7 Days of Fundamental Biblical Concepts for StudentsSample

Who Is God?

God is the loving Creator who sustains everything. He is eternal and unchanging in his goodness, wisdom and power.

The first thing we read about God in Genesis is that he created the world and said that it was good. Day and night, water and earth, plants and animals all came into being when God spoke. He made humans in his image, giving us his very breath.

In Acts 17:28, Paul quotes a Greek poem to describe how in God ‘‘we live and move and have our being.’’ Whether we acknowledge God or not, he is the one who sustains us and gives us life. There is no equal to God, no one who comes before or after. God is our Creator and Sustainer, but he is also so much more. He wants a close, personal relationship with us, and he is committed to doing whatever it takes to maintain that relationship.

We see throughout the Bible that no matter how often they turn away, God rescues his children and refuses to abandon them. When the Israelites are suffering as slaves in Egypt, God hears their cry and comes to set them free. When Israel becomes a nation that turns its back on him, God unleashes judgment, but he also promises redemption. Though his people are faithless, God remains faithful, promising to restore his children.

God’s promise is fulfilled in Jesus, who died to free humanity from sin and death, and who makes us new by sending his Spirit to dwell within us. Now, as we read in Romans 8:38-39, nothing can come between us and God no sin, no shame, no failure can separate us from his eternal love if we believe in him.