Article 1 | God

Creator & Creation

Scripture reveals that God is alone the Creator (Gen. 1:1; Is. 45:18) of all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible (Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:16). He is the eternal, self-existent God who was before time and space were created (Ex. 3:14; Ps 90:2; Is 40:28). He created (Heb. bara) the universe out of nothing by the power of His word (Gen. 1:3; Ps 33:6; Heb. 11:3). The creation account in Genesis 1 is best understood as describing six literal, twenty-four-hour days. First, the references to morning and evening seem to indicate that Moses is using the word day (Heb. yom) to describe a 24-hour day (Gen 1;5; 31). Second, Moses uses the same word to explain that God’s people are to observe a six-day work week followed by a day of rest on the seventh day since God made heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh day (Ex 20:8-11). The doctrine of creation opposes polytheism since He is the only true God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4), pantheism since the Creator is transcendent and independent of his creation (Acts 17:24-25), dualism since the Creator is eternal and the universe is not (Ps 90:2; Heb 1:10-12), deism since the Creator is immanent who is present and active in his creation (Ps 104:14-15; Acts 19:25), and materialism and naturalistic evolution since Scripture reveals that a creator spoke the universe into existence. God established the world with order, purpose, and meaning (Proverbs 3:19). He saw everything that he had made and declared it “very good,” forming rhythms of work, rest, and worship (Genesis 1:31). As we consider God’s design, we understand His purposes for every aspect of life—marriage, sex, work, rest, and even daily joys like food and recreation (1 Timothy 4:4; 1 Corinthians 10:31). Because the Creator declares what is right and wrong (Gen 1:31; 2:18), He holds us accountable for our actions (Acts 17:30–31, Ro 3:19). His design allows us to enjoy His creation to His glory, reminding us not to replace the Creator with the creation (Ps 19:1; Ro 1:21-25), which leads to sin and brokenness.

Atributes

God is perfect. He is his attributes. He is not a jigsaw puzzle of divine attributes; every attribute is his essence. He is self-existent and does not depend on anything or anyone (Ex 3:14; Jn 5:26). He is omnipotent, and nothing is impossible for Him (Gen. 18:14; Matt. 19:26). He is omniscient and has perfect knowledge of all things past, present, and future (Ps 147:5; Is 46:9-10; 1 Jn 3:20). He is omnipresent for he is present everywhere (Ps. 139:7-10; Jer. 23:24). He is the Sovereign one who rules over all creation (Is 46:10; Dan 4:35). He is love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8), truth (Num. 23:19; Jer. 10:10), justice (Deut. 32:4; Isa. 45:19), and mercy (Ex. 34:6; Luke 6:36). Understanding God's attributes is indispensable because it inevitable shapes how we worship, trust, and live in relationship with Him. God is holy by nature (Is. 6:3). He is distinct and set apart from all creation, exalted in majesty and infinite in moral purity (Ex. 15:11; 1 Sam 2:2; Is 5:16). The splendor of God’s holiness stands in sharp contrast with our sinfulness (Is 6:5; Lk 5:8). Yet this Holy God also offers a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him through his grace (Is 6:7; Ro 5:8-10). God’s holiness shapes our view of sin (Ps 51:4), salvation (Tit 2:11-12), and worship (Ps 96:9)

Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that there is one God (Dt 6:4; Is 45:5-6; 1 Kgs 8:60) who eternally exists as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14). Each person is fully and equally God, yet there is only one divine essence (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4). We see the Trinity present and active at Jesus’ baptism. The Father speaks from heaven, the Son is baptized, and the Spirit descends as a dove (Luke 3:21-22). Similarly, the Great Commission emphasizes the unity and plurality of God by commanding baptism in the singular “name” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19).

A failure to understand the doctrine of the Trinity can lead us to erroneous teaching such as modalism. Modalism teaches that God is one person who appears in three different modes throughout history, such as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This view undermines the gospel, for salvation is the work of a Triune God (1 Pet 1:2; Tit 3:4-6). Salvation is purposed by the Father (Eph 1:3-6), accomplished by the Son (Eph 1:7-12), and applied by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14)

Limitless Knowledge and Sovereign Power

Open Theism argues that God does not have complete foreknowledge of the future choices that humans will make but instead the future is a set of possibilities. As God learns about about the choices that humans make, then then adapts and modifies his plan accordingly. The Bible teaches that God is a God of limitless knowledge and sovereign power (Is 46:10-11, Acts 4:27). He planned to redeem a people for himself before time and matter came into existence (Eph 1:4, 2 Tim 1:9; Tit 1:2). God’s eternal purpose was to rescue rebellious sinners before they even rebelled against God. From eternity, God’s redemptive plan included the incarnation and the death of Christ on the cross (1 Pet 1:19-20; Rev 13:8). God perfectly knows the future beforehand (Isa. 41:22–26; 42:8–9; 43:9–12; 44:6–8; 46:9–11), including our choices (Ps 139:4; Mat 26:34). God’s limitless knowledge and sovereignty does not diminished human freedom (Mat 12:36; Ro 14:12; Rev 20:12). The reality of God’s limitless knowledge and sovereign power is a source of comfort in trials, encouragement in setbacks and hope for the future because God, in His infinite wisdom, orchestrates all things for my good (Ps 37:23; Ro 8:28-29). Even human sin and suffering are woven into His redemptive plan (Gen 50:20). God promises to make all things knew (Ro 8:19-21; Rev 21:5) which includes the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1) where sin and death will be no more (Rev 21:4). It is comforting and encouraging to know that no matter what, God’s plan of redemption will come to completion.