English, it would read, “That
table looks very sturdy. Do you mind if I put my books on her?” Obviously, this is
incorrect in English. To correctly translate it, the feminine pronoun ella would have
to be translated as it—since English doesn’t assign gender to objects. So the correct
translation would be, “That table looks very sturdy. Do you mind if I put my books
on it?”

In a similar way, in John 14:16 the word parakletos is a masculine noun in Greek, so
if the pronoun is literally translated into English, it is “he.” When we understand that
the Holy Spirit is the power and essence that proceeds from God, we understand that
the correct translation of the pronoun in English is “it.”

1. What statement does My Catholic Faith (a classic work explaining Catholic doctrine)
make about the Trinity doctrine?
a. It is true based on the fact c. It is something that God wants
that it is logical and easy to us to understand.
comprehend.
PERSONAL
STUDY b. It is a mystery that is
incomprehensible to human
Where did the Trinity beings.
doctrine come from?
2. Which Greek philosopher’s influence on Christianity led to the Trinity doctrine?
Read our article “The Trinity:
What Is It?” and answer the a. Homer c. Plato
following questions:
b. Socrates d. Aristotle

3. According to the New Catholic Encyclopedia, in what century was the Trinity doctrine
accepted into Christianity?
a. first century c. third century

b. second century d. fourth century

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 PART 2

God Is Creator and Sustainer

The heavens What does the Bible reveal about the origin of the physical universe and
The Bible uses the term the everything in it?
heavens to describe three
locations: Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God ____________ the heavens and the earth.”

The first heaven: the earth’s

Isaiah 66:1-2: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My _____________ . . . For all those
atmosphere (Genesis 7:11).
things My _________ has made, and all those things exist . . .”
The second heaven: outer
space containing the planets, Acts 17:24: “God, who __________ the world and ________________ in it . . .”
stars and galaxies (Exodus
32:13).
Deeper insight
The third heaven: the location Many want to believe that the world around us is a result of mere happenstance.
of God’s throne (Psalm 11:4).
Higher education teaches that our universe and life on earth are a result of random
chance and gradual evolution. But trying to explain away the existence of matter and
life through random chance and gradual evolution raises many problems.

Where did the first matter come from? How did the amazing molecular and cellular
complexity come into being? How did unbreakable physical laws come into existence
randomly?

The Bible presents a simple, yet profound, answer to the challenging question of
how our world came to be. God, who has supreme intelligence and power, created
everything that exists.

Does God use creation as proof of His existence?

Psalm 19:1: “The _____________ declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His
_______________.”

Romans 1:19-20: “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has
shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible ______________ are
clearly ________, being understood by the things that are _________, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

Deeper insight
Just looking at the universe around us should be enough proof to convince us of
God’s existence.

We live in a world of interdependence. So many things are dependent on other

things to exist. Consider flowers and bees. The bees need the nectar from flowers for

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 THE food, and the flowers need the bees for pollination. Without flowers, bees will die.
UNIVERSE Without pollination, flowers will die. So which came first, the flower or the bee? The
answer is they both came during the creation week!
IS ONE OF
The universe is also one of order and incredible precision. Day after day, we can
ORDER AND depend on the sun to come up every morning, the stars to be in their places in the
INCREDIBLE night sky, and the seasons to come and go as they have for thousands of years. In
fact, if the earth moved ever so slightly from its consistent orbit, it would become
PRECISION. inhospitable to life. For example, some scientists believe being 5 percent closer
to the sun (some believe even 1 percent) would have turned the earth into a
greenhouse without liquid water on its surface.

What are three ways science backs up the Bible?

Look up the following scriptures and fill in the fact that has been confirmed by science.

Scripture Fact science has confirmed

Job 26:7

Isaiah 40:22

Genesis 1:24-25

Read Psalm 14:1.

Considering the complexity of the creation, what does the Bible say about those who reject
the existence of the Creator God?

How did God create the universe?

Ephesians 3:9: “And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who _____________ all things
______________ Jesus Christ.”

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 THOUGH JESUS John 1:1, 3-4: “In the beginning was the _________ . . . All things were ____________
through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life.”
CHRIST DID
THE WORK OF Colossians 1:16: “For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were ____________ that are in
CREATION, THE heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible . . . All things were created ___________

FATHER WAS Him and for Him.”

THE ONE WHO

Deeper insight
DIRECTED HIM Through Jesus Christ (the Word), God the Father created everything that exists. That
IN WHAT WAS includes the visible creation, like planets, stars, plants, animals and human beings.

TO BE DONE. Though Jesus Christ did the work of creation, the Father was the One who directed
Him in what was to be done (John 8:28-29).

What did God create before the earth?

Job 38:4, 7: “Where were you when I [God] laid the foundations of the ________? . . . When
the morning ________ sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

Lucifer
Deeper insight
One of three high-ranking
archangels named in the Before God created physical matter, He created the angels who dwell in the spirit
Bible. He became infected realm. Later these angels celebrated the creation of the physical realm!
with pride and led a
substantial number of angels The Bible uses the term morning stars as one reference to the angelic realm. In
in a rebellion against God. Revelation 12:3-4 it speaks of those angels involved in a rebellion against God as
After his fall into sin, he the “stars of heaven.” In Isaiah 14:12 we see that Satan was called “Lucifer, son of
became known as Satan the the morning” (or “daystar”). Ezekiel 28:13 shows that Lucifer (the archangel who
devil (and his angels became became Satan) was “created.”
known as demons).
Yes, the angelic realm was part of the “all things” that were created through Jesus
Christ (Colossians 1:16).

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 PART 3

What Does God Look Like?

GOD IS AN Can we understand what God is made of?

ETERNAL John 4:24: “God is ________, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
SPIRIT—HE HAD ________.”

NO BEGINNING Colossians 1:15: “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the ____________ God.”
AND WILL
NEVER CEASE Deeper insight
The universe is composed of matter—physical substance composed of atoms.
TO EXIST.
God is not composed of physical matter—He is spirit. Human beings cannot fully
understand spirit, because we cannot see, hear or touch it. We can experience its
effect, but as Christ described in John 3:8, we “cannot tell where it comes from and
where it goes.”

It is important to note that human beings were occasionally given visions of the
spirit world. There are examples of people seeing angelic beings in their spirit form
(Genesis 28:12; 2 Kings 6:17). Moses was allowed to view the back of the One who
became Jesus Christ (Exodus 33:22-23). But he was not able to see God’s face or full
glory because, as God told Moses, “no man shall see Me, and live” (verse 20).

Moses’ experience was unique. Other individuals encountered God, but usually He
appeared to them in human form (Genesis 12:7; 18:1-3; 32:24-30).

Can God ever die or cease to exist?

Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits ____________.”

1 Timothy 1:17: “Now to the King eternal, ______________, invisible, to God who alone is
wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 7:1, 3: “For this Melchizedek [Jesus Christ], king of Salem, priest of the Most High
God [God the Father] . . . without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither
________________ of days nor _______ of life.”

Deeper insight
God is an eternal Spirit—He had no beginning and will never cease to exist. Angels
are also eternal spirits even though they had a beginning. God the Father and Jesus
Christ are unique because They never had a beginning—They were never created.
They have existed eternally.

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 THE PRIMARY Romans 1:23 refers to God as being “incorruptible.” This Greek word translated
DIFFERENCE “incorruptible” is aphthartos, which means “undecaying.” Unlike humans, spirit
beings are not subject to decay (or aging). This means that God “does not become
BETWEEN GOD weary or tired” (Isaiah 40:28, New American Standard Bible).
AND HUMAN
BEINGS IS NOT
SHAPE—IT IS What does God reveal about His appearance?

MIND AND Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our __________, according to Our
SUBSTANCE! _____________’ . . . So God created man in His own __________; in the __________ of God
He created him.”

Deeper insight
As these verses show, God created mankind “in His own image.” In other words, God
created human beings to resemble Himself. Just as children resemble their parents,
we, too, resemble God our Father and Jesus Christ our Elder Brother.

Throughout the Bible, God is described as having a body and form. Look up the
following scriptures and identify what each verse reveals about God’s form:

Scripture God’s form

Isaiah 40:10

Revelation 7:10

Exodus 31:18

Exodus 24:10

Exodus 33:23

Exodus 33:11

Psalm 88:2

The primary difference between God and human beings is not shape—it is mind and
substance! But the Bible also reveals that human beings have the potential to be elevated
to God’s level of existence by being transformed from flesh to spirit (1 Corinthians 15:44,
49; 1 John 3:2). However, that will only happen if we develop His mind today (Philippians
2:5). We will cover more about this in a future lesson.

No other creature on earth is capable of having such a relationship with God, because only
mankind is created after the God kind (Genesis 1:26)!

LifeHopeandTruth.com/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 3: Introducing: The True God 16

 There is nothing in the realm of matter that can affect (touch, move or hinder movement,
inflict damage of any kind, or alter the composition of) anything in the spirit realm. Spirit
and spirit beings are not affected by fire, walls or any other elements or barriers made
of matter. Spirit is not affected by the near absolute zero cold of intergalactic space, the
tremendous heat of the fusion furnaces at the heart of stars, or the gravitational strength
A CLOSER of black holes.
LOOK
Further, spirit beings and things composed of spirit can only be seen by human beings
How the Spirit Realm if the spirit beings take visible form (as Gabriel did when he appeared to Mary) or God
Interacts With the enables those in the flesh to see them.
Physical Realm
In the account of Balaam, the angel of God allowed Balaam’s donkey to see him and his
sword but did not let Balaam see him (Numbers 22:22-23). Balaam did not see the angel
until God opened his eyes (Numbers 22:31).

On another occasion Elisha prayed that his servant could see the spirit beings who were
with them. When the man’s eyes were opened, he saw horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings
6:16-17).

However, we do know that the material realm can be greatly affected by the spirit realm.
We know that God, who is spirit, can greatly affect this material world, whether by great
events (like the Flood, the plagues on Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea) or by smaller
events (like physical healings and other miracles).

We can conclude that nothing in the realm of matter can affect anything in the spirit realm.
But the spirit realm can greatly affect the material realm since the material realm was
created by God.

Excerpted from our article “What Is Spirit?”

What does God look like in His glorified state?

Revelation 1:13-16: “The Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded
about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like ________, as
white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of ______; His feet were like fine __________,
as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many ___________ . . . and His
countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

Glory Deeper insight

In the context of God, Just as we cannot look directly at the sun because of its brightness, we cannot look
this word describes the upon God in His glorified state because of His power and glory (Exodus 33:18-20).
brilliant splendor of God’s Just being in the presence of God’s glory caused Moses’ face to radiate (Exodus
appearance and power. 34:29).

Yet, incredibly, as you will learn in Lesson 6, God is offering us the opportunity to be
“children of God” and partake in His glory (1 John 3:2; John 1:12)!

LifeHopeandTruth.com/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 3: Introducing: The True God 17

 PART 4

How Does the Bible Describe God?

THE BEST Earlier we learned that the two divine beings revealed as God are known
as the Father and the Son. Both of these names shed light on what exactly
WAY TO
God is.
DESCRIBE
Does the Bible describe a family relationship between the two beings
THE NATURE
known as God?
OF GOD IS
John 3:35: “The ___________ loves the _______, and has given all things into His hand.”
AS A FAMILY.
Ephesians 3:14-15: “For this reason I bow my knees to the ___________ of our Lord Jesus
Christ, from whom the whole __________ in heaven and earth is named.”

1 John 2:24: “Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what
you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the _______and in the
___________ .”

2 John 1:3: “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the ___________ and from
the Lord Jesus Christ, the _______ of the ___________ , in truth and love.”

Deeper insight
The above scriptures all describe God through family terms. Though some believe
the best way to describe God is by calling Him a trinity, this description is extremely
inaccurate. The most accurate way to describe the nature of God is as a family.

That family, the God family, is composed of the Father and the Son. Their relationship
is based on the same components that make for a healthy human family: selfless
love (John 3:35; 5:20), teamwork and unity (John 10:30; 17:11), and the submission
of the Son to the will of the Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 8:28). In fact, human families
can become strong and stable by learning from the perfect example of these
characteristics as modeled by the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

The truth about the family nature of God also makes one of the foundational verses
of this lesson come to life, John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.”

How can “the Word” (Jesus) both be with God and be God at the same time? When
we understand the family relationship of God, this verse makes much more sense.

Consider this analogy: Families (in most cultures) have a singular surname that
names the entire family, but also can be used to describe any single member of the
family. If a family name is Smith, the father is Smith and the son is Smith. But the
father is not the son, and the son is not the father. They are two distinct people who
share the same family name: Smith.

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 GOD CREATED Likewise, in the divine realm, God can describe both members of the God family—the
HUMAN BEINGS Father and Son. The Father is God and the Son is God. They are not the same being,
but together compose one eternal family.
TO ULTIMATELY
BE BORN INTO
HIS DIVINE
Is God limited to just the Father and Son?
FAMILY AS HIS
2 Corinthians 6:18: “I will be a ____________ to you, and you shall be My ________ and
GLORIFIED
_______________, says the LORD Almighty.”
CHILDREN.
1 John 3:1: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should
be called _____________ of God!”

Hebrews 2:10-11: “For it was fitting for Him . . . in bringing many ________ to glory . . . for
which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren [brothers].”

Deeper insight
The Bible shows that God is in the process of adding children to His family! God
created human beings to ultimately be born into His divine family as His glorified
children. When Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, He was the “firstborn”
Son into the God family (Romans 8:29).

That descriptor firstborn inherently implies there will be more children. The verse is
clear that He is the “firstborn among many brethren [brothers, or siblings]” (Romans
8:29, emphasis added).

Presently, the family of God consists of two, the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son.
That family will grow into billions when people are born—given eternal life—as His
sons and daughters. At that time, we will become spirit (John 3:6). Of course, the
Father will always be the Father and the supreme authority in the family. Jesus Christ
will always be the firstborn and Elder Brother. But as children of God, we will be
“partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4)—in other words, we will share the very
nature of divinity, being “filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

This subject will be explored in greater depth in Lesson 6.

LifeHopeandTruth.com/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 3: Introducing: The True God 19

 PART 5

The Power and Nature of God

THERE IS Now that we’ve learned about God’s nature, let’s consider more questions
NOTHING IN about God. How powerful is He? How does He think? What is His character?
THE SPIRIT How powerful is God?
OR PHYSICAL
Jeremiah 32:17, 27: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by
REALM THAT
Your great __________ and outstretched arm. There is nothing too ________ for You . . .
CAN MATCH ‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?’”
GOD’S POWER.
Job 42:2: “I know that You [God] can do ________________, and that no purpose of Yours
HIS POWER IS
can be _____________ from You.”
LIMITLESS.
Deeper insight
It’s no wonder that one of God’s names is El Shaddai (“the Almighty God”). There is
nothing in the spirit or physical realm that can match God’s power (Isaiah 40:25). His
power is limitless.

Consider the power of our physical sun. Its surface temperature is about 10,000
degrees Fahrenheit, while its core reaches some 27 million degrees! The energy
produced by the sun is so powerful, that NASA says it would take the explosion of
100 billion tons of dynamite every second to match it.

Yet it is the power of God that not only made the sun, but also sustains it, plus all
the other trillions of stars (Isaiah 40:26)—many of which are even bigger and more
powerful than our sun! It’s no wonder that, as we read earlier, a human being cannot
look on the face of God and live!

How intelligent is God?

Job 37:16: “Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works of Him who
is ____________ in knowledge?”

Isaiah 40:26, 28: “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who
brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name . . . Have you not known? Have
you not heard? The everlasting God . . . neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is
____________________.”

LifeHopeandTruth.com/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 3: Introducing: The True God 20

 GOD’S MENTAL Psalm 147:5: “Great is our Lord, and ___________ in power; His understanding is
___________.”
CAPACITY IS
FAR BEYOND Luke 12:6-7: “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is
WHAT WE ______________ before God. But the very hairs of your head are all ________________.

CAN POSSIBLY Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

IMAGINE.
Deeper insight
God’s mental capacity is far beyond what we can possibly imagine.

Our finite minds cannot grasp anyone knowing how many hairs are on the heads
of the billions of people on earth, knowing how many birds fall to the earth on any
given day and giving each of the countless billions of stars a unique name! Yet God
has this intelligence.

Comprehending God’s intelligence should motivate us to accept that He, as

our Creator, has perfect understanding of how life works. He gave us the 10
Commandments as the 10 basic moral principles that lead to happiness and
fulfillment in life.

This should help us understand why we are told to “trust in the LORD with all your
heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Throughout the Bible, God reveals numerous names for Himself. The names reveal
different aspects of His power and character. We can discover much about the true God
just by studying the meanings of His names.

The following is a list of some of God’s names found in the Bible.

A CLOSER 1. Elohim: “The Mighty Ones” (Genesis 1:1).

LOOK
2. El Shaddai: “The Almighty God” (Genesis 17:1).

The Many Names 3. YHWH: “The Eternal, the Self-Existing God” (Genesis 2:4).
of God 4. YHWH Jirah: “The Eternal Will Provide” (Genesis 22:14).
5. YHWH Rapha: “The Eternal Who Heals” (Exodus 15:26).
6. YHWH Nissi: “The Eternal Is My Banner” (Exodus 17:15).
7. YHWH Tsidkenu: “The Eternal Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6).
8. YHWH Ro’i: “The Eternal My Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).
9. YHWH Tsaba’: “The Eternal of Hosts/Armies” (Psalm 24:10).
10. YHWH Shalom: “The Eternal of Peace” (Judges 6:24).

LifeHopeandTruth.com/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 3: Introducing: The True God 21

 WE ARE Does God have emotions and feelings?

EMOTIONAL Psalm 145:8: “The LORD is ______________ and full of __________________, slow to anger

BEINGS and great in __________.”

BECAUSE Deuteronomy 28:63: “Just as the LORD _____________ over you to do you good and
WE WERE multiply you.”
PATTERNED
John 11:33, 35: “Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her
AFTER A
weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was _____________ . . . Jesus ________.”
GOD WITH
EMOTIONS. Deeper insight
Many envision God as stoic and without feelings. Yet these are just a few of the many
scriptures that show that God indeed has emotions and feelings just like you and
me! God can be happy, sad and angry. This is another way we are made in His image
and likeness. We are emotional beings because we were patterned after a God with
emotions.

The difference between us and God is that He always has perfect control over His
emotions. Though God experiences anger, He demonstrates perfect anger—He is
“slow to anger” (Psalm 145:8). Human beings often are unbalanced in our emotions,
getting angry too often or too easily. We should strive to be more like God in all our
emotions (Proverbs 16:32; 3 John 1:11).

What is the character of God like?

Love 1 John 4:8: “He who does not ________ does not know God, for God is ________.”
When referring to God’s
love, the Bible primarily uses
the Greek word agape. This Deeper insight
Greek word is connected with There are many adjectives used in the Bible to describe the character of God. He
action, not just an emotional is described as merciful, compassionate, caring, righteous and just—to name only
feeling. God’s love for us is a few of His character traits. But the best, overarching word that describes God’s
shown by His works. Those overall character is love.
who want to build His love
will also demonstrate it by But the love that God has and demonstrates is much more than a feeling or emotion.
what they do. God shows His perfect love through His actions. It is His total outflowing concern
for others, which is demonstrated through many of the adjectives listed above. It’s
because of His love that He’s merciful, compassionate, caring, righteous and just.

But the above scripture, 1 John 4:8, drives home the depth of God’s love by saying
“God is love.” That means that this core characteristic is so embedded in His
character that He can be defined by it. We human beings can show love, but none of
us has it to the extent that it totally defines us. God is defined by love. It is because
of His love that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. It is because of His
love that He shows grace and mercy to us. And it is because of His love that He wants
to give us the ultimate gift of eternal life in His family.

LifeHopeandTruth.com/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 3: Introducing: The True God 22

 GOD’S LAW Is there a way for human beings to learn to love at God’s level?

IS DESIGNED 1 John 5:3: “For this is the ________ of God, that we keep His _______________________.

TO PRODUCE And His _______________________ are not burdensome.”

GODLY LOVE IN John 15:10: “If you keep My _______________________, you will abide in My love, just as I
OUR LIVES. have kept My Father’s _______________________and abide in His ________.”

Deeper insight
God did not leave us clueless about how to practice His love on the human level. He
gave us the 10 Commandments, which define what godly love looks like in action.
When Jesus was once asked a question about these laws, His answer showed us the
two major aims of the 10 Commandments:

“Jesus said to him, ‘“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two
commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40).

The two primary purposes of the 10 Commandments God gave us are to show us how to:
1. love God and 2. love other human beings.

Study the following diagram to learn more about how God’s law is designed to produce
godly love in our lives.
Love
Two Main Components of Godly Love

Love Toward God Love Toward Man

1. You shall have no other gods 5. Honor your father and your
before Me. mother.

2. You shall not make idols. 6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

3. You shall not take the name of
the LORD your God in vain. 8. You shall not steal.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to 9. You shall not lie.

keep it holy.
10. You shall not covet.

Each of the 10 Commandments instructs us to do (or not do) something specific. But each
commandment also entails much more than the specific command. Each commandment
includes a deeper, spiritual intent, which is often called the spirit of the law. The spirit of
each law teaches us deep truths about practicing God’s loving character in our lives.

See the chart “The Spiritual Intent of God’s 10 Commandments” at the end of this
lesson. It provides a basic explanation of the spiritual intent behind each of the 10
Commandments. You can read a more detailed explanation in our free booklet God’s 10
Commandments: Still Relevant Today.

LifeHopeandTruth.com/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 3: Introducing: The True God 23

 Lesson Wrap-Up
Finished with
this lesson? At the beginning of this lesson, we asked, Does God exist? As we have seen in this lesson,
God truly does exist! He is the all-powerful Creator, whose power and intelligence are
Don’t forget to go back
to LifeHopeandTruth.com/ vastly superior to ours. He reveals Himself in family terms—showing that He is a family,
BibleStudyCourse and take presently consisting of the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. God possesses perfect
the quiz so you can access character summed up in one word: love. He created you to develop His perfect character
the next lesson! and ultimately to become part of His family for all eternity (1 John 3:1-2; Hebrews 2:10).
The two primary takeaways of this lesson are summed up in two verses:

• John 4:24: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

• Titus 2:12: “We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”

We are to acknowledge and worship the true God and strive to live in a godly way (in other
words, to imitate Him in our lives).

In the next lesson, we will take a deeper look at the Savior of humanity, Jesus Christ. The
Bible declares that one cannot be saved without knowing and obeying Jesus Christ (John
14:6; Acts 4:12). But who was Jesus Christ? What is His role in God’s plan? Why did He
come to earth and die? What is He doing today? What will He do in the future? We will
answer all those questions and more in the next lesson: “Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today
and Forever.”

Supplemental Reading
Life, Hope & Truth offers additional resources that can help you better understand
God’s inspired Word, the Holy Bible.

• Getting to Know the God of the Bible  • Names of God 

• Does God Exist?  • The Trinity: What Is It? 
• Journey 1: Knowing God  • Jesus in the Old Testament? 
• How to Know God  • Is the Holy Spirit a Person? 
Life, Hope & Truth
Bible Study Course • Knowing God as a Loving Father  • What Is Spirit? 
Author • God Is Love  • The Power and Greatness of God 
Tim Groves
Contributing Writer
Erik Jones
Doctrinal Reviewers
John Foster, Bruce Gore,
Peter Hawkins, Jack Hendren,
Don Henson, Doug Johnson,
Larry Neff, Harold Rhodes,
Paul Suckling
Media Operation Manager
Clyde Kilough
Editorial Reviewers
Mike Bennett, David Treybig
Copy Editor
Becky Bennett
Design
Teri Mez

© 2021 Church of God,

a Worldwide Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 3490
McKinney, TX 75070-8189
[email protected]

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 The Spiritual Intent of God’s
10 Commandments
Commandment Scriptures Spiritual intent*

You shall have no other Deuteronomy 6:5; We are to love God with our whole being and not put anything in
gods before Me. Matthew 4:10 front, or in place, of Him in our lives.

John 4:23-24; God is spirit and wants to be worshipped in truth. No image or

You shall not make idols. Acts 17:24-29 statue can capture the power and majesty of the true God. He
does not desire to be worshipped through inaccurate images.

You shall not take the Instead of disrespecting God’s name, we should
Psalms 8:1; 66:2;
name of the LORD your honor, respect and praise His name to show
Daniel 2:20
God in vain. reverence for Him.

The Sabbath is a day to physically rest and focus on God. We

Remember the Sabbath Isaiah 58:13-14; should do the things of God on that day instead of pursuing our
day, to keep it holy. Mark 2:27-28 own interests. Dedicating the seventh day to Him every week
keeps His ways in focus in our lives.

The human family is a small picture of God’s family. He wants

Honor your father and Ephesians 6:1-4;
families to be a place of peace and love, where children are
your mother. 1 John 3:1
properly nurtured and parents are properly respected.

God is love. In order to be like God, we should show love to (and

You shall not murder. Matthew 5:21-22;
value the life of) human beings created in His image. The spirit of
1 John 3:15
murder is hatred and is opposed to the character of God.

Genesis 2:18, 21-24; God designed marriage to be a sacred union between a man and
You shall not Ephesians 5:22-33; a woman. A married couple are to be completely faithful to one
commit adultery. Hebrews 13:4 another and reflect the relationship between Jesus Christ and
His Church.

Ephesians 4:28; God wants us to show love to others by respecting their property.
You shall not steal. Instead of stealing, a Christian shows love to others through a
Acts 20:35
way of life based on giving.

Titus 1:2; Everything God says and does is true. He never lies. We should
You shall not lie. Matthew 5:33-37; seek to be people who show love by always speaking truth. Our
Ephesians 4:15, 25 words should be reliable.

We are to be content with the things we’ve been

Matthew 6:19-21; given and work for and not lust after physical things. Our focus
You shall not covet.
Philippians 4:11-13 should not be on the physical, but on spiritual things.

* The spiritual intent of each of God’s 10 Commandments goes very deep and can take a lifetime to fully understand. What’s listed here
isn’t meant to be a definitive explanation of the complete intent of each commandment, but a brief explanation to help the student
see that the spirit and intent of God’s law go much deeper than the letter.

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