Doctrinal Outlines 


WHO 
AND WHAT IS GOD? 

I. 
Introduction 
A. 
"Everyone knows His name,• observed one wise man, 
speaking about God, "but no one seems to know Him!" 
B. 
True words, those. And ironic words, too. For in a 
modern world packed with Bibles of every translation 
and description, and even having the Word of God on 
computer, millions have indeed heard God's name. But 
precious few seem to know much about the living God! 
C. 
What a pity. But we need not --we must not --remain 
in ignorance of this absolutely foundational principle 
of Christianity. We simply must know who the real God 
is and what He is like • 
. II. The Basic Doctrine

( 

A. The Bible clearly reveals 
will listen and believe. 
God's nature, to those who 
God is the eternal, supreme 
Creator. 
B. He is one God, 
the Father and 
but at present a Family of ~~ beings, 
Son, who are alike as the 1 Vlng, kind, 
merciful rulers of all reality, and whq have opened 
their Family to all those humans who €~be saved. 
III. The Usual Teachings of This World 
A. Of course, the religionists of this world would not 
quickly agree with this definition. 
B. The non-Christian world has images of God -or 
of 
"gods" --that cover virtually every possible (or, 
rather, impossible) conception. 
c. Some view God as an animal-like creature, or as the 
sun, or like a man but with six arms. Others think 
god 
the 
is "everywhere," meaning 
wind. 
He is in water or sand or 
D. Still others think of Him only as a force, a great 
beginning power that has no personality, form or 
shape. 
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E. 
F. 
G. 
H. 
IV. The 
A. 
B. 
c. 
D. 
E. 
F. 
® 


G. 
Even Christians argue among themselves. Usually, 
though, in Christian circles, believers think God is a 
trinity --a three-in-one God that they admit is a 
"mystery." 

Further, they believe that this trinity is closed, 

that none shall ever enter within this sacred 

triumvirate of the God-realm. 

Some, especially those who fancy themselves as 
cosmopolitan and educated, don't believe God exists at 
all, or if He did, that He is now dead! 

Which, if any, of these ideas is correct? 

Bible Teaching 

Probably the place to begin is with God's composition. 
We, of course, are human --that is, mortal and made 
of the elements. 

It is not so with God, for Scripture plainly says that 
"God is a Spirit" (John 4:24, Authorized Version). 

We know from other verses that beings composed of 
spirit, including angels, for example, are on a higher 
level of existence than we, and that such spirit is 
not limited by the physical laws of nature to which 
humans are bound (John 3:5-8, Deuteronomy 4:12).

-· ·. ---·-------


But, although composed of spirit like the angels, God 
is not a mere angel. No, He is in a class, guite 
literally, by Himself: "To you it was shown, that you 
might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none 
other besides Him" (Deut_ero_~_?mY -~~ 35). 

And not only is God in a class by Himself, but He is 
higher in rank than all other things, since He is the 
Creator of <UJ. things, and it follows that the creator 
is above the creation. 

Notice this very point, made by the author of Hebrews: 
"He who built the house has more honor than the house. 
For every house is built by someone, but He who built 
all things is God" (Hebrews 3: 3-4).

,_ 

Time and again God confirms He is the only God, and a 
God above all else: 

1. 
"I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no 
God besides ne" (Isaiah 45: 5). 
2. 
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the 
Last• (Revelation 1: 11). 
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H. 
I. 
j 


J. 
K. 
~~ 

Hd!~

. 

L. 
M. 
N. 
Besides being a spirit, the only God and above all 

else, we find that God is both eternal (having no 

beginning or ending) and immortal (will .., 

liv.e _forever).
,...,


1. 
Deuteronomy 33: 27 --God is called(:eternal_._;; 
--~· ·-"---~-"-"?"~" 
"--------~----.,.--' 

2. 
De:.u.t.:ronQffiY-32;39::-_~0 --"Now see that I, even I, 
am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and 
I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any 
who can deliver from My hand. For I lift My hand 
to heaven, and say, 'As I live forever ••.• '" 
Of course, it is natural for humans to want to see God 

or, 
if we cannot, to at least know what He looks like. 

Unless we can see at least a mental image of God, we 
ccannot feel we know Him. Yet Scripture, contrary to 
the beliefs of many, says plainly and pointedly, "No 

one 
has seen God at any time" (John 1:18). 

'•'-~., .....,_.,____~'"-


Clearly, the prospect of seeing God in the flesh is 
nonexistent. But we are not left in darkness, for the 
very one who said no one has seen God, the apostle 
John, also said in the same verse, "The only begotten 
Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He [Jesus 
Christl has declared Him." 

One way Jesus declared the Father was through Jesus' 
very presence on earth as a visible person. In 
response to Philip's request that He "show us the 
Father," Jesus said: "Have I been with you so long, 
and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen 
Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us 
the Father'?" (John 14: 8-9).

-''""·· -·..----~---~--~--. 

We know from this verse and many others (such as 
Genesis 1:27) that the Father resembles human form, 
althougfi-He ___<like Jesus Christ, pictured in Revelation 

1: 13-16) is glorified in flaming brilliance, with-·"ha·ir 
wb:n:e--as snow, "eyes like a flame of fire," with 
"feet .••like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace," 
and His face "like the sun shining in its strength." 
God is no rock or fish, no washed-out, pale stone 
statue dead on an altar, without any life whatsoever 
except for moss clinging to it through the centuries. 
He is like the sun, while retaining the general 
features found in humans. 

Yet, such a powerful, brilliant, eternal, immortal, 
omnipotent being would be but a terror to us all if 
such a one were evil and wicked, a spiritual despot 
who wreaked havoc through the universe and only made 

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humans to torment or to provide entertainment for His 
own fiendish schemes. 

o. 
But our God is not such a God. No, He is the very 
opposite of that worrisome picture, so much so, that 
John, unable to find stronger words to describe God's 
goodness, says, me rely, "God is love" (I~-J~hn 4: 8) • 
P. Love, then --and love is an outgoing concern for 
f(/S:X others --i5J__ God' s _ _gJ;:~a:t:_~f)_t_s i~nJ;I:I,~_at;tribute, His
(&~:::::> 
5Jz:ea~-=.st__9\lal_i_tx. · 

Q. 
Yet it is not God's only character quality, for, as 
the Bible shows, He is also full of "joy, peace, 
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 
gentleness, self-control," the fruits of His Spirit 
(Galatians 5:22-23). 

---,--~-~---,.~-·~,-:= 

R. 
And even that is not all, for it would require many 
more pages to quote verse after verse describing all 
God's attributes--God's loving forgiveness and 
mercy, His power, His zeal, His eternal, positive, 
immortal, immutable, unstoppable greatness! 
s. -Yes;--ol.lr God is a good Goa, fiLLed only with desir·e···· t:_·"~
do good for us. He would never hurt us. No, He would\ 

die 
before He hurt you, and, in fact, He has. Read j

about it in John 3: 16! -----------------· ------


(r}j 

1\:) -----~---"0'-----------


T. 
In the face of such great news about God, it's hard to 
imagine what could be said further. But the best is 
yet to come. And .that: best is this: God is a 
Family --a FamilY~~ can enter as a full member and 
child! 
-~ 

u. 
The fact that God is Family should not have eluded so 
many professing Christians for so long. The 
Scriptures abound with references to God the Father 
and God the Son. Yet most have simply chosen the 
plain meaning of these verses and instead interpret 
such words as merely ~y~ol~c. 
v. 
A great block to understanding that God is a Family is 
found in the common misconceptions about the Holy 
Spirit (misnamed "Holy Ghost") being a person. Such a 
nonbiblical belief must be handled in detail 
~where, but suffice it to say that such a belief 
chokes out the truth about the God Family \JY: 
1. 
adding a _thir_d person to the Godhead who has no 
assigned role as Father or Son, and hence does not 
fit the Family scheme (and thus diverts one's 
understanding from· it}_ as revealed in the Bible,
-·---...,.. . ·---· 

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v. 
VI. 
Jf 

'/
/

( f 

2. 
and creates the familiar closed trinity that so 
many Christians believe in. 
w. 
Such a belief contradicts the greatest truth of God, 
that you and I can enter the God Family as full 
members, on the God level and thus v~sy God ourselves, 
under the authority of the Father ana-son. This 
incredible truth is the plain teaching of God's Word 
(John 1:11, 12, II Corinthians 6:17, 18, Galatians 
4:-s=7; Rornan-s--s:l4-T7,. r··cofirithians 15::35-55, J'ohn

JT:-2a;g, ~--


x. 
For more information on this vital subject, read "Just 
What Is the Holy Spirit?," The Incredible Human 
Potential and Your Awesome Future --How Religion
Deceives You. 

Key 
Verses 

Although this is a large subject, it helps comprehension 

to 
remember, or even memorize, a few key verses:

/ ---··-·---~ --,.:.~~-J 

A. 
/e~-~-~shows God is a spirit being. 
B. 
((rsaiah 45:5)shows God is the only God. 
C. 
(f~~-;i~eveals that no one has seen God, but that 
't-he___s.on./has declared Him. 

D. 
rie;;;ation 1:13-16 i:lescribes God's glorified body that 
· s_hines with tre.me dous brilliance.
-· --~--~::-~:·:::...:"..:::::::-----~~-,.,....


E. (·Joh~ 1: 11-i2) conveys the astounding truth that we can 
'-,_enter the/G6d Family.
-..•..________ --------· 

Conclusion 

Yes, this world knows God's name, but does <QgJ:) know Him. 

But those who will hear and believe the simple, but 
e_x<:;:U;iJ;lg truths that flood from His Word can know both His 
name and -~lhO and what He is! 

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