The New City Catechism — Week 2
Question 1 — What is God?
Answer — God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens except through him and by his will.
For thousands of years, mankind has been wrestling with our question this week and seeking to know in clearer and fuller ways what is God and who He is exactly.
I think about the journey of mankind from the garden to where we are now and how often we have strayed off the clear-cut path to find God and have found ourselves lost on shortcuts trying to answer that question. We have invented new religions, followed gurus, made pilgrimages, built cathedrals and so on in our pursuit of answers—but all of them have led to dead ends and us short of answers.
What is God? The Bible tells us clearly throughout scripture and shows us we are without the need of the input of others to help us know the answer. The Bible is sufficient to tell us all we need to know about God and who He is—for any and all who come asking.
God is creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. If we were to just pause and try to wrap out mind around that statement. The God of creation is so powerful and the stretch of influence so wide, He is at this very moment holding together everything and everyone. That means from microscopic atoms to vast stars in our galaxy. I can’t help but think of the author of Hebrews when he says,
Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)3He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
But the Bible doesn’t stop with telling us what God does, it also tells us who He is. He is eternal (has no beginning and no end), He is infinite (has no limits), He is unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness, glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. God is everything we cannot be and everything we need in this life and beyond. God is the source of life and goodness and wisdom and truth. In a culture that is confused on these things, the Bible speaks clearly on the questions mankind has been asking for thousands of years.
But of final note, nothing happens except through God and by His will. God is sovereign over all things. Just as a king rules with absolute authority over his kingdom and his word is final, so is God over all that exists. Because of this truth, we can sleep easy at night and live our lives to the fullest due to the fact God is in control.
When we look at all the Bible says about God and what He does, another remarkable takeaway is to see that all that God is, is displayed perfectly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the clear-cut path that leads us to heaven’s gates and right to the front row before the throne of God. If we seek after Him, we will find answers and hope—things our world desperately needs and is searching for today.
Psalm 86:8–10, 15 (ESV) 8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God…. 15But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.