Biblical Worldview - Part 2 - Is there a God? If so, What is He Like?
By Ben Quine
****The way we act is shaped by the way we look at the world. Our lives are shaped by our basic assumptions and convictions. These Worldview Articles will explore what a “worldview” is. Each person has a worldview, whether they know it or not, and it determines every decision and choice a person makes. Do you have a Biblical Worldview or are factors other than the Bible informing your choices and decisions. In this series of articles, we will take an in-depth look at 7 Vital Worldview Questions, as the starting place for building a Biblical Worldview. (These articles are adapted from David Quine’s Answers for Difficult Days “Seven Vital Worldview Questions.” David is Ben’s father and the founder of Cornerstone Curriculum a Biblically based Homeschool Curriculum.)
A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” This is because the question, “Is there a God?” is the most foundational concept humans address in their existence. All other decisions and ideas flow from the answer to this question.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
(Genesis 1:1)
The Bible begins at the beginning of history, when God created the world out of nothing. So, the Bible’s answer to this most important question is, Yes! There is a God! This leads us to the next logical question, What is He like?
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:19)
The God of the Bible, the true and living God, is one.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”(Genesis 1:26)
“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:7)
God is also clearly present in multiple persons — “let us… in our…”
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)
In Matthew Chapter 3 we see all three persons of God present and active at one time: Jesus was being baptized (by John the Baptist), God the Father spoke from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended from the heavens, coming to rest on Jesus, the Son.
God exists as three persons simultaneously, and does not change from one person to the other.
…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (I Peter 1:2)
God is one, and He is eternally present in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, God has been revealed as a Trinity, three-in-one. The word “Trinity" does not appear in the Bible, but the Trinity is clearly taught from Genesis through to Revelation.
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, (Isaiah 44:24)
The eternal God created the universe and everything that exists, out of nothing.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3)
For by him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)
Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, was not created. He has always been God—even before “the beginning.” In fact, the Bible says that Jesus was the one who personally created everything. He holds all things together. Physicists understand that two positive or two negative electrical charges will repel each other. As a result, every atom in creation naturally wants to explode. But these scientists also know that there is a force holding every atom together, which they call “the strong force.” This is the most powerful known force in the entire universe, and without this force, every atom would spontaneously detonate!
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
As Creator, God is the King who has absolute authority over His creation: He deserves Lordship over every area of our lives. He deserves our praise and our devotion.
Some people believe in Deism: the idea that God created the universe and then simply set it in motion, like a spinning top, completely removing His influence.
You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. (Nehemiah 9:6)
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. (Psalm 36:6-7)
God is not far off from His creation. Again and again, Scripture teaches that He is actively taking care of His creation. He is the preserver.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. (I Chronicles 29:11-12)
God is the reigning King of the universe.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:35)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, (Ephesians 1:11)
Earthly kings and governments compete with each other for power and wealth, but God is not impressed by them. They are powerless, and to Him, “the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales” (Isaiah 40:15). None can oppose Him or hinder Him. He controls the future, he is the reigning Sovereign.
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. (Matthew 10:29)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (I Peter 5:6-7)
How wonderful that our triune God, the eternal, all-powerful Creator is, by His unlimited power and wisdom, looking after and caring for all of His creation! He is not distant, but He is actively preserving and providing for the animals and for humanity.
He wants a personal relationship with you. He is worthy of all of our praise, so praise Him right now! He knows the needs you have at this moment and He delights to meet them, so call out to Him!
Next time we’ll take a closer look at the universe and creation.
Ben Quine is Vice President of Christians Engaged and is the Director of Curriculum Development and Strategic Ministry Partnerships.
Learn more about Ben on our website: christiansengaged.org/leadership
Find Ben’s corresponding “Answers for Difficult Days” books in our Christians Engaged Store