“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
The Bible, which is God’s inspired Word, tells us that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” But who is this God of the Bible? Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the One who formed each of us in our mother’s womb and gave us life (Psalm 139:13-16)?
The Hebrew word Elohim in Genesis 1:1 is the plural form of God and is the name used to describe the Creator (cf. Genesis 1:26-27). He is also called by the name Jehovah (some pronounce it Yahweh or Yehuvah), and it is often translated as LORD in our English Bibles.
“This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens” (Genesis 2:4).
The Bible further defines God, when it says: “for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6). Thus we see that all things were created by God the Father through Jesus Christ, who gave us life.
God’s creation account also tells us that, in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). And so we see that the Holy Spirit, too, was active in the creation of all things.
The opening verses of John’s Gospel tell us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). We learn that the Word, Jesus Christ, identified in verse 14 as God Himself in the flesh and the only-begotten Son of the Father, created all things and is the giver of life, both physical and spiritual.
In St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, the inspired Scriptures say of Christ Jesus, that “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:15-17).
So, who is the Creator? Who is the true God? It is God, the God the Scriptures identify for us as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Though God is one Being — “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4) — God is also three Persons — thus, the command to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). This is why the God of the Bible is often called the Triune (three/one) God; He is one God and yet three distinct Persons. The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Yet, there are not three Gods, but one God.
The Bible tells us “there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7).
Though beyond our ability to comprehend, this is how God has revealed Himself to us — it is His account and His word. And it is this God who has created all things and has given us life. This is the God Bible-believing Christians worship and serve. And any who do not worship and serve this true God (the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit) through faith in the Son do not worship and serve the true God who created us and gave us life, who redeemed us in the Son and who gives eternal life to all who believe in His name (cf. John 17:3).
O LORD God, our Creator and Redeemer, one God, yet three Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we give You thanks for revealing Yourself and all You have done for us and our salvation in Your Word. Grant us faith to trust in You, love You and honor You through faith in the Son and His innocent sufferings and death for us upon the cross. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]
Editorial on 05/30/2018