AFReG Devotions—24 January 2023

WHO IS GOD?

Our concept of God shapes everything else about our lives. It is therefore the most important quest in humans. If our God is small, our world is small. If our God is legalistic, our leadership is legalistic. How we live, lead, and govern are all shaped by our concept of God.

The Uncreated Creator

To start with, God is the genesis of all that is. He is the only being that does not have a beginning. In other words, He is uncreated. He is self-existent apart from creation. Yet, all things were created by Him. To put it another way, God is the First cause in the universe.

The Sustainer of Creation

God is not disengaged from His creation. He responsibly and purposefully sustains all of creation.

The Immortal and Invisible One

No one can see God fully with just the human faculties. He is immortal and lives in unapproachable light. No one has seen or can see Him. (Exodus 33:20; 1 Timothy 6:16)

The Source of All that is Good

The purpose of God for all of creation is good. All good things in human experience come from God; the Father of all lights. (James 1:17)

The Perfect One

God is also the Perfect One. He is all light, and no darkness. He is all good, with no evil. He is all powerful, without limit. He is all love, without malice.

The Source of Love

God is love. This is the most powerful truth about God. Love is the motivation for all that God does. It is because of love that God reaches out to humans to make Himself reachable and knowable. God created humans to be in a love-relationship with Him. The power that keeps humans interconnected is love.

The Source of Meaning and Fulfillment

It is by understanding and connecting with God that humans gain meaning to life. God is the source of wisdom. It is through God’s wisdom that humans gain understanding and insight as to the purpose of life, and their place in life for that matter.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

What is the purpose of human life?

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

God has not distanced Himself from His creation. He is actively involved in the affairs of humans and holds them responsible for their actions. He is ultimately the One to whom all are accountable for their thoughts and actions; both those hidden and those revealed.

The right knowledge and relationship with God therefore matters; above all else. The motivation for our relationship with God should be love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

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