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One might say the beginning of faith is first believing that God exists (Hebrews 11:1). Though, when we look at the incredible world around us—from the life of microscopic single-celled organisms to the incredibly complex biological processes of reproduction to the delicate atmospheric balance which makes life on Earth possible—the fact of God's existence is absolutely clear (Psalm 19:1-6). Indeed, the mysterious longing for "something more" that's embedded in every human heart and humankind's inherent sense of good vs. evil speaks of a conscience that is aware of God's existence—if only on a subconscious level (Romans 2:14, 15).
The Bible never makes any attempt to prove God's existence, rather it assumes His existence from the very first words in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." BOOM. God existed, and He was at work.
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good." —Psalm 14:1
While it may not take much to accept that God exists, what we believe about God's character is tremendously important. If we misunderstand something about Him, we will find ourselves worshipping a false god, which is idolatry. Thankfully, the Bible is rife with descriptions of God's nature, character, and work so we can better understand our Creator. The Bible also tells us how we, these tiny specks in the universe, are incredibly valued by God and how we can have a relationship with Him.
God is a spirit, so He has no corporeal body (John 4:24). God exists as a Trinity, three distinct Persons in one Being—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17). God is infinite, having always existed and evermore will exist (1 Timothy 1:17). There's no other being like God (2 Samuel 7:22). God never changes (Malachi 3:6). God is everywhere at once (Psalm 139:7-12) and knows all things (Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:28). God has supreme power and authority over everything (Ephesians 1; Revelation 19:6). God is fully love, and without Him, love would not be possible (1 John 4:7-21).
We could really go on and on about God's character, but we'll keep it simple for the purposes of this article. God is fair (Acts 17:31), loving (Ephesians 2:4-5), honest (John 14:6), and holy (1 John 1:5). God is compassionate (2 Corinthians 1:3), merciful (Romans 9:15), and filled with grace (Romans 5:17). God is the final judge of sin (Psalm 5:5), but He offers patient forgiveness to those who ask (Psalm 130:4; 1 John 1:9; 1 Timothy 2:4).
We could also go on and on about what God has done because that helps us see His character in action. But for this article, here's the basic big picture of what the Bible tells us God has been up to since the beginning of time as we know it: God created the world (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 42:5); He actively holds the universe together (Colossians 1:17); He is in the process of unfolding His eternal plan for humankind (Ephesians 1:11) which includes redeeming us from the curse of sin and spiritual death (Galatians 3:13-14); He leads people toward faith in Jesus (John 6:44); He disciplines His children to make us holy (Hebrews 12:6, 10); and He will judge all the people of the world (Revelation 20:11-15).
God is all powerful, completely trustworthy, fully good, and the wisest ally anyone could ever have. Thankfully, the Creator of the Universe has made it possible for us to have a personal relationship with Him. God loves us so immeasurably that He went through great lengths to restore a relationship with us so we may be with Him in eternity (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-5; Galatians 3:13-14). Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He came to the earth, humbling His almighty form to become another tiny human speck—just like us (John 1:14).
We are inherently filled with a sin nature, and God cannot have sin in His presence. Thus, Jesus became the "bridge" between God and Man (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5) so we could receive forgiveness for our sins (Ephesians 1:7) and reconcile our relationship with God (John 15:15; Romans 5:10). With this repaired relationship, we will receive eternal salvation (2 Timothy 2:10) that can never be taken away (Romans 8:39; Ephesians 2:8).
The Bible tells us a LOT about Jesus—His life, His teaching, and how He responded to the people He encountered. (See Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.) Since Jesus Christ is "all the fullness of the Deity [living] in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9), all we really need to do to understand God is to examine the life of Jesus. And there is no better example to follow than Jesus Christ for a holy life that is pleasing to God.
God is the Creator and Ruler of all things, perfect in power, goodness, and wisdom. He is in the process of unfolding His eternal plan for humankind (Ephesians 1:11) as He leads people toward faith in Jesus (John 6:44). He disciplines His children to make them holy (Hebrews 12:6, 10). He will judge all people in the end (Revelation 20:11-15). And He loves us so immeasurably that He went through great lengths to restore a relationship with us so we may be with Him in eternity (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-5; Galatians 3:13-14).
Cat is the web producer and editor of 412teens.org. She is known as "412teens" on the 412teens Discord. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Catiana is not cooking, gardening, or practicing creativity, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, five socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.
