Throughout human history, people — regardless of their cultural, social, or religious backgrounds — have pondered the question of the existence of God.
In the ancient world, people were fascinated with the celestial bodies (e.g., sun, moon, and stars) — just as in our world today, we are also amazed by the beauty of nature (e.g., skies, mountains, and oceans).
Deep in our hearts, we know that there must be something greater than ourselves. Tragically, people had erroneously mistaken the creation for the Creator — they falsely worshipped the sun, moon, stars, mountains, animals, trees, Earth, or human beings (and eventually their own selves), as gods.
This was caused by human self-will and sinful nature that rebels against the One true God in order to have control over their own lives apart from the Lawgiver.
Yet the Bible reveals that there is a greater, infinite Being — the Uncaused First Cause — who gives life to all living things and sets the laws of nature (creation) and in the human hearts (conscience).
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1:20).
So, if God really does exist and if there is only one true God, the following questions will then naturally be raised: Who is God? What is God’s name? What is God’s character? Why should I worship God?
The answers to such questions about God, the Holy One, can never be comprehended by the finite minds of sinful humans, therefore must be revealed by God Himself first and foremost.
Stated another way, human beings can never come to the knowledge of God unless God reveals His truth. Any human interpretation, apart from the divine revelation, would produce false understanding and misleading concepts about the deity.
The good news is that, through the Bible, the complete revelation of God, we can find the answers to all the fundamental questions about God and, more importantly, and beautifully, we can even have a personal, profound, and life-transforming relationship with the Creator of this universe.
The One True God Is the Creator and the Savior
Again, creation (laws of nature) and conscience (laws of morality) testify to the great, intelligent Designer, who is both the Life-Giver and the Lawgiver.
This truth has been widely recognized since the Old Testament, for example, by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 45:18), Nehemiah, (Nehemiah 9:6), and King David (Psalm 86:8-10).
Moreover, not only is God the Creator, but also God is the Savior, who is able to rescue His people from sin, evil, and death, and to restore every broken soul (Isaiah 12:2; 25:8-9; 38:15-17; 61:10).
God’s deliverance for the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt depicts His mighty power that can spiritually set us free from the bondage of sin (Exodus 20:2).
Yahweh (Jehovah) Is the One True God
Every created thing (or being) has a name. Since God is the Creator and not a created being, what is His name?
Moses, who had a privilege to speak with God, supernaturally received the revelation about His name: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), which consists of four Hebrew consonants, YHWH (articulated as Yahweh) or JHVH (Jehovah) called Tetragrammaton.
Many scholars believe that the most proper meaning of Yahweh may be “He Brings into Existence Whatever Exists,” which implies that Yahweh (in the Old Testament — it is written as “LORD”) is the self-existent, eternal God the Creator.
What a remarkable truth that Yahweh, being the greatest mystery of all, is willing to reveal Himself and relate to the sinful people, to forgive their sins (Isaiah 43:25), heal their diseases (Exodus 15:26), and restore their lands (2 Chronicles 7:14).
From the Old Testament narratives, Yahweh is known to be the God who delivered His people from their enemies (Exodus 6:6; Isaiah 37:20,35) and fulfilled what He promised (Isaiah 46:9-10, 55:11), that “they may know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 29:46; Isaiah 45:6; Ezekiel 12:16). The Spirit of God and His words remain forever as His covenant with His people (Isaiah 59:21).
The Nature and Attributes of the One True God
There is only one true living God (Yahweh or Jehovah), who is infinite (Isaiah 40:28; Jeremiah 23:24; Psalm 147:5), perfect (Matthew 5:48; Psalm 18:30), eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7), who share the equal divine attributes and are all involved in the salvation of mankind.
God is eternal (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 57:15; Deuteronomy 33:27), holy (Psalm 99:9), and supreme over all creation (Isaiah 46:9-10; Colossians 1:16-17).
The sovereign God is all-powerful (Genesis 18:14; Revelation 19:6), all-knowing (Psalm 147:5; Hebrews 4:13), and all-present (Psalm 139:7-12). God alone is worthy of worship (Deuteronomy 6:13-14).
It is, after all, noteworthy that God is not only transcendent but also immanent. Perhaps, the most intimate, relatable nature and attributes of God is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9; Isaiah 25:1) and loving (1 John 4:16).
Yahweh is both a promise-keeping and sin-forgiving God. He plans to prosper us and to give us a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11), and He causes everything to work together for our good (Romans 8:28).
In fact, the God of the Bible is portrayed as a father who compassionately loves his children (Psalm 103:13).
What a beautiful truth it is that God the Creator whom we worship is also our heavenly Father who has loved us unconditionally! Is there any other deity more loving than Yahweh our God? No, not one.
Parallels Between Jehovah God and Jesus Christ
So, in His sovereign wisdom, the one true, living God has chosen to reveal Himself to the Israelites as Yahweh (Jehovah), the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Exodus 3:15).
Remarkably, Jesus also quotes this same title, as recorded in the three gospels (Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37) and explicitly declares that Yahweh is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.
Jesus also identifies Yahweh as His Father (John 10:15,14:6-7,16:15) and boldly proclaims, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).
What a profound statement! In the Bible, there are at least ten parallels between Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, which all indicate that indeed Jesus Christ and Jehovah God are one:
- The Creator (Isaiah 45:18; John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:16-17). The Savior (Isaiah 43:11; 45:21; Hosea 13:4; Luke 2:11; Philippians 3:20).
- The Life Giver (Deuteronomy 32:39; John 10:17-18). The Holy One (Leviticus 19:2; Isaiah 6:2-3; Psalm 16:10; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 4:8; Acts 13:35).
- The Great I AM (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58; Mark 14:62). The Rock (Isaiah 44:8; 2 Samuel 22:32; Psalm 18:31; 1 Corinthians 10:4).
- The Sovereign Lord (Isaiah 46:9-10; Colossians 1:15). The Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33; Isaiah 40:28; Hebrews 13:8; 1 Timothy 1:17).
- The Perfect Judge and King (Isaiah 9:6-7,33:22; Hebrews 1:3-4; Revelation 1:5-6). The First and the Last (Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 22:13).
Isn’t it amazing that each author with different backgrounds and times in history could come to such comparably consistent messages about the one true God? That’s why the Bible is truly God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16).
Conclusions and Applications
So, who is the one true God? The one true God is the Creator of heaven and earth, the Savior of all people, and the Life-Giver who alone is worthy to be praised and worshipped because of His divine, supreme nature and attributes.
In the past, this true, living God revealed Himself as Yahweh (Jehovah), who is ultimately known in the name of Jesus Christ, the perfect visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), through whom He has spoken to His people in these last days (Hebrews 1:2).
Therefore, knowing this truth, we must have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3); we must not let the gods of this age blind our minds (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Our inability to understand God should produce humility, worship, patience, and trust — we are to humbly worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24) and patiently trust Him, especially during times of great personal pain and suffering.
Remember that, because of Christ’s death and resurrection, “our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Because of what Christ has done, we may know the one true God and rest assured of the eternal life He has promised (John 17:3; 1 John 5:20). Hallelujah! Amen.
For further reading:
How Jesus Is the Alpha and Omega?
What Does it Mean That the Bible Is God-Breathed?
How Do We Know There Is a God?
How Do We Know God Isn’t Imaginary?
What Are the Most Important Things to Understand about the Nature of God?
How Are We Created in the Image of God?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/naruedom
Philip Wijaya, Ph.D. currently lives in Vancouver, Canada with his wife, Sandra, and their daughter, Shalom. His interest in science and faith in God has motivated him to actively write in his personal blog (philipwijaya.com), in addition to his professional research work in the area of clean energy and chemical engineering. In his leisure time, he enjoys sports, football games, music, and traveling with family.
