Welcome to Defender’s Voice. I am Paul Kattupalli. Thank you for watching or listening to this episode. I hope you are doing well. In today’s episode, let us see this important question, ‘Who is God?’. Unfortunately, there is so much confusion around the nature of God. God is the most important person we should know about because no one influences our lives more than God. Today, I would like to tell you 20 important truths about God found in various places in the epistle to Romans.
God is a God of Preeminence
Romans chapter 9, verse 6.
Christ, who is over all
Note those words. Christ, who is over all. That is the preeminence of God. God is above all other individuals who ever existed. In all his works, God takes preeminence. Apostle Paul explained this preeminence of God in the work of salvation. Christian salvation is centered on God. It depends on the nature and character of God. In all his creation, God is preeminent. In all human history, God is preeminent.
Men and women ignore this preeminence of God. They say, ‘I will save myself’, ‘I will find out how I can save myself’. But that’s a big mistake. We must ask God’s help because He is preeminent in all his creation and in our salvation.
God is a God of Perpetuity
God is a God of Perpetuity. Romans chapter 1, verse 20. He is an eternal God.
He is an eternal God. Think about that for a moment. There was a day when no one lived on this planet. But there was God. There was a moment when the universe was not in existence. But there was God. Before angels came into existence, before demons came into existence, God existed. So, God is eternal. He has no beginning. He has no end. We are trapped in various points of time. Every one of us comes and goes. No one accompanies God throughout time or eternity. God planned our salvation through eternity and time. So, God is eternal and our salvation has an eternal dimension. In contrast, we are time bound beings and our experience and power are limited. This should make us humble in the presence of God.
God is a God of Perfection
God is a God of perfection. There is no imperfection in God. He is perfect in his purity. He is perfect in love. He is perfect in righteousness. He is perfect in his power. Some people ask, Can God create a stone so heavy that he cannot lift it? The answer is no. God cannot create anything stronger than himself. Nothing can be stronger than God. Nothing can be heavier than God. So, God cannot create a stone so heavy that he cannot lift it. Similarly, God cannot draw a square circle. Because by definition such things do not exist. By definition, because God is the most powerful there is, he cannot create a stone which he cannot lift. By definition, a square circle cannot exist. So, God cannot make such an illogical object. Similarly, God cannot sin. He is a perfect God. We are imperfect beings.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
Because of our sins, we come short of the glory of God. But there is good news. In Christ, we have been made perfect before God. What sin robbed us, Christ gave us: the perfection before God.
God is a God of Possession
God is a God of Possession. Romans chapter 1, verse 19 – 20.
The eternal power of God
is clearly seen
in all created things.
Romans 1:19-20
Everything in the universe is possessed by God. They are all under his control. Everything you own – your house, your business, your assets, even your body, even your soul – they all belong to God. Every organism, every animal, every plant, every angel, every demon – they all belong to God. God’s children do not have to fear demons because even demons are under the dominion of God. He is a God of possession. Nothing escapes his dominion.
God is a God of Power
He is a God of Power. Look at Romans 1:20 again. His eternal power. God has eternal power. Our universe does not have eternal power. It obeys the laws of thermodynamics. God does not have such restrictions. Nothing can exist without the power of God. We see people on a mission to save the planet earth. That is a good thing. But they never acknowledge the real owner of our planet. Our planet or our universe cannot save themselves. We can see the eternal power of God in all things created. No human, no angel, no demon can resist this incredible power of God.
God’s children can be confident because their God is a God of power. This same power is manifested in the gospel of our Lord Jesus CHrist. No person can save himself or herself without the power of God.
How can you liberate a soul from the power of Satan?
How can you liberate a soul who is dragged into the pit of hell?
How can you raise Jesus from the pit of the grave? (2 Corinthians 13:4; Ephesians 1:20)
It is the power of God. The power of God which raised Jesus of Nazareth from his grave is also able to liberate our souls from the power of Satan. Some people say, ‘All religions are equal paths to God’. They are unable to understand the power of the demonic world. They are unable to understand the power of hell over defiled souls of men and women. It takes incredible power of God to liberate a soul from eternal damnation. That power is only available through the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ.
God is a God of Preparation
God is a God of Preparation. Romans chapter 4, verse 17
God, who quickeneth the dead,
and calleth those things
which be not as though they were.
Romans 4:17
Here we see a God, who sees everything. On one hand he quickens the dead. On the other hand, he speaks of things which do not even come into existence. God quickens the dead. Past is not over for God. He resurrects everyone back into existence. He sees things before their existence. He talks about people who are not yet born. He prepares the world for individuals who are not yet born.
God prepared the world for Abraham. He prepared the world for Moses. He prepared the world for David. He prepared the world for Jesus. Paul says, ‘God, who called me to be an apostle’. God made preparations for the apostle Paul. God saw him before he was born. God saw you before you were born. God made preparations for your salvation before you were born. There are no accidents to God. He is a God of preparation.
God is a God of Promise.
He is a God of promise. If God makes a promise, He will keep it under all circumstances. Romans chapter 9, verse 4. God and His promises. God gave many wonderful promises to his people. You can see a beautiful pattern in his promises and their fulfillment. Consider the promises He made concerning the Messiah.
Micah chapter 5, verse 2. The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Isaiah 7:14. Messiah would be born of a virgin
Numbers 24:17. Messiah would be born in Israel
Genesis 49:10. Messiah would be born in the tribe of Judah.
2 Samuel 7:12. Messiah would be born in the family of David
Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Messiah would be crucified
Psalm 16:10. The Messiah would rise from the dead.
All these great promises were fulfilled in Lord Jesus Christ. He is a God of promise. You can be confident that God will fulfill every promise He ever made to his people.
God is a God of Perseverance.
In Romans chapter 11, we see a God of perseverance. The people of Israel abandoned God. They persecuted the prophets. They were defiled and disoriented. They were taken into captivity. They turned to idols. Yet, apostle Paul says, God has not given up on Israel. We should take time to understand this great truth about God’s plan for Israel. Some people, ‘God has given up on Israel’. Nothing could be further from the truth. He is a God of perseverance. One of the most worrying problems of our time is antisemitism. Recently, a truck driver attacked a synagogue and killed 11 Jewish men and women. This truck driver harbored antisemitism and deep hatred in his heart.
But read Romans chapter 11. God still loves Jewish people and has a great plan for them. Apostle Paul asked a rhetorical question. Did God cast away his people?. God forbid. He did not cast away his people. He is a God of perseverance.
God is a God of Peace.
Romans 16:20, God is called God of peace.
God is not a God of chaos and disorder. He takes no pleasure in conflict. He is a God of peace. Romans chapter 3, verse 15. It is the godless who are running to shed blood. Verse 17. They do not know the way of peace.
It is God who put a way of peace before us. In Jesus Christ our Lord, God made peace with us. At the cross of Christ, all my sins were forgiven. The enmity between God and myself is over. In Christ, God brought a peaceful resolution to this eternal conflict between God and humanity.
Ephesians chapter 6 informs us about the whole armor of God.
A helmet of salvation on head
A breastplate of righteousness around your chest
A belt of truth around your waist
A shield of faith in one hand
A sword of the spirit in the other hand
and shoes called Gospel of peace on your feet.
God put shoes on your feet. They are called the Gospel of peace. My friend, you cannot take even one step without these shoes on your way to God. He is a God of peace who offered us the shoes called Gospel of peace.
God is a God of Plurality
Throughout this epistle, Apostle Paul shows us how the three persons in divine trinity worked closely to bring out our salvation. God is plural. He is one God in three persons: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. They are equal in their power, their purity and their essence. We should respect all three persons. We should worship the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God is a God of Progress
Romans chapter 1, verse 22.
Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools.
Romans 1:22
Some people say, ‘God is not good for progress. We should become godless to bring progress in our society’. Apostle Paul says these words to such folks. ‘They are fools’. Because there is no progress without God.
You can only do two things with the truth of God. Either you receive it or reject it. If you receive it, you will get a renewed mind which leads to regeneration. If you reject it, you will get a reprobate mind which leads to degeneration.
Truth rejected or truth received
Reprobate mind or renewed mind
Degeneration or Regeneration
Some people say, ‘I am neutral. I am not for God or against God. I just want to be myself’. Such an option is not available.
If you are not for God, you are against Him.
There are only two masters: God or Satan
There are only two destinies: Heaven or Hell
There are only two conditions: Saved or lost.
Then, He is a God of Perdition
Romans 1:18
the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against
all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men
Romans 1:18
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Hell is a real place. Lord Jesus Christ clearly preached about hell. In fact, we got most of the information about hell from the preaching of Jesus. Those who say there is no hell are turning Lord Jesus Christ into a liar.
But God sent us good news. Those who accept Jesus as their Savior are saved from eternal damnation. On the cross, Jesus Christ our Lord experienced the wrath of God in our place. If you are not saved, you must remember that God is a God of perdition.
God is a God of Paternity
For the unsaved, God is a God of perdition. For the saved, He is a God of Paternity. In Christ, we have become children of God. We are adopted by God. Throughout the New Testament, we see Jesus calling God ‘my father’. Today, we have been given the same privilege. Today we can call God, as our father. Because He is a God of Paternity.
God is a God of Pity
Romans chapter 5, verse 8
But God commendeth
his love toward us,
in that, while we were
yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Apostle Paul spent a lot of time in this epistle to describe the love of God for sinners. While we were sinners, God loved us. While we were sinners, God sacrificed His Son for us. And nothing shall separate us from the love of God. Turn to chapter 8.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Tribulation or distress or
persecution or famine or nakedness or
peril or sword
life or death
angels or principalities or powers
things present or things to come
nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He is a God of Pity. A God who loved us and continuously showers his love upon us.
God is a God of Participation
Romans 8:11
The Spirit of God dwells in you. Some people think God created the universe and gone. For many, God is a distant figure. He is just a concept or an abstraction. But not for the believers. He is a God of participation. Throughout the Old Testament, we see a God who participated in the lives of His people. In the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, God participated in the affairs of his people as a human being. Now, God dwells in every believer as the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit walks with us throughout our lives. He is not a force or a feeling. He is a person. He is a God of participation, who participates in our lives.
God is a God of Purpose
Romans 8:28
All things work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are called
according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Note those words. According to his purpose. He is a God of purpose. God never does anything without a purpose. God had a purpose in our universe. God had a purpose for your life. God had a purpose in our salvation. Noone can stop God from realizing his purposes.
Read through the Gospels. You will see Lord Jesus Christ living with a purpose. He came to this world with a purpose which is the salvation of our souls.
From his death, we got life.
From his affliction, we got joy.
From his hell, we got heaven
From his curse, we got blessings
From his loss, we got profit.
In his divine purpose, God turned the crucifixion of Jesus into a fountain of heavenly blessings. That is true even about our trials in life. He makes sure that all things work together for good in the lives of his children who lovingly follow him.
God is a God of Philanthropy
In Romans chapter 15, we see Apostle Paul raising donations for poor Christians in Jerusalem. In the last two thousand years, Christians stood in the front lines to help people in need. We follow a God of philanthropy. We follow a God who told us the parable of the Good Samaritan, who reached out to an unknown stranger who fell into distress on the roadside.
God is a God of Providence
Romans chapter 13 is about how God instituted the Government for human welfare. GOd in his providence established some institutions for human welfare. And government is one of them. As Christians, we should obey the government.
God is a God of Pleasure
In Romans chapter 15, we see God as a God of pleasure. Paul describes how God brought so many individuals into his life to give him joy. Some people think God is synonymous with misery. But that is a sad misconception. God is the true source of joy. He gives you meaning, fulfillment and purpose and all things you need for a joyful life. Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit of God.
God is a God of Praise
Romans 16:27,
To God only wise,
be glory through
Jesus Christ for ever. Amen
Romans 16:27
That sums up everything described in this epistle. Everything and everyone is for the glory of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God created this universe through Jesus Christ for His glory.
God saves us through Jesus Christ for His glory
Even when God punishes the unsaved by Jesus Christ, it is for His glory.
Apostle Paul’s epistles are filled with doxology. He constantly praises God while describing his works. We should be no different. We should constantly praise God because He is a God of Praise.
So, I hope you take time to reflect on these 20 great truths about God. May God richly bless you as you know more about God and His character.