Teen Bible Study (Youth Magazine)
Teen Bible Study: Who and What Is God?
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Teen Bible Study: Who and What Is God?

   Imagine yourself suddenly whisked into the vast reaches of the universe. Stars and galaxies whiz by as you travel at mindboggling speed through space and time.
   Appearing suddenly before you is a dazzling throne with a vast sea of sparkling, shimmering crystal before it. A giant rainbow encircles the throne. Lightning bolts shoot from the throne accompanied by deafening claps of thunder.
   Sitting on the throne is a being whose face radiates light as bright as the sun in full strength. His eyes are like flames of fire!
   You're awestruck by the incredible sight before you! Terribly curious, you begin to deluge this great being with questions. Who is he? What is he? What is he really like? How long has he existed? What kind of powers and abilities does he have? What has he done and what is he doing today?
   As he begins to answer your questions you realize that you have come into the presence of none other than the supreme Architect, Creator and Sustainer of the universe! The One who designed the great star systems and brought them into being, setting each star and planet in its exact place. You are speaking with Almighty God!
   Perhaps you have wished that you could take such a thrilling journey. Though physically impossible, you can still learn the answers to the above questions by studying what God has revealed in His inspired written Word — the Holy Bible. So find your Bible, a pen or pencil and some paper. This is so you can read and write out the Bible verses that answer the questions asked in this study.
   Now let's begin a most fascinating and eye-opening study. Let's learn who and what God is!
   1. What does the very first chapter of the Bible reveal about God? Genesis 1:1, 26.
   The original Hebrew word for God in verse 1 is Elohim. Elohim is a uniplural or collective noun, like the words church, family and team, all of which have more than one member. The word Elohim in Genesis 1:1 tells us that God is a family! Notice how verse 26 bears this out: "Then God said 'Let Us make man in Our image...'"
   2. Who are the members of the God Family? How many are there now? John 1:1-3, I Corinthians 8:6. Was the "Word" mentioned in John 1 made flesh and did He live as a human being? John 1:14.
   At the prehistoric time described in John 1:1 (before the material universe was created), there existed only two divine beings. One is God. And with God was another Being — the Word — who also is God. He is the One who was later miraculously begotten in the virgin Mary by God the Father and who became the human Jesus Christ, the Son of God. At the time described in John 1:1-3, the Word was not yet the Son of God and God was not yet His Father.
   3. Have both members of the God Family always existed? Psalm 90:2, 102:25-27, I Timothy 1:17.
   The Bible reveals that both members of the God Family are immortal. There has never been a time when they did not exist. It's impossible for us to understand how these two divine beings could have always existed, but neither can we really understand what electricity is. Yet we know electricity exists and is very real.
   4. In whose image and likeness was man made? Genesis 1:2 6. Therefore do both members of the God Family have the form and shape of a human being? Same verse.
   5. Even though God looks like a man, what is He composed of? John 4:24. Is He therefore invisible to human eyes? Colossians 1:15, I Timothy 1:17.
   6. Are the Father's and Christ's appearances described as glorious? John 17:5. How did John describe Christ's dazzling appearance that was revealed to him in a vision? Revelation 1:13-18. Are the universe-ruling headquarters in heaven also spectacular? Revelation 4:2-6.
   Both God the Father and Christ the Son have faces (though shaped like human faces) that radiate light as bright as the sun in full strength! Their eyes are like flames of fire, their feet like burnished brass and their hair as white as snow.
   7. Did the God Family create all things? Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:15-17, Genesis 1:1, John 1:3. How was the universe and everything that exists created? Psalm 33:6-9, 104:30, Hebrews 11:3.
   God the Father and Christ work together as a team. They thought out, planned and designed the entire universe. Then by the incredible power of their Spirit it was all brought into existence.
   8. Thinking about God' s marvelous creation, what did the prophet Isaiah say about the awesome power and majesty of God? Read and summarize Isaiah 40:12-26. But just how great and powerful is the Almighty God? Are there any limitations to what God can do? Matthew 19:26.
   9. Some astronomers estimate there are more than 40 sextillion stars in the universe. Does God call them all by name? Psalm 147:4-5, Isaiah 40:26. Does He even know the number of hairs on our heads? Matthew 10:30. Is God aware of all that happens on earth? II Chronicles 16:9, Job 34:21-25. Can anyone hide his thoughts from God? I Chronicles 28:9.
   God's abilities and understanding are infinite. As the Creator of the universe, He knows its deepest secrets, unfathomable to man. He created and upholds the forces that bind atomic nuclei and run gigantic stars, and the laws that sustain incredibly huge galaxies. And He can even be aware of small details about each of us such as the number of hairs on our heads!
   10. Is the God Family able to travel through space at incredible speed? Compare John 20:17, 19-20 with Matthew 28:8-9.
   Notice that Christ traveled to the Father in heaven and returned to earth on the same day!
   11. Does God ever become tired so that He needs to rest? Isaiah 40:28.
   12. Does God have perfect character? Matthew 5:48. How does the Bible basically define the nature and character of God? I John 4:16. What is the love of God? I John 5:3. Is this why Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments the way He did? Matthew 22:36-40. Will God's character ever change? Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8.
   The character of both God the Father and Jesus Christ is perfect, holy and righteous. Their character can be summed up in the one word love. God's law is a reflection of God's character. It is the way of love — the way of giving, serving, helping — of outgoing concern for others. God has an outgoing concern for all of humanity!
   13. Is it God's plan to increase the size of His Family by bringing more members into it? Hebrews 2:8-10, Revelation 21:7. Is Jesus Christ the firstborn of many children of God? Romans 8:29. Will they, like Christ, one day be given the same great power and glory of God? Romans 8:17-18, Colossians 3:4. When will this occur? I Thessalonians 4:16-17, I Corinthians 15:50-53.
   The awesome potential of all human beings — past, present and future — is that of becoming, through a change of composition by a resurrection, the literal children of God — spirit members of His own divine Family!
   14. Does God plan to eventually create new heavens and a new earth? Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 21:1-5. Did Isaiah clearly indicate that the government of God will expand not only on the earth, but also to other parts of our galaxy and throughout the universe? Isaiah 9:6-7.
   God promises that there will be no end to the increase of His government! Those who are striving to follow God's way and develop His character with the help of His Holy Spirit will one day be born into His divine, ruling Family! They will then be like God — with eternal, indestructible spirit bodies radiating power and glory, shining as the stars forever! (Daniel 12:2-3).

Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course

Publication Date: February 1983
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Youth MagazineFebruary 1983Vol. III No. 202, 1983