Who is God?

Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)

Since the beginning of time mankind has sought meaning, purpose and an answer to the question, "Why are we here?" But to understand that we have to first choose a path regarding what we believe about our conception. Who or what brought us into existence? If a "who" then why? What was the Creator's purpose for bringing forth life? And if a "what" then why?

I say we have to choose because both require faith in something. Before I address my obvious belief that we were intelligently designed and created, I need to point out that for me, personally, I struggle to wrap my head around the notion that a "what" is responsible for the complexities of life and the universe we still seek to understand. After all, a cosmic event like the Big Bang would not actually be cosmic, would it? For it to be a cosmic event, I would suppose there would need to be a cosmos? But according to this theory, one had not come to pass yet. It presents a "chicken or egg" argument that only ends up in a circle of never-ending speculation.

That being said, I find it requires a lot more faith to believe an event, which had no prerequisite for matter or intelligence, could possibly have triggered everything we observe and experience in this realm of life which is clearly full of matter and intelligence. Consider this: Would you call me mad if I suggested the computer I'm using to write this blog spawned from absolutely nothing? I would certainly hope you would! I think it's a fair assumption to make that creating a computer is a sophisticated process that requires an intelligent designer. But the Big Bang requires us to put this knowledge aside and believe something can spawn from nothing.

To continue, let's explore why it is more logical to believe that something must come from something. Every tool, machine, piece of art, building, or work that we create is just that - created. It was conceptualized, designed, planned and formed. There is also intent behind every thing we create. Therefore, I don't think it's off course to consider that the same truths we know about our life on earth also applied at the beginning of time. Could there be intelligence behind the design of the universe (understatement of the year)? Could the universe and mankind also be intentional and purposeful creations?

I believe so. I would venture to even say, I know so.

When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4)

I'm currently reading a book written by C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Though I have not yet completed the book, the author spends the first portion of it challenging readers to critically think about their belief system, especially those identifying as atheist. He points out, much like I will too, that belief in a higher power is much more logical based on what we can observe and experience and for that reason it will not require as much faith as atheism does. This doesn't even begin to demonstrate that the God of Judeo-Christian belief is that particular deity. To get there, we need to explore the titular question further, "Who is God?"

My God, my Savior

I could rewrite the Bible here and begin making logical and theological arguments in favor of Christianity. But I feel that it's better for my audience during the infancy of this blog to share who God is to me, on a personal level. And if you're reading this, I truly do appreciate your curiosity to discover what I'm doing with my time, God-given talent, and my faith. But I would actually prefer that you're not here for me. I would rather that you're here to discover the Living God. That's my hope for you...because I cannot even begin to tell you how unknowingly lost I was before Him.

Have you ever been out to dinner with someone, eaten something delicious, and then wanted to share it with your guests? Or maybe you kept bothering your friend to borrow your log-in and password so they can enjoy Game of Thrones just like you did? Well, I discovered who the Living God is, found relationship with Him, realized His love for me, and I cannot help but share that love.

I debated whether or not I wanted to share that I grew up Catholic because I don't want anyone to presume that my upbringing imparted a bias. But I would not credit my religious upbringings with anything more than knowledge of a particular subject. Did it reinforce the idea that God was real? Yes. But I never lived my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ until I actually understood who He is. If I had understood Him growing up, my perspective on life would have been different and therefore, my choices would be different too. But like everyone, I started off my life relentlessly pursuing social acceptance, education, passions, money, vanities, relationships and accolades. At the time in which I was living this way I did not see a need to make God the LORD over all these things. Ironically, I actually saw myself as a God-fearing man that deserved to be happy and get what he wanted (because God loves me, right?). But true understanding of God's will requires humility and the willingness to measure oneself against His standards.

So as I kept studying God's Word, the Bible, it became more apparent to me who He is and very importantly, that I was a sinner on a path to Hell. I had previously thought of sin as poor decisions, which they are. But I failed to realize that sin is much more that just a singular bad decision - it was a very real part of my nature as a human. For example, one could make a decision to steal, which goes against God's commandments outlined in the scripture. Stealing something like bread is motivated by a physical need, but stealing media such as music or movies over the internet - what drives that behavior? Some might not even see it as stealing. Some might say, "It's available to me, so why not take it?" This is a reflection of our sinful desire to possess, own, control, and manipulate the world around us. We know that paying for the media would be the right thing to do, but if we can get away with, then we find ways to justify the behavior. Ultimately, we desire to form the world to our expectations and standards, not God's.

This is just a small element of how God changed me. He changed my priorities. He helped me realize what sin is and the consequences of sin. But He also lavished His love upon me and strengthened me where I was weak. From the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my LORD and Savior, I have never felt more alive, aware, confident, compassionate, generous, patient, and full of unconditional God-given joy. I will admit that when I started my walk with Christ, much of our relationship was centered around what God could do for me. He met me where I was at the time. But it was no excuse to not grow as a disciple.

My relationship with Him today has grown to the point where it's not just about seeking and receiving a blessing. Today and everyday, I am seeking to grow with an anointing to go out into the world and share the life-saving news of Jesus Christ. I cannot help but love God because He loved me enough to purchase my life with His own. So now I hunger and thirst for Him. My desire is to please Him and fulfill the work He has commanded each of His disciples to do.

God saved me and now He wants me to join Him on this rescue mission, to announce to the world that faith in Jesus Christ takes away sin and will lead to everlasting life.