The Basics of Being ChristianSample

What is God like?

We started this Plan by looking at what Christianity is really all about: Jesus Christ, our serpent-crushing savior king. We’ve done our best to try and grasp the significance of what it means to be in Christ, and we’ve talked about what the Bible really is and what it’s for.

Today, we’re going to discover some of the foundational truths that illustrate the character and nature of our God.

Christians believe the God of the Bible is three and one. He is one unified being that is also three distinct persons. Those three persons are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. They are all God. They are all themselves. And they are all perfectly united in relationship with one another. This is what it means to call God a Trinity.

While at first glance that may seem like some overly complicated mumbo jumbo, it’s vital to understanding Christianity. Why? Because unlike other ways of understanding the world and our place in it, Christianity says the very foundation of reality is a three and one community of love. God is personal andHe is relational.

According to Christianity, the universe is not the product of random chance, but a loving Creator. The One who started it all didn’t walk away and leave us to ourselves, but He is actively involved in the workings of this world. He doesn’t view us as slaves to do His bidding but as sons and daughters He’s inviting home.

And all of this was made most clear when God put on skin and bones and became the man named Jesus.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:3 NIV

God’s great desire has always been to be in a personal, loving relationship with His Creation. It’s a part of His very nature. To make that happen, He showed up in history as a Jewish Rabbi living in Roman occupied Israel.

The God of Heaven chose to be born into a poor family and an oppressed people group to demonstrate that nobody is too far from His relentless love.

As Jesus, God the Son in human form, was walking the earth, He told stories called Parables to show people what God and His kingdom are like. In Luke 15, He tells three parables that all reinforce this big idea:

No matter how far you go, God will never stop trying to bring you home.

Not only did Jesus illustrate this truth by telling these stories we call Parables, but He demonstrated this truth by reaching out to the least, the last, and the lost throughout His ministry.

Jesus associated with sinners, tax collectors, and outcasts to show that the God who created them wanted a relationship with them. He confronted the religious leaders and the teachers of the law to make it clear that God is not looking for pride or position, but those whose hearts are humble.

What is God like? He’s a lot like Jesus. And that is very good news.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15 NIV

Consider: When you think about God, what image pops into your mind? When you think about Jesus, what thoughts and emotions do you associate with Him? How does learning more about the character of God change the way you think about being Christian?