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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover that God is real, He created all things, He desires for us to know Him, and He has made this possible through Jesus Christ.

Key Verse

Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Introduction

Throughout history, people from every culture and every generation have looked beyond themselves to recognize that there must be a power greater than humanity. From ancient civilizations to modern societies, this awareness of something divine has remained constant in the human heart. But while many religions and philosophies attempt to explain who or what this higher power might be, only Scripture presents us with the true picture of who God really is.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God is a Spirit (John 4:24). He doesn’t have a material body like we do, which means we can’t see Him with our physical eyes. That’s why we need faith to “see” Him with spiritual eyes. Our key verse in Hebrews tells us exactly what kind of faith we need.

We must believe two essential truths: first, that God exists, and second, that God rewards those who sincerely seek Him. In this first lesson on the doctrine of God, we’ll examine the fact that God is real and that He exists. Then we’ll discover that God desires to be known by His creation. The wonderful news is that God has made this possible through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Here are the main points we will explore together:

• The existence of God
• God can be known

The Existence of God

The Bible begins with the most foundational truth in all of existence: God is real, and everything came from Him. He had no beginning. He is eternal. Everything that exists came from Him.

Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This simple statement reveals profound truths about our God. All the laws of nature that hold our world together come directly from God. When we read “in the beginning,” we discover that God created time itself. When we see “God created,” we learn that God brought forth all energy and power. The phrase “the heavens” tells us that God created space, and “the earth” shows us that God created all matter.

It’s important to remember that the Bible doesn’t try to prove the existence of God. It assumes this to be true. The knowledge of a Creator is written into our hearts. That’s why the Bible says that the man who denies God is a fool.

Psalm 14:1: The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Romans 1:19: Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

God has placed an awareness of Himself within every person. This explains why people throughout history have recognized that something greater than themselves must exist. However, this natural knowledge can only take us so far—we need God’s special revelation through His Word to truly understand who He is.

The world around us declares the glory and power of God. Every sunrise, every flower, every star in the night sky speaks about His creative power and infinite wisdom.

Psalm 19:1: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Romans 1:20: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Think about this simple example: if you found a watch lying on the ground, you would immediately know that someone made it. You wouldn’t think it just came together by chance. The intricate design, the precise timing, the coordinated movement of all its parts—these things clearly point to an intelligent designer.

When we look at the natural world, we see evidence that is far more complex and beautiful than any watch. The DNA in a single cell contains more information than entire libraries. The precise distance of our planet from the sun allows life to flourish. The delicate balance of gases in our atmosphere sustains every living creature. Only a fool would deny that such incredible design requires an intelligent Creator.

Hebrews 11:3: By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

John 1:3: All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Our own nature as human beings also points clearly to God’s existence. We have abilities that set us apart from every other creature on earth, and these abilities can only be explained by our special creation in God’s image.

We have the ability to reason and think logically. Where did this capacity come from?

Acts 17:2: Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.

John 1:9: That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

We have knowledge of what is infinite and eternal—concepts that go far beyond our physical experience. How do we know about these things?

Ecclesiastes 3:11: He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

We have an understanding of right and wrong that exists across all cultures and throughout history. Where did this moral compass come from?

Romans 2:14-15: For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.

All of these unique human capabilities point us back to the God who created us in His own image. We can reason because God is reasonable. We can understand eternity because God is eternal. We can distinguish between right and wrong because God is perfectly righteous.

(Notebook Moment: What examples from nature most clearly show you God’s design and creativity? How do these examples strengthen your faith in God as Creator?)

God Can Be Known

Some people accept that God exists but believe we cannot truly know Him. They think God is too great and mysterious for limited human beings to understand. The Bible tells us this thinking is wrong. Our key verse reminds us that God “rewards those who diligently seek Him.”

While it’s true that we cannot know everything about God—He is infinite and we are finite—we can know God sufficiently. We can know enough about God through His Word and through Jesus Christ to have a right relationship with Him through faith.

Isaiah 55:8-11: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

God has revealed Himself to us in ways we can understand. His Word comes to us in human language, using examples and illustrations that speak to our hearts and minds. Even though God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, He has chosen to communicate with us at our level so that we can know Him.

Romans 10:17: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John 1:18: No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

The Bible speaks often about “seeking” God, but we must understand this correctly. We don’t find God through our own efforts or good works. Instead, God responds to us and makes Himself known when we turn to Him in obedience and faith.

Jeremiah 33:3: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

Jeremiah 29:12-13: Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

James 4:8: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

The story of Cornelius in Acts 10 beautifully illustrates this biblical truth. Cornelius was a Roman centurion—a Gentile who feared God and prayed regularly to Him. He gave generously to help the poor and sought to live righteously. But despite his sincere heart, Cornelius didn’t yet know the gospel of Jesus Christ. God saw this man’s genuine seeking and sent an angel to tell him to call for Peter. When Peter arrived, he shared the good news about Jesus, and Cornelius and his entire household believed and were baptized. This story shows us that God responds when we genuinely seek Him with sincere hearts.

(Notebook Moment: Have you experienced times when you felt especially close to God? What were you doing or thinking that helped you sense His presence more clearly?)

What does it really mean to know God? The Bible tells us that knowing God is much more than just learning facts about Him. Knowing God means having a personal relationship with Him. This is only possible because God has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:3: Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Jesus is the perfect revelation of God to humanity. When we see Jesus, we see what God is like. When we hear Jesus speak, we hear God’s heart toward us. When we watch Jesus interact with people, we understand how God feels about each one of us.

Jesus Himself tells us that knowing God personally is the greatest thing in life. This personal relationship with God is what eternal life really means.

John 17:3: And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Eternal life isn’t just about living forever—it’s about knowing God intimately. This relationship begins the moment we trust in Jesus Christ and continues to grow deeper throughout our lives on earth and into eternity.

(Notebook Moment: How would you describe your personal relationship with God right now? What steps could you take to know Him more deeply?)

Conclusion

When the apostle Paul preached to the philosophers in Athens, he declared these same two great truths about God. He began with a declaration that God exists and that we know in our hearts that we were created. Paul then proclaimed that God can be known, because He has revealed Himself to us in Christ.

Paul told the Athenians that God made the world and everything in it. He explained that God doesn’t live in temples built by human hands, nor does He need anything from us—instead, He gives life and breath to all people. Paul reminded them that God made every nation from one man and determined when and where each people group would live. Most importantly, Paul declared that God did all this so that people would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any of us.

Paul’s message shows us how we should share the good news about God today. We can confidently declare that God exists because creation itself bears witness to His reality. We can boldly announce that God can be known because He has revealed Himself through His Word and through Jesus Christ. These truths about God’s existence and His desire to be known remain as powerful and relevant today as they were when Paul proclaimed them in the streets of Athens.

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