God is not distant, divided, or unpredictable. That’s what it means that God is one—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So you can actually know what he’s like. And what he’s like is good.
God is one being, not divided or conflicted within himself. He does not change and is not made of parts, so his Word and actions are always consistent and he never contradicts himself. He is completely trustworthy.
God is present everywhere, has always existed, and depends on nothing outside himself. He knows all things—past, present and future—and always applies his knowledge rightly. He acts freely according to his one, unchanging, and faithful will.
God is morally pure and different from all creatures. So while he is all-powerful, majestic, and rules above all created things—and while we cannot fully understand him—we know that he uses that power for good. He is just and truthful—and at the same time good, loving, merciful, gracious, and patient. He can be trusted. He’s worthy of worship.
This one God is three eternal persons.
The Father, Son and Spirit are truly God. They are one being, and yet distinct from each other. They are equal in authority, glory, and worth and have existed as one God from all eternity.
They relate to each other in this way: The Father is. The Son is eternally generated from the Father. The Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father through the Son. There has never been a time when they have not existed in this way.
Because the one God has existed this way forever, he is not solitary or loveless. He did not create you because he is lonely, but because he is love in himself and wants to share his love with you.
So God doesn’t need anything from you. You do not exist to satisfy him—you exist to receive what he freely gives.
Jesus is the Son who has now also become a man. He reveals God to you as he truly is.
The one God always acts by all three persons working together in harmony. The Bible speaks of different actions being appropriate to each person. The Father does everything through Jesus, the one who has been revealed to you. Jesus has united himself with you—and you receive this in baptism. So, you are the Father’s child. Jesus has given you his Spirit, bringing you real communion with God.
You truly know the Father, Son and Spirit as they are, because you know Jesus through God’s Word.
God revealed himself progressively in history, so that all may come to trust in Jesus. Jesus can deliver on all God’s promises to you and God has no hidden agenda apart from him.
That is who God is.
And this is what God is like when it matters most. You see someone’s true character most clearly when you let them down. If you want to see how God responds when you fail him, listen to this sermon:
What does God do when you fail him?
https://manchesterlutheran.church/sermons/what-does-god-do-when-you-fail-him/
If you want a fuller explanation of who this God is, you can read our church’s confession: https://lutheran.ch/confession/
Or join us:
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