Who Is God? Understanding the One True God

Jul 23

This is part of a series giving an overview of theology and Neighborhood Church’s doctrinal statement. (Introduction, The One True God, The Lord Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, The Bible, Humanity, Salvation, Church, Christian Life, Angels, Satan, Demons, Future Life)

Have you ever been hiking and suddenly realized you had no idea where you actually were? You've been focused on the trail right in front of you—watching for rocks, roots, and obstacles—but you haven't looked up to see the bigger picture.

Life can feel a lot like that sometimes. We get so focused on what's directly in front of us that we lose sight of the bigger reality we're living in. We don't have a "satellite view" of life like we do with Google Maps. There's no way to zoom out and see the whole picture of reality.

But here's something amazing: God isn't stuck in our limited perspective. He doesn't just have the satellite view—He invented the satellite. He sees everything, knows everything, and exists above and beyond all of creation. And the incredible news is that this same God wants us to know Him.

Meeting God on the Mountain

In the Bible, there's a story about a man named Moses who had his own hiking experience that changed everything. Moses was a runaway living as a shepherd when he encountered something extraordinary: a bush that was on fire but wasn't burning up (Exodus 3:1-6).

When Moses went to investigate this strange sight, God called out to him from the bush. But before God said anything else, He gave Moses an important instruction: "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

This was Moses' first lesson about God: God is holy. He's separate, distinct, and completely pure. He's not like anyone or anything else. The word "holy" appears throughout the Bible as God's primary defining characteristic, and if we don't start there, we might end up believing things about God that aren't accurate.

What's in a Name?

Moses asked God a practical question: "If I tell people you sent me, what should I say your name is?" God's answer was surprising: "I am who I am" (Exodus 3:13-14).

In the original language, this name is "Yahweh"—a word that comes from the verb "to be." God was essentially saying, "My name is existence itself. I am the one who simply IS."

Think about that for a moment. While everything else in creation depends on something else to exist, God depends on nothing. He has no beginning and no end. He is self-sufficient and eternal. Theologians use big words for this: God is transcendent (above everything), infinite (without limits), and incomprehensible (beyond our full understanding).

That might sound discouraging—how can we know someone who's incomprehensible? But here's the beautiful truth: we can love God even though we cannot understand Him completely.

After all, if you're married or have close relationships, you probably love people deeply even though you don't understand them perfectly most of the time. Love doesn't require complete comprehension.

God's Heart Toward Us

When God revealed His name to Moses, it wasn't just to show off His power. It was in the context of rescue. God had seen His people suffering and decided to act. He told Moses, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people...and I have come down to deliver them" (Exodus 3:7-8).

Later, God gave Moses an even fuller picture of who He is. He described Himself as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). This same God who is infinitely powerful is also incredibly patient, loving, and faithful.

God has what we call "omni" attributes—He's omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere at once). Yet this same God cares about the details of our lives. He doesn't need to pay attention to us, but He chooses to.

Three in One

Here's where things get really interesting. The Bible teaches that there is one God, but this one God exists as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This concept, called the Trinity, isn't explicitly spelled out in the Bible, but it emerges from what we see throughout Scripture.

Jesus, who was clearly human, also accepted worship—something only God should receive. He promised to send "another comforter" (the Holy Spirit) like Himself. And He instructed His followers to baptize people "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19)—one name, but three persons.

This is honestly hard to understand. We can't fully wrap our minds around how one plus one plus one equals one when it comes to God. But maybe that's the point. If we could completely figure out God, He probably wouldn't be God.

The best way we can think about it is like a fire. God's essential being is like a flame, and the three persons are like three sources that share that same fire. When they're together, you can't divide them up, but when they're apart, you can see they're distinct. It's not a perfect illustration, but it helps us grasp something that's ultimately beyond our full understanding.

Why This Matters

You might be wondering why any of this theological stuff matters for everyday life. Here's why: understanding who God is changes how we approach Him and how we live.

In the Bible, a religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions. Jesus told him something profound: to enter God's kingdom, we need to be "born again" by the Spirit through faith in the Son (John 3:1-15).

This is the mountain we've been walking on all along—God the Father working through God the Spirit to bring people into His kingdom through faith in God the Son, Jesus. Even if we can't see the whole trail or understand every detail, we can still walk the path.

Our Response

So what do we do with a God who is this big, this holy, this mysterious, yet this loving? The same thing people throughout history have done when they've encountered the true God: we worship.

We don't need to understand everything about God to love Him, trust Him, and surrender our lives to Him. In fact, the Bible is full of people who responded to God's revelation not with confusion, but with worship, bowing down, and surrendering their lives to Him.

Maybe you've been skeptical about God or faith up until now. That's okay—doubt isn't the opposite of faith. In fact, engaging with our doubts often helps our faith grow. Take your questions to God. Ask Him to help you understand. Lean into the mystery rather than letting it push you away.

If you're hearing God's voice today through this message, don't harden your heart. You don't have to have all the answers to take a step toward Him. You don't need to see the whole trail to start walking.

The God who spoke to Moses from a burning bush, who delivered His people from slavery, who sent His Son to rescue us—this same God is present with you right now. He's merciful, gracious, patient, loving, and faithful. And He's inviting you into a relationship with Him.

Moving Forward

At Neighborhood Church, we believe this is the most important truth anyone can discover: God exists, He communicates, and He wants to be known. We can love Him even though we can't fully understand Him.

As you think about what you've read here, consider these questions: What comes to mind when you think about God? How does understanding God's holiness and love change your perspective? What's your response to God's invitation to know Him?

You don't need to have perfect theology or complete understanding to begin a relationship with God. You just need to be willing to say, "God, I don't understand everything, but I want to know You and love You."

That's where faith begins—not in having all the answers, but in trusting the One who does.

This message is part of our summer series exploring what we believe. If you're interested in learning more about faith or want to visit Neighborhood Church, we'd love to meet you. We're a community that believes everyone is welcome to explore faith, ask questions, and discover who God is.