Who is God

November 3rd, 2026
by Jason Painter

Real Answers to Tough Questions

Class 8: Who Is God?

Redemption Hills Church - Adult Sunday School

Jason Painter • November 1, 2026

Who is God? That's not an easy question, is it? Theologians have spent centuries unpacking it. Why? Because the God of the Bible is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. How does the finite-us-truly define the Infinite? Let's start with a different question: what kind of person asks, "Who is God?" If they're asking in earnest, it's someone who is seeking. Seeking understanding. Seeking knowledge. Seeking truth.

"Who" is a different question than "what." The word "who" presumes God can be known personally. Take me. Ask, "What is Jason?" and you'd hear: human, male, five-foot-eleven, not much hair on top. Ask, "Who is Jason?" and you'd hear about my personality and interests. Or describe a friend: "Billy is kind, generous, loving." Want to grab coffee with him? Probably not! But what if I told you Billy picks up kids from broken homes every other week, feeds them on his own dime, and opens God's Word with them? That every quarter he takes them camping and fishing-never to the movies, because you can't talk at a movie? Now you want to meet Billy. It's like that with God. Understand who He is, and you'll want to know Him more.

We fill out who God is through Scripture and testimony. God is holy, Creator, love, just, gracious, merciful, Provider, Savior, Rock, longsuffering. But adjectives without context don't mean much. First, through Scripture-the only truly inerrant source of truth we have. The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1), but it's His perfect Word that converts the soul (Psalm 19:7). Second, through testimony-how God has revealed Himself to you personally. But don't say, "This is who God is to me." We don't define God. He reveals Himself. Say, "Let me share how God has revealed Himself to me."

John 1 shows us who God is in Jesus Christ. "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1). Verse 14 says the Word became flesh. It's Jesus! "In the beginning" means He existed before creation-God is not part of creation. "The Word was with God" shows Jesus is distinct from the Father. "The Word was God"-not "a god"-shows He is fully God. That fits "The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" (Deuteronomy 6:4). All things were made through Him (John 1:3). Let me be plain: you can't take the Bible at its word and believe God just got things started and let macroevolution take over. That's trusting men with titles over God. Jesus is the life and the light shining in the darkness (John 1:4-5). Salvation comes through Him-not by bloodline, desire, or works, but by the will of God (John 1:12-13). That's grace!

God is holy. Holy means separate, set apart, other. Look at Isaiah 6:1-7. The seraphim at God's throne don't cry, "Merciful, merciful, merciful." They don't even cry, "Love, love, love." They cry, "Holy, holy, holy!" (Isaiah 6:3). Speech impediment? No! That's what He is. Holiness isn't one attribute among many. It's THE character of God. No sin. Incomparable. Without peer. One hundred percent pure, righteous, and just. He answers to no one. He is perfect.

God is immutable. That's a fancy word for unchanging. "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Concern or peace? Peace! He never gains or loses power. He never becomes less truthful or less good. At the burning bush He told Moses, "I AM" (Exodus 3:14)-not "I was," not "I will be." God never has to repent or say He's sorry.

Holiness and immutability make every other attribute come alive. Is His mercy more precious because He is holy and never changes? Is His love toward you certain and unfailing? Isn't it a comfort that His power will never be less than it is now? Can you trust that He alone will bring perfect justice in the end? I've seen it in my own family. When my dad was battling cancer, God showed His compassion, patience, providence, and love-all the way to our family's final prayer together. That's my testimony. So, who is God? Get to know Him-and then tell someone.

To the Glory of God, Jason Painter. Please remember to come to next week's class if you are not volunteering.