(Part 1 of a Series)

In this series, we will delve into two pivotal, yet elusive, topics: God and people. When children know who God really is and what He says about who they really are, they can confidently navigate faith and life. Kids must know both the Lord and themselves intimately—not superficially.

“Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God. Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” —John Calvin, Institutes

God matters most. The entire universe revolves around Him. The Lord is incomparably great—superior to everything else. He outshines and overshadows all others. God is the nucleus, heart, and centerpiece of existence. Life begins and ends with Him. Just as a jeweler delights in each facet of a beautiful diamond, as we examine each aspect of God’s character our love for Him grows. Learning about the Lord is more important (and more rewarding) than anything else we can do!

People matter to God. Socrates encouraged his students “Know thyself!” Why? “The unexamined life is not worth living.” People who truly grasp what God says about their identity finally understand who they are and how they are to live. These facts become foundation stones on which we build our lives. Put another way, our theology molds us into the people we become.

God deserves to occupy the central focus in the minds, hearts, and souls of every human being. May it be our daily ambition to know God intimately, to love Him passionately, and to serve Him selflessly—so we may enjoy the Lord endlessly!

“Who Is God?”

Short Answer
God is Supreme. God exceeds the greatness of everything else; He is matchless.

Biblical Answer (Daniel 2:1-49)
One night, King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a mysterious dream. The king demanded the impossible of his court magicians and wise men: reconstruct his vision and explain what it means. They protested, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream” (2:10, NLT). Nebuchadnezzar promptly ordered the execution of all his advisors.

Facing impending death, Daniel prayed to the supreme Lord. That night, God revealed the king’s secret. Daniel lifted his voice in praise to the all-knowing, all-wise God whom he served. The next morning, Daniel met with the king and fully unveiled the dream and its interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar responded, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret” (2:47, NLT).

Expanded Answer
God is Supreme. God exceeds the greatness of everything else; He is matchless. The one, true God is the Absolute Being—the Highest, Best, and Most Wonderful. He created and sustains all things.

The Scriptures declare, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all” (1 Chronicles 29:11; NASB).

The Lord God is far superior to all other beings. He reigns supreme throughout the universe. He holds the highest rank; He is the first, the best, and the most wonderful in every way. God remains in a category all by Himself. The mighty One with supreme authority has no rivals!

Rabbi Moses Maimonides wrote, “He is a Being to whom none of His creatures is similar.”

Pastor A.W. Tozer explained, “Forever God stands apart, in light unapproachable. He is as high above an archangel as above a caterpillar, for the gulf that separates the archangel from the caterpillar is but finite, while the gulf between God and the archangel is infinite.” —Knowledge of the Holy, p. 76

Teaching Analogy
Just as the Sun dominates and controls all the planets in our Solar system, God reigns supreme over the entire universe. The Sun is so huge that it contains 99.86% of the mass of the entire solar system. All the combined planets, comets, and asteroids comprise only 0.14%. The Sun governs our solar system.

The Sun has three important jobs:

The Sun’s gravity keeps the planets in orbit. Because the Sun is so large, its magnetic field attracts smaller objects and holds them in place.
The Sun’s light helps us see. As the Sun burns immense amounts of hydrogen, it radiates brilliant light in every direction.
The Sun’s heat energy helps things grow. The surface of the Sun is more than 9900°F. Thankfully, only a small fraction of that heat reaches the earth.

One Sun has three different functions. The Sun’s gravity, light, and heat energy all come from one source; the Sun is three-in-one. This analogy helps us understand a particularly difficult, but essential, truth about who God is. Though there is only one God, the Bible reveals that the Lord is Triune—three-in-one. God interacts in three distinct, united, and equal roles—Father, Son, and Spirit.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) Plural references to God (“Us” and “Our”) hint of His tri-unity.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19) Matthew breaks grammatical rules by linking a singular subject (“name”) with a compound predicate “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” He is saying, in effect, all three Persons are one God. (See also: Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 13:14.)

The Sun’s gravity, light, and heat energy illustrate the Trinity. Just as one Sun has three different functions in our solar system, God is one Person with three different jobs:

The Sun’s gravity keeps the planets in orbit. Similarly, God the Father created and rules the universe (Hebrews 11:3; Ephesians 4:6). The Heavenly Father is God. The Father upholds the universe—all things seen and unseen (Deuteronomy 32:6; Matthew 5:16).
The Sun’s light helps us see. Similarly, God the Son came as the “light of the world.” Jesus showed people what God is like and how to follow Him (John 8:12). The Obedient Son is God. The Son loves to fulfill the Father’s will; He always pleases the Lord (Isaiah 50:5-6; John 15:10).
The Sun’s heat energy helps things grow. Similarly, God the Holy Spirit enables believers to grow in their faith (Ephesians 2:21-22). The Holy Spirit is God. The Spirit manifests the Lord’s dynamic presence on earth (Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 14:16-17).

Application Ideas

Just as the planets of our solar system circle the Sun, all your activities should revolve around God who reigns supreme over all.
Determine to know God more and more intimately. As you grow to know Him better, you will ascend life’s opportunities and challenges.
To make God your supreme Leader, what activities do you need to start or stop?
Let your life tell the story of who your God is!

Read the next article in this series: Who Are You?