In the first verse in the Bible (Genesis 1:1), two descriptions are provided of God: that He is eternal (He existed from “the beginning”) and that He is the Creator of everything. Scripture also teaches that God is active in upholding and sustaining His creation (Colossians 1:17 & Hebrews 1:3) and that He has become the Redeemer of the creation that was cursed by human sin, reconciling all things to Himself (Colossians 1:20-22).

In Exodus 3:14-15, God tells Moses that He can be referred to as “I AM” and that His name is Yahweh (this is sometimes written as YHWH, translated into English as Jehovah or represented in scripture by an all-capital LORD). The phrase I AM and the name Yahweh both incorporate the fact that God is self-existing (uncreated) and self-sustaining (in need of nothing outside of Himself).

In the Old Testament, some of God’s attributes are given through names such as Jehovah Jireh (the Lord provides), first found in Genesis 22:14, Jehovah Rapha (God my healer), first appearing in Exodus 15:26 and Jehovah Shalom (the Lord is Peace), seen in Judges 6:24.

In the New Testament God is spoken of as pure light (1st John 1:5) and perfect love (1st John 4:8 & 16).

The Bible speaks of our single God as existing in three persons. This picture is faintly drawn early in scripture and becomes increasingly distinct through God’s biblical revelation.

For example, in Genesis 1:2 there is a distinction made between the Creator person of God and the Spirit of God. In Genesis 1:26 the word for God is plural in the original Hebrew and relays the account of the persons of God speaking to one another “the (plural) God said, let US make man in Our likeness after OUR image”.  Isaiah 48:16 is understood to be Jesus mentioning God the Father and the Holy Spirit as He is speaking.

In the New Testament, there are references to the Father as God (for example, Colossians 1:2-3), Jesus as God (Colossians 1:15-20) and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:1-4). Christians usually refer to the three persons who exist as the one God as the Trinity.

Scripture paints the role of the Father as the one who decides and sends, the Son as the one who acts and the Holy Spirit as the one who empowers.

God is the eternal, self-existing, self-sustaining creator and redeemer of all things. His name is Yahweh and He is pure light and perfect love.