What Every Christian Should Know About God

It’s astounding to me that the first chapter of the Bible describes God’s creation of the world. The remaining 1,188 chapters, to some extent, reveals His creation to us.

It didn’t have to be that way. God the Creator had no responsibility to make Himself known to us. He could have put His creation on display as a world-size art exhibit. He could have used the universe as His private gallery, visiting it whenever He felt like admiring His work.

But God wants you to know about Him. He wants to have a relationship with you. Here are the three aspects of God the Father’s generous gesture to make Himself known: 

• the how, the means He uses to reveal Himself,
• the what, the truths about Himself He chooses to reveal, and
• the what now, the implications of God’s revelation for us.

1. How God Reveals Himself to Us

• God Reveals Himself Through Nature (Psalm 8:3-4; Luke 12:27; Romans 1:20)

We call this Natural Revelation—it’s information of God that everyone can know about Him from nature without ever reading a Bible or hearing a sermon. This information is limited and is not enough to save you, but it is enough if rejected to condemn you.

God provides for even the smallest living things. Jesus said, “Consider the lilies” in Luke 12:27, so let’s consider them. Lilies bloom season after season, nourished by the nutrient-rich soil of God’s design. These nutrients are transported by water that falls from the sky. Eventually, they are released back into the atmosphere. The lilies absorb energy from sunlight in a God-designed process called photosynthesis. 

Inside each lily’s base is nectar, which attracts bees. As the bees collect this nectar, they transfer pollen from the lily’s stamen to other lilies, triggering the reproductive process. Care to guess who designed the pollination process?

Jesus’s point was this—if God lavishes such care, such loving concern, and such genius design to ensure that lilies can grow and thrive, then imagine what He does for us—the crown of His creation!

• God Reveals Himself Through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2; John 14:9)

Because Jesus was fully human and fully God, He revealed God the Father in everything He said and did. In John 14:9, Jesus said so Himself, “Have I been so long with you and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, “Show us the Father?” ’”

• God Reveals Himself Through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16)

Jesus is the Living Word of God. John 1 references Jesus Christ when he says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was With God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

The Bible is the Written Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

• God Reveals Himself Through His Spirit (Romans 8:16; Romans 8:14; John 16:8)

God wasn’t content merely to become human. Amazingly, He reveals Himself to us in an even more personal way. Everyone who accepts the gift of salvation that Jesus’s sacrifice makes possible also receives a bonus gift—God the Holy Spirit takes residence in our hearts. God Himself dwells inside us.

The Holy Spirit makes Himself known through our consciences. When we make decisions that please Him, He triggers in us a sense of connection with Him.

2. What God Reveals to Us

• God Reveals His Attributes

1. God Is Holy.   
2. God Is Just.  
3. God Is Loving.  
4. God Is Eternal.   
5. God Is Omnipotent.  
6. God Is Omniscient.   
7. God Is Immanent.  
8. God Is Transcendent.   
9. God Is Sovereign.   
10. God Is Unchanging.   

• God Reveals His Names

Scholars suggest there are more than 100 names for God in Scripture. These names are known to us only because He revealed them, giving us a unique insight into God’s character. They also encourage us to draw nearer to Him as circumstances present themselves in our lives. 

Let there be no confusion—God never changes. There is no difference between Jehovah Rapha and El Elyon. Consider the different names people use to refer to us. The name they choose reflects their relationship with us. To most people, I’m Dr. Jeffress, but my friends call me Robert. However, for my daughters, I’m Dad and for my grandchildren, I’m Pawpaw, my new favorite name.

• God Reveals His Plan
• God’s Providential Plan (Ephesians 1:11)

God’s master plan governs everything that happens in the universe. Ephesians 1:11 says that God works all things after the counsel of His will. Notice that the word “will” is singular. God doesn’t have multiple plans, but only His perfect will and permissive will.

• God’s Preceptive Plan (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)

This is God’s plan that has been clearly revealed in Scripture.   

• “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).
• “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12).
• “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).
• “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).
• “Flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22).
• “Do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
• God’s Personal Plan (Ephesians 5:15-17)

3. Our Response To God’s Revelation

Along with His revelation, He includes an invitation in Psalm 34:8 that says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” In essence, He says, “Here’s who I am. Come and see for yourself.” The question then falls to us—What do we do with what we know about God?

• We Should Respond to His Invitation (James 4:8)

When the holy, just, loving, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, immanent, transcendent, sovereign, and unchanging Creator and Sustainer of the universe invites us to get to know Him better, we seize the opportunity. We can accept God’s invitation by writing about our experiences with Him in a prayer journal, keeping track of answered prayers, and creating a paper trail of His work in our lives that we can revisit whenever we need to.

• We Should Tap into His Resources (2 Peter 1:2-3)

How often do we struggle with loneliness? In those moments when everyone else seems so distant, our heavenly Father is always near. And when we tap into His immanence, we can find the much-needed light in our dark nights of the soul.

• We Should Submit to His Authority Over Our Lives (Psalm 100:3)

“What do we do with what we know about God?” We submit to His authority and give God complete control of every area of our lives. We don’t make God the Lord of our Life—He already is! We submit to His rule over our lives with a sense of reverence, gratitude, humility, and joy.  

Full Passage: Psalm 8:1-6