God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Before anything was, He was. After everything has crumbled into dust, He shall be (Isa. 45:22 Ps. 90:2). How can we know about Him?

By simple observation of nature, we may know of his wisdom and power. The whole earth is full of his glory (Ps. 72:19)....His infinite wisdom is written all over the world (Isa. 6:3). We know that He is powerful far beyond anything existing in this vast universe. For it is God who has made the world and all that is therein (Gen 1:1 Ps. 24:1 33:8-9).

But by far the greatest delineation of God's person is to be found in the Book of God, the Bible. There we learn He is spirit (John 4:24) that he is living (Jer. 10:10) that He is infinite (Ps. 147:5) that He is truth (Deut. 32:4) that He is holy (1 Pet. 1:16) that He is love (1 John 4:8).

Additional characteristics of the person of God are revealed through His names. He is spoken of as El, or Elah, meaning the Strong One. He is called Jehovah, meaning the Self-Existent One also Adoni or the Master of all. To these are added compounding names such as El Shaddai, meaning all sufficiency, and El Elyon, meaning God Most High and El Olam, meaning God of Eternity (Gen. 17:1 14:18 21:33), Yahwey - "I Am" (Exodus 3:13-14).

1. Omniscient - All Knowing (Ps. 147:5)

2. Omnipresent - Every Present (Ps. 46:1)

3. Omnipotent - All Powerful (Ps. 147:1-5)

4. Immutable - Unchangeable (Heb. 6:17-18)

The power of God is utterly without measure. Each new scientific discovery reveals more of His might. The earth itself is a most stupendous demonstration of His ability. The starry universe overhead is an amazing revelation of God's strength and energy. God is greater than all that which He has created (Ps. 145:3 104:24 8:3). God is supreme over all. He can never be surprised, defeated or uncertain. He yields to no power, decree or authority. He represents perfection to an infinite degree in every aspect of His being.

Who is Jesus, and why is it important for us to know? We live in an age of religious pluralism and moral relativism. The popular spiritual philosophy, especially after the events of September 11th, is that all religious belief systems, as long as heart-felt, are equal. Pick one and follow it sincerely, and you’ll get to Heaven. That’s what the world believes, but Jesus teaches otherwise. Therefore, we need to examine who Jesus is by looking at some of the questions people frequently ask about Him. The answers are found in the Bible, the historical evidence people have trusted for over 2000 years.

He Was 100% Man! According to John 1:14 Jesus became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Why is His humanity so important? In Hebrews 4:15, Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are. As such, Jesus can sympathize with our weakness as humans. What can we learn from the way Jesus handled temptation? According to 1 John 3:5, Jesus came to earth in human form so that He could die a physical death and take away our sins. How would we all be affected, if we had no potential for escape from our sins? Jesus is the key to membership in God’s family. When He stooped to our level by becoming a man, He made it possible for us to relate to Him and for God to relate to us through Him.

He Was 100% God! Who is Jesus, and how was it possible that Christ’s human body held the whole deity and glory of God? According to John 1:1-3, Jesus existed from the beginning. From the beginning, Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. Here, the Bible establishes the inseparable nature of Jesus and the God of the Universe. The following verses provide further evidence that Jesus is 100% God:

He is the Way to Heaven! Who is Jesus, and why is He the ONLY path to salvation?

In John 14:6, Jesus declares: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Why is it important to know that NO other religious leaders throughout history have ever made these claims? According to Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” How does this contrast with other world religions which are based on “works” versus faith in Jesus and the resurrection? If we can’t build a relationship with God by doing good deeds or repeating rituals, what must we do? Acts 4:12 is clear, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the key to membership in God’s family. When He established His deity by rising from the grave, He made it possible for us to have forgiveness from sin and a renewed relationship with God.

The Holy Spirit is known as the third member of the Trinity. Many Christians know very little about Him, but every person who has ever accepted Christ as their personal Savior has the Holy Spirit in them. In the measure of salvation, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us as the quickening or life-giving agency to make us new creatures in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit recreates our human spirit and makes us a child of God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that makes Jesus Christ real in our lives.

Before the world (physical and spiritual) were made, the Holy Spirit existed as a member of the Trinity with God the Father and God the Son. He ministered in and through the people of God according to the divine will (Genesis 41:39 Numbers. 27:18 Psalm. 139:7). He is just as much a member of the Godhead as God the Father, or as Christ the Son. The perfect deity of the Holy Spirit is revealed in that He is called God (Acts 5:3-4) He has the attributes of God (Genesis 1:2 Heb. 9:14 I Corinthians 2:9-11) and He performs the works that only God can do (Job 33:4 Ps. 104:30 Matt. 12:28). A most beautiful picture of the entire Trinity is observed in the baptism of Christ, where the Father spoke from Heaven, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and the Son was baptized (Matt. 3:16-17).

The ministry of the Spirit of God to the age in which we live is exceedingly important. He is God's plan for success in the Christian life. It is impossible for a believer today to live a life which is pleasing to God without the Spirit, just as it is impossible for an unbeliever to be saved without Christ.

CONSIDER: Have you heard the story of the three men who all claimed the same house? The first man was the builder of the house. He planned the whole thing and then put the house up for sale. The second man was the buyer who paid the price to buy the house. He owned the house, but there is a third man who now lives in the house. So it is with us, God the Father made us God the Son redeemed us with His precious blood at Calvary and God the Holy Spirit has come to live within us. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16). In Christ we are indwelt by the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:10).

The day of Pentecost, which was fifty days following the death of Christ, was chosen by God for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He took up residence in the hearts of the believers: He baptized or united all believers into one body with Christ as head.

The Holy Spirit also energized all believers by His filling in order that they should witness to the multitude (Acts 2:1-47). From the Day of Pentecost until this present day, the Holy Spirit effectively ministers both to the world and to the believers. First, to the world, He convicts (John 16:7-11), and restrains (II Thessalonians. 2:6-8).

To the believer who is new, He regenerates or causes him to be born again into the family of God (John 3:3-8) He indwells the temple of the believer's heart (I Corinthians 12:16) and He seals him for protection--He (the Holy Spirit) Himself, being the seal.

The seventh and last great ministry of the Spirit is that He fills the believer. This is an enduement for service. While the other ministries to the believer occur only once and instantly on conversion, the filling of the Holy Spirit may occur as many times there is need and willingness on the part of the believer (Ephesians. 5:18-20).