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				Unknown God By Hector M. Earle Study the history of any human society down through the ages and you will find some kind of belief in a supernatural god or a multitude of gods intertwined into the culture. ost people have a belief in a supreme being and have practices and traditions in an attempt to connect to the spirit world. Paul was appalled at the extent of the idolatry he witnessed in Athens (Acts 17:16). When the local philosophers and religious leaders demanded that he explain his teachings, Paul took the opportunity to introduce them to the reality of the One whom they, in their ignorance, referred to as "the unknown God" (verses 22-23). He introduced God, the true God, as sovereign creator, with a great plan and purpose of salvation for all of mankind. Elsewhere in Scripture, Paul and other inspired writers give us a clearer picture of this "unknown God." Paul was appalled at the extent of the idolatry he witnessed in Athens. In 1 Timothy 1:17, Paul explained that God is eternal, immortal and invisible. In Psalm 147:4-7 we see His greatness, power and infinite wisdom and understanding. He can do all things and nothing can be withheld from Him (Job 42:2). He knows our very thoughts (Psalm 94:11; 1 Corinthians 3:20). God dwells in splendor, light and glory, surrounded by a multitude of angelic beings and heavenly host. He is high and glorified and inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15). He is the God of love and has demonstrated that love in offering His Son Jesus Christ to make possible the reconciliation of sinful mankind to Himself (John 3:16). He is the God of justice, mercy and forgiveness (Psalm 107:8; 119:89-90). Isaiah 46:9-11 says God is very much involved in His creation and knows the future in advance. God has also revealed Himself in human flesh through Jesus who is the express image and exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3). God's nature is further manifested towards us through the power of His Holy Spirit (which is the essence of God's own nature and attributes). It is through the power of His Spirit that Jesus and the Father dwell in believers (John 14:20) and impart both understanding and strength. The Holy Spirit is God's outflowing power that gives us strength to overcome sin (Luke 1:35). It imparts God's love as it is "poured out" in the hearts of believers (Romans 5:5). It is the means by which He created and brought into existence the very universe (Psalm 104:30). The Holy Spirit is the power by which He works in the minds of human beings made in His image (Genesis 6:3). It is also the power by which the lame walk, the blind see and the deaf hear. Moreover, that same Holy Spirit will one day quicken our mortal bodies and change them to be like Christ's glorious body forever and we will "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). The complete truth of who and what God is goes far beyond anything that can be described in this brief article. The Bible itself gives us the master key to knowing God: Scriptures speak of things beyond our hearing, things beyond our imagining, all prepared by God for those who love him. These are what God has revealed to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit explores everything, even the depths of God's own nature (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). The Holy Spirit is the power by which He works in the minds of human beings made in His image. Never has mankind so desperately needed the true knowledge about God. It seems that we are living in a world clouded with confusion and bewilderment about who and what God really is. God wants us to know and understand Him better than the vague notions the world has of Him today. He challenges us to get to know Him by seeking Him with all our hearts -- for if we do so, we will surely find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). For more answers, request our free booklets and Copyright 2008 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved.

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Other Articles by Hector Earle
Origin of article "Unknown God"
Keywords: unknown God God's nature 

God's nature:

• 'You Are Gods'
• Only God Knows What He Knows
• Question and Answers - VT Jan/Mar 2004
• The Longsuffering of God
• Longsuffering: A Fusion of Patience and Power
• 10 Things You Should Know About God
• Mini-Bible Study: How Does God Identify Himself?
• God's Challenge to Trinitarianism
• What Is Hell?
• God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
• Did Jesus Christ Claim to Be God?
• Do Some Verses Deny a Divine Family?
• Elohim: The Plurality of God
• The God Family (booklet1)
• How Is God Revealed in the Bible?
• Introduction - Is God a Trinity?
• The Likeness of God (booklet1)
• "The Lord Our God, the Lord Is One"
• The Surprising Origins of the Trinity Doctrine
• Much More Than a Man
• Who--and What--Was Jesus Christ?
• Jesus Christ: 'The Rock' of the Old Testament
• A God Not Bound by Space and Time
• Why Can't Theologians Explain the Trinity Doctrine?
• A Family Relationship
• Is God a Trinity?
• What About Matthew 28:19?
• The Holy Spirit Is Not a Person
• How Is God One?
• Introduction: Who Is God?
• Partaking of the Divine Nature
• God's Nature and Character
• The Personal Nature of God
• Understanding the 'Image of God'
• Who Was Jesus? (booklet)
• The Plurality of God
• The Likeness of God (booklet2)
• A Close Encounter
• Glossary (bsc3)
• God the Father
• God is Always Fair
• Three Keys to Knowing God
• Have You Made God Over in Your Image?