Is the God You Worship the True God?
Generally, people have a form of worship, they were born into a religious environment, and within that environment they had acquired since their infancy certain rites, customs, and prayers. Many however did not make sure whether the “God” they are worshiping is indeed the true God! Many accept religious dogma as a proven fact without testing it against the Word of God, which is truth!—John 17:17.
The Bible does not support the principle of blind faith—believing without making sure through research, rather it says, “Make sure of all things, hold fast to what is fine.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) The standard by which we can make sure what is good are the Holy Scriptures, which are spoken of in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.”
The various religious denominations made up countless theories about God, one even more philosophical than the other! Holding on to such theories and professing such beliefs brings destruction upon oneself (2 Peter 2:1, 2; 3:16). Only those who follow the truth taught by the Lord Jesus and His disciples, the truth revealed in the Holy Scriptures will achieve everlasting life.—John 5:24; 2 Timothy 3:14, 15.
Among professed Christian denominations believers may hold the conviction that God is
• three persons in one—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Trinitarian view)
• two persons in one—the Father and the Son, while the Holy Spirit does not have any distinct personality (dualist view)
• one person who reveals himself in three different modes or aspects—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (modalism)
The Bible, the Word of God, simply teach the following truths about God the Creator:
ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD
Throughout its pages, the Bible teaches that there is one true and real God and this conclusion is supported by dozens of scriptures. Whenever he speaks in the Bible he speaks of himself in the singular (I, me, mine etc.; compare Genesis 6:17; 9:9, 15; 15:14; Exodus 6:7; 13:2; Leviticus 26:23, 27), and nowhere does he speak about himself in the plural (we, us, our, ours etc.)
Only when he is talking to others does he say “our,” “us.” (Genesis 1:26; 3:22) So this would be a sufficient proof to show that God is not a plurality of two or three persons.
Moreover, the Bible does not only say that “God is one,” but also tells us who this One is.
ONLY THE FATHER IS GOD!
The straightforward teaching the Lord Jesus presented show that only the Father is God.
In John 6:27 he says, “Work, not for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for everlasting life, which the Son of man will give you; for on this one the Father, God himself, has put his seal of approval.” Who is God? According to Jesus’ statement, the Father is “God himself.”
A similar statement reads in John 6:45 (NIV). Jesus teaches us: “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.” Jesus identifies God, who teaches them all, with “the Father”, and who received the Father’s teaching comes to him. The words “him” and “me” designate two distinct persons. Thus God does not reveal himself as the Father on one occasion, and as the Son on another. Rather, the Father and the Son are two different persons, and Jesus only describes the Father as being God!
John 8:54 reads: “Jesus answered: ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, the one who you say is your God.’” Lord Jesus reveals who is his Father. He is none other their God, the God of the Jewish people, whom Jesus talked to, and about this God it was written in the Law: “So you know that Jehovah is the true God; there is no other beside him.” (Deuteronomy 4:35) This God was other than Jesus, because Jesus makes it clear that if he glorifies himself, his glory is nothing, unless somebody else, specifically God (his Father), glorifies him. In reality, he was sent by Him, he did not come in his own name.—John 5:43, 44; 8:42.
The Lord Jesus says in John 17:1, 3 something that outstandingly contradicts the doctrines mentioned at the beginning of this article: “Father, the hour has come. . . . This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” Look! Jesus speaks out that the only true God is the Father, whom he was praying to.
Let’s think about it. Can God pray to God? Does God need anything or anyone? (Acts 17:24, 25) Jesus did not say he was the true God, or that the true God was the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Neither did he say that He’s the Father and the Son, but said that only the Father was the true God.
The same was true with the apostles. They had also understood that only the Father was God. The scripture at 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 reflects their teaching: “Now concerning the eating of food offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no God but one. For even though there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords,’ there is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and we through him.” These verses undoubtedly state that, for Christians, there is only one God and this is “the Father”, and the Father is a different person than Jesus, because all things come “from” Him, whereas Jesus bears the role of an agent, because he is the one “through whom all things are.” The One “from” whom things are is other than the one “through” whom things are!
Like the apostle Paul, the apostle Peter also taught that God was the Father, and He was a different Person than Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit. “According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, with sanctification by the spirit, for the purpose of being obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ: May undeserved kindness and peace be increased to you. Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Peter 1:2, 3.
Actually, if you read the introductions of all the New Testament letters, you find that almost each and every one of them spells out this distinction between God presented as the Father, Jesus Christ presented as the Son or the Lord, and the Holy Spirit. Let us consider a few examples.
GOD IS OTHER THAN JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
If the Scriptures show God to be other than the Son and the Holy Spirit, than the doctrine of the Trinity and the dualistic and the modalistic explanations, which claim that the Father and the Son share the place in God’s being, face a serious threat. Consider the following examples.
“Now I urge you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the spirit, that you exert yourselves with me in prayers to God for me.” (Romans 15:30) Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father are referred to in this scriptures, but the apostle does not talk about a triad of persons within a Godhead. No, God is presented as being distinct from Lord Jesus and also from the Holy Spirit, “through” we exert ourselves in prayers to God. Consequently, Romans 15:30 does not claim that God is a trinity or a duality of persons, neither does it state that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are manifestations of the same Person as modalism claims; it rather says that there one God and two other intermediaries through whom man gives prayer to God.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14, NIV) Even if this verse also makes a reference to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, it does not say that they are one Person, as modalism claims, nor that they are equal or consubstantial. Moreover, it is being shown that the Being of God is separate and distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit!
In Ephesians 2:18 we learn who are the intermediaries through whom we can approach God: “Because through him [Christ, vs. 12] we, both peoples, [Jews and Gentiles] have free access to the Father by one spirit. [the Holy Spirit]” As we can read, we can approach the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son and the Holy Spirit are intermediaries to God, they are not part of God’s Being. The three are distinct as persons and have a different role! The Father is God and he is the ultimate hearer of prayer, while the Son and the Holy Spirit are mediators.
“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life . . . to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 20, 21, 25, NIV) This is another passage where the difference between the Holy Spirit, in which we pray, God and Jesus Christ is manifest. Thus the person of “the only God” is distinct from the person of Jesus Christ, and also of the Holy Spirit, in or through which we pray. It is interesting that this situation of an “only God”, who is different than Jesus, existed even before Jesus’ being born of Mary, as God is not changing, he is the same from time indefinite to time indefinite.
Dear reader, consider this: Is your God the Same, One and Only, distinct from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, THROUGH whom we give God “glory, majesty, power and authority before all ages, now and forevermore?”
Let each reader give themselves the answer to this question personally, to make sure they recognize as God the Father, the God of the Bible, Jesus’ God, the apostles’ God, and not another god, conceived by the human mind
Dear reader, by means of this tract you have been given witness of the truth.