The Doctrine of God

The existence of God is the starting point of all theology. Yet the Bible never tries to prove that God exists: it asserts it as a first self-evident truth. From the very first words of Scripture, God is presented as the initial and sovereign actor: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1.1. This statement is not argued for, but laid down as the foundation of all reality. Biblical faith therefore does not rest on human speculation, but on the revelation of a living God who makes himself known in history.

Scripture acknowledges, however, that some reject this truth. The psalmist declares:

This rejection is not presented as a rational conclusion, but as a moral attitude: a refusal to acknowledge God despite the witness he gives of himself. For God does not leave humanity without light. Creation itself proclaims his existence: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” Psalms 19.1. Paul affirms that God’s invisible attributes:

Nature, in its order, its beauty and its complexity, bears witness to a Creator.

God also reveals himself in the human conscience. Even without knowing the written law, people carry within them a moral knowledge that attests to the existence of a divine lawgiver. Paul writes that “Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires,” showing that “the work of the law is written on their hearts” Romans 2.14-15. This moral conscience, though darkened by sin, remains an inner sign of the reality of God.

Throughout history, many thinkers have put forward rational arguments to demonstrate the existence of God: the cosmological argument (every effect has a cause), the teleological argument (order implies design), the moral argument (the existence of objective values presupposes a transcendent source), or again the ontological argument. These approaches can enlighten the mind and open a path toward faith, but they do not replace divine revelation. They show that believing in God is not contrary to reason, but they cannot produce faith. As Scripture reminds us, “without faith it is impossible to please him” Hebrews 11.6.

Thus, the existence of God is at once affirmed by the Bible, manifested in creation, inscribed in the human conscience and accessible to reason. But above all it is received by faith, in response to the revelation that God gives of himself. Christian theology therefore begins by acknowledging that God exists, that he speaks, and that he makes himself known to those who seek him.

If God exists and if human beings are called to know him, this knowledge can come only from a divine initiative. The Bible clearly affirms that man, by his own abilities, cannot reach God: “No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” 1 Corinthians 2.11. The doctrine of revelation is therefore essential: it explains how the invisible, eternal — show definition INF038 and transcendent God makes himself known to limited creatures marked by sin.

1. General Revelation

God first reveals himself in a universal way, accessible to all human beings. This general revelation is manifested chiefly in two ways.

a) In creation.

Nature bears the imprint of its Creator. The psalmist declares: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” Psalms 19.1. Paul affirms that God’s invisible attributes “have been clearly perceived” since the creation of the world Romans 1.19-20. The order, beauty and complexity of the universe testify to a powerful, wise and personal God.

b) In the human conscience.

Even without knowing the written law, human beings possess a moral conscience that attests to the existence of a divine lawgiver. Paul writes that “the work of the law is written on their hearts” Romans 2.14-15. This inner light, though darkened by sin, remains a sign of God’s presence.

General revelation is enough to make man accountable before God, but it is not enough to save him. It shows that there is a God, but it reveals neither his name nor his plan of redemption.

2. Special Revelation

Because general revelation is insufficient to lead man to salvation, God has spoken in a more precise, more direct and more personal way. This special revelation is found in Scripture and in the history of salvation.

a) The written Word.

The Bible is God’s inspired revelation. “All Scripture is breathed out by God” 2 Timothy 3.16. It reveals God’s character, his works, his promises and his will. It is not merely a human testimony, but the Word of God conveyed by men led by the Spirit 2 Peter 1.21.

b) The names of God.

In Scripture, the names of God are not mere labels: they reveal his being. Whether he presents himself as YHWH — show definition INF010, “I AM” Exodus 3.14, as Elohim, the mighty God, or as Father, he unveils aspects of his identity and of his relationship with his people.

c) The history of salvation.

God also reveals himself through his acts: the covenant with Abraham, the deliverance from Egypt, the faithfulness toward Israel, the prophets, and finally the coming of the Messiah. Biblical revelation is progressive: God makes himself known step by step, until the full light.

3. The Supreme Revelation in Jesus Christ

All of God’s revelation converges on one person: Jesus Christ. He is “the image of the invisible God” Colossians 1.15, “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” Hebrews 1.3. In Jesus, God no longer merely speaks: he makes himself visible, accessible, near. Jesus can say: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” John 14.9.

The revelation in Christ is perfect, complete and final. It shows that God is not only a powerful Creator, but a loving Father, a compassionate Savior and a Lord who calls us to fellowship.

The doctrine of the attributes of God seeks to describe what God is in himself, as he reveals himself in Scripture. The attributes are not parts of God, but aspects of his single and simple being. God is not composite: he is perfectly one. Yet, for our limited understanding, the Bible presents to us different traits of his character. These attributes are generally divided into two categories: the incommunicable attributes, which belong to God alone, and the communicable attributes, which God reflects in part in the human being created in his image.

1. The Incommunicable Attributes of God

These attributes underline God’s transcendence, what radically distinguishes him from creation.

a) Independence (aseity)

God exists by himself and needs nothing and no one. He says: “I am who I am” Exodus 3.14.
He is not sustained by creation; he is the one who sustains it Acts 17.24-25.

b) Immutability

God does not change in his being, his purposes or his promises.
“I am the Eternal — show definition INF038, I do not change” Malachi 3.6.
His plans stand firm Psalms 33.11.

c) Eternity

God has neither beginning nor end. He is “from everlasting to everlasting” Psalms 90.2.
He sees time in a single glance, without being limited by it.

d) Omnipresence

God is present everywhere, without being confused with creation.
“Where shall I flee from your Spirit?” Psalms 139.7-10.

e) Omniscience

God knows all things perfectly, past, present and future.
“You know when I sit down and when I rise up” Psalms 139.1-4.

f) Omnipotence

God can do all that he wills, in accordance with his nature.
“Nothing will be impossible with God” Luke 1.37.

g) Unity (divine simplicity)

God is one, without division or contradiction.
“the Eternal — show definition INF038 is one” Deuteronomy 6.4.
His attributes never oppose one another: his justice is always a loving justice, and his love is always a holy love.

2. The Communicable Attributes of God

These attributes express what God reflects in part in the human being, created in his image.

a) Holiness

God is wholly set apart from evil and perfectly pure.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Eternal — show definition INF038” Isaiah 6.3.
His holiness is the basis of his call to sanctification.

God is love in his very being 1 John 4.8.
His love is fully manifested in Christ: “God so loved the world…” John 3.16.

c) Goodness

God does good to all his creatures.
“the Eternal — show definition INF038 is good to all” Psalms 145.9.

d) Justice

God always acts according to what is right.
“All his ways are justice” Deuteronomy 32.4.

e) Mercy and grace

God forgives, raises up and shows grace to those who turn to him.
“the Eternal — show definition INF038 is merciful and gracious” Psalms 103.8.

f) Truth

God is perfectly true, faithful and trustworthy.
“Your word is truth” John 17.17.

g) Faithfulness

God always fulfills what he promises.
“God is faithful, by whom you were called” 1 Corinthians 1.9.

h) Patience

God bears with the sin of men with great forbearance.
“He is patient toward you” 2 Peter 3.9.

i) Wisdom

God orders all things according to a perfect design.
“Oh, the depth of the wisdom of God!” Romans 11.33.

Conclusion

The attributes of God are not abstract concepts: they reveal who God is and how he acts. They nourish worship, inspire trust and guide the Christian life. The more we contemplate the perfections of God, the more we are transformed into his image.

The Bible strongly affirms two fundamental truths concerning God: God is one, and God exists eternally in three distinct persons. These two affirmations do not contradict each other; they express the depth of the divine mystery as God has revealed it. The unity of God protects the Christian faith from all polytheism, while the tri-unity (or Trinity) reveals the richness of the divine life and the way God acts in the history of salvation.

1. The Unity of God

The unity of God lies at the heart of biblical revelation. Israel was to confess every day:

This affirmation excludes any idea of several gods, of rival deities or of impersonal forces. God is unique, incomparable, without equal:

This unity is not only numerical; it also expresses divine simplicity. God is not composed of parts or layers: he is one in his being, one in his attributes, one in his purposes. His justice is never separated from his love, his power never separated from his wisdom. Everything in him is perfectly harmonious.

The unity of God grounds the unity of the faith and the exclusivity of worship. Because there is only one God, there is only one Lord worthy of receiving man’s praise, trust and obedience.

2. The Tri-unity of God

If God is one, Scripture also reveals that he exists eternally in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This truth is not the product of a philosophical construction, but the result of God’s progressive revelation in history.

a) Biblical affirmation

The New Testament clearly presents the three divine persons acting together. At the baptism of Jesus, the Son is in the water, the Spirit descends upon him, and the voice of the Father is heard from heaven Matthew 3.16-17. Jesus commands his disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28.19: one name, three persons.

The Father is God 1 Peter 1.2, the Son is God John 1.1, the Spirit is God Acts 5.3-4, and yet there is only one God.

b) Distinction of the persons

The three persons are neither three modes of one God, nor three separate gods. They are distinct in their relationships:

• The Father begets the Son
• The Son is begotten of the Father
• The Spirit proceeds from the Father (and is sent by the Son)

These distinctions do not divide God; they express the richness of his inner life.

c) Unity of essence and harmony of action

The three persons share the same divine nature, the same glory and the same will. They always act together, but in distinct roles:

• The Father plans
• The Son accomplishes
• The Spirit applies

In salvation, for example:
The Father sends the Son John 3.16-17,
the Son gives his life John 10.17-18,
the Spirit regenerates and sanctifies Titus 3.5.

d) The importance of the Trinity for the Christian faith

The Trinity is not an abstract doctrine: it structures the whole Christian life.

• In salvation: we are chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, renewed by the Spirit.
• In prayer: we pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.
• In love: the eternal — show definition INF038 love between the Father and the Son is the source of Christian love.
• In the Church: the unity of God grounds the unity of the people of God.

The Trinity is the beating heart of the Christian faith. It reveals that God is not an eternal solitude, but a perfect communion of love, into which he invites humanity to enter.

The doctrine of the works of God describes everything that God accomplishes outside himself. It reveals how the eternal — show definition INF038, perfect and immutable God acts in time, in creation and in the history of salvation. The works of God are not separate from his being: they express what he is. His power, his wisdom, his goodness and his faithfulness are displayed in everything he does. The Bible distinguishes mainly three great categories of divine works: creation, providence, and redemption.

1. The Work of Creation

The first great work of God is the creation of all things. The Bible affirms that God created the universe by his Word: “God said… and it was so” Genesis 1.3. Nothing existed before his creative act: “By the word of the Eternal — show definition INF038 the heavens were made” Psalms 33.6. The New Testament confirms that the Father, the Son and the Spirit were all involved in creation: “All things were made through him” (the Word, the Son) John 1.3, and “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” Genesis 1.2.

Creation manifests God’s glory, his wisdom and his power. It is not the fruit of chance, but the result of a sovereign design. God creates out of goodness, so that his creatures may share in his life and his joy. The human being, created in the image of God Genesis 1.26-27, occupies a special place: he is called to reflect the divine character and to exercise responsible dominion over creation.

2. Providence

After creating the world, God does not abandon it to itself. He continues to sustain it, to direct it and to bring it to fulfillment according to his plan. Providence designates the work by which God preserves, concurs with and governs all things.

a) Preservation

God maintains the existence of all that he has created. “He upholds the universe by the word of his power” Hebrews 1.3. Without his constant action, creation would return to nothingness.

b) Concurrence

God acts in and through the actions of his creatures, without ever violating their will. “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work” Philippians 2.13. Nothing happens outside his sovereignty.

c) Government

God directs history toward the fulfillment of his purposes. “the Eternal — show definition INF038 reigns” Psalms 93.1. He raises up and brings down nations, leads events and watches over his people. Even what seems chaotic or unjust is integrated into his perfect plan, as the story of Joseph shows: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” Genesis 50.20.

Providence does not cancel human responsibility; it guarantees that nothing can thwart the purposes of God.

3. The Redemptive Works

God’s greatest work is that of redemption. Faced with sin and the fall of humanity, God did not abandon his creation. He set in motion an eternal — show definition INF038 plan to save, restore and renew.

a) The covenant

From the first chapters of the Bible, God reveals himself as a covenant God. He promises a Savior Genesis 3.15, calls Abraham Genesis 12.1-3, and establishes a relationship of grace with his people. The covenant structures the whole history of salvation.

b) Election

God freely chooses a people to belong to him. “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world” Ephesians 1.4. Election is not an exclusive privilege, but a calling to reflect God and to be a light to the nations.

c) Redemption in Christ

At the center of history stands the work of the Son. Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills the Father’s will, gives his life as a ransom for many Mark 10.45, takes away the sin of the world John 1.29, and rises again to give eternal life. The cross and the resurrection are the heart of the redemptive work.

d) The work of the Holy Spirit

The Spirit applies to the believer what Christ has accomplished. He regenerates Titus 3.5, sanctifies 1 Corinthians 6.11, comforts John 14.26, and seals believers for the day of redemption Ephesians 1.13-14.

Redemption is not only individual: it extends to all creation, which waits to be set free from corruption Romans 8.19-21.

Conclusion

The works of God reveal a living, active, sovereign and compassionate God. From creation to the new creation, God acts with power and wisdom to accomplish his eternal — show definition INF038 purpose: to make his glory known and to gather a people for himself. Contemplating his works nourishes faith, inspires trust and leads to worship.

The relationship between God and man lies at the heart of biblical revelation. God is not only the transcendent Creator: he is also the God who draws near, who speaks, who calls and who enters into covenant with humanity. Understanding this relationship is essential for grasping man’s vocation, the nature of sin and the dynamics of salvation. The doctrine of God does not remain abstract: it touches the human condition directly and sheds light on how man is called to live before God.

1. God as Lord

From the first pages of the Bible, God reveals himself as the sovereign Lord over all creation. He creates by his Word, gives order, blesses and entrusts man with a mission. Man is not autonomous: he is a dependent creature, called to live under God’s benevolent authority. The title “Lord” expresses this sovereignty. Scripture affirms:

Acknowledging God as Lord means accepting his Word, submitting to his will and walking in obedience. The refusal of this lordship lies at the heart of sin: man wants to be his own master, to define good and evil for himself Genesis 3.5-6. The restoration of the relationship with God therefore comes through the recognition of his sovereignty and through repentance.

2. God as Father

If God is Lord, he is also Father. This relational dimension is already present in the Old Testament, where God calls Israel “my son” Exodus 4.22, but it reaches its fullness in the New Testament. Jesus teaches his disciples to pray: “Our Father in heaven” Matthew 6.9. Through faith in Christ, believers become children of God:

The fatherhood of God expresses his love, his protection, his discipline and his closeness. It is not a mere symbolic concept: it describes a real relationship, founded on the spiritual adoption brought about by the Spirit Romans 8.15-16. God is not only the sovereign Master: he is the loving Father who takes care of his children.

3. Human Responsibility before God

Because God is Lord and Father, man is responsible before him. This responsibility is manifested in several ways:

• Moral responsibility: man is called to reflect the character of God, to practice justice, truth and holiness.
• Spiritual responsibility: man must answer God’s call, believe, repent and walk in faith.
• Vocational responsibility: man is charged with tilling the earth, managing creation and living in relationship with others according to the divine will.

The Bible affirms that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” 2 Corinthians 5.10. Human life is therefore not without direction or without consequence: it is lived before God, under his gaze and for his glory.

4. The Knowledge of God as a Living Relationship

In the Bible, knowing God does not mean only knowing things about him. It is entering into a personal, living and transforming relationship. Jesus says:

This knowledge involves:

• Faith, which welcomes God’s revelation;
• Love, which answers divine love;
• Obedience, which shows trust;
• Communion, sustained by prayer, the Word and the Spirit.

The relationship between God and man is not static: it is meant to grow. God makes himself known progressively, and man is invited to walk with him, like Enoch Genesis 5.24, Abraham Genesis 17.1 or the disciples of Jesus.

Conclusion

God is not a distant concept: he is Lord, Father and Savior. Man, created in his image, is called to live in relationship with him, in faith, obedience and love. Understanding this relationship sheds light on the whole Christian life and prepares us to approach the following doctrines, notably those of sin, salvation and sanctification.

The doctrine of God is the foundation of all Christian theology. The Bible presents God as the sovereign Creator, eternal and immutable, who exists by himself and who reveals himself to humanity. He makes himself known through creation Psalms 19.1, through the conscience Romans 2.14-15, through inspired Scripture 2 Timothy 3.16, and fully in Jesus Christ, the perfect image of the Father Colossians 1.15.

God is one Deuteronomy 6.4, yet he exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit Matthew 28.19. His attributes reveal his greatness: he is almighty, all-knowing, holy, just, good, faithful and full of grace. His works manifest his character: he creates, sustains, governs and saves. Finally, God enters into relationship with man as Lord and as Father, calling each one to faith, obedience and communion with him John 17.3.

Knowing God is not only understanding truths: it is entering into a living relationship that transforms life and gives direction to all theology.