The Biblical Nature and Identity of the One True God

Exodus 20:2-3

2 I am the LORD your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 You shall have no other gods before me.

Deuteronomy 6:4

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Deuteronomy 4:35

35 To you it was showed, that you might know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

Psalm 83:18

18 That men may know that you, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, are the most high over all the earth.

Isaiah 42:8

8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Isaiah 43:10-11

10 You are my witnesses, says the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior.

Isaiah 45:5-6

5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded you, though you have not known me:

6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

Psalm 139:7

7 Where shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence?

Malachi 2:10

10 Have we not all one father? has not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

John 17:3

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Acts 3:13

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

Acts 3:26

26 To you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

John 4:22-23

22 You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.

1 Corinthians 8:4-7

4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

7 However, there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol to this hour eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

1 Corinthians 11:3

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Galatians 3:20

20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

Ephesians 4:6

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

1 Timothy 2:5

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

James 2:19

19 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

The true Biblical meaning of this principle is that there is one supreme, personal, and spiritual Being—the Father—who is the source of all existence and the ultimate authority in the universe, and who reveals His presence and character through His Son and by His Holy Spirit. 📖

This Bible study explores how the Scriptures define the identity, character, and omnipresence of the one true God.

1. The Identity of the One True God

The Scriptures are uncompromising in declaring that there is only one God. This is not a mere abstract theory but a foundational truth for our worship.

• The Proclamation of Unity: The most fundamental statement of faith is that "the LORD our God is one LORD" Deuteronomy 6:4. This excludes the worship of any other entities, as God declares, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another" Isaiah 42:8.

• The Exclusive Sovereign: There is no God beside Him; He is the first and the last Isaiah 44:6. This is confirmed in the New Testament, where we are told, "there is none other God but one" 1 Corinthians 8:4.

• The Father as the Source: Paul clarifies the identity of this one God: "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things... and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things" 1 Corinthians 8:6. He is the "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" Ephesians 4:6.

2. A Personal and Spiritual Being

God is not a distant force or a pantheistic essence; He is a personal Being with a distinct character, though He is spiritual in nature.

• Spiritual Worship: Jesus taught that "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" John 4:24.

• The Personality of God: He is the "Living God" Daniel 6:26 who possesses a name, Jehovah, which belongs to Him alone Psalm 83:18. He is a personal Father who created us, as the prophet asks, "Have we not all one father? hath not one god created us?" Malachi 2:10.

• Eternal and Infinite: He is the "King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God" 1 Timothy 1:17. His wisdom and knowledge are so vast that He declares, "I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning" Isaiah 46:9-10.

3. The Revelation of His Character

God’s character is defined by holiness, justice, goodness, and mercy. This character is perfectly transcribed in His law and revealed through His Son.

• Goodness and Mercy: When God revealed His glory to Moses, He proclaimed His name as "The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" Exodus 34:6.

• The Character Revealed in Christ: Jesus prayed, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" John 17:3. Christ is the "express image of his person" Hebrews 1:3, and to see the Son is to see the character of the Father John 14:9.

• The God of Israel: Peter identifies the God of the New Testament as the same God of the Old Testament: "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus" Acts 3:13.

4. Omnipresence Through the Holy Spirit

While God is a personal Being with a throne in heaven, He is everywhere present by His representative, the Holy Spirit.

• An All-Pervading Presence: David describes the impossibility of escaping God’s presence: "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" Psalm 139:7. Whether in heaven or the furthest sea, God’s hand leads and holds the believer through His Spirit Psalm 139:8-10.

• The Spirit as Helper: This Spirit is the agency by which the Father and the Son make their abode with the believer John 14:23. It is the "Spirit of the living God" written on the "fleshly tables of the heart" 2 Corinthians 3:3.

5. The True Object of Worship

Understanding the unity of God is essential for true worship and prevents us from falling into modern forms of idolatry.

• The First Commandment: The foundation of all morality is the command: "I am the LORD thy God... Thou shalt have no other gods before me" Exodus 20:2-3.

• The Mediator: While there is one God, there is also "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" 1 Timothy 2:5. This arrangement preserves the "headship" of God, as "the head of Christ is God" 1 Corinthians 11:3.

• Living Faith: Merely acknowledging that there is one God is not enough, for "the devils also believe, and tremble" James 2:19. True faith is a living connection with the "only true God" John 17:3 that results in a character transformed into His likeness.

Summary Takeaway: The Bible reveals one God, the Father, who is the Almighty Creator. He is infinite in all His attributes and is made known to us through the mediation of His Son and the omnipresent work of His Holy Spirit. Knowing Him personally is the very essence of eternal life. 🌟