Have you ever read the Bible and wondered about this? On one hand, it fiercely declares there is only one true God. On the other hand, you might read about the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It can make a seeking heart ask a very basic question: just how many gods are there?
Let’s walk through this together, holding tightly to the Bible as our guide. The answer is more than a theological fact; it is the foundation of a Christian life. This truth anchors us in hope and shapes how we see everything.
The Bible’s Clear Answer: One
From start to finish, the Bible speaks with one voice on this. There is only one supreme, eternal Creator. This is the non-negotiable center of faith.
Long ago, God told His people, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This wasn’t just a nice saying. It set them apart from every nation that worshiped many gods.
The prophet Isaiah heard God say, “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god” (Isaiah 44:6). Even in the New Testament, the first Christians, who came from a world full of idols, held fast to this. Paul wrote, “We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4).
The consistent and clear witness of Scripture is this: there is one God. Your faith rests on this solid rock.
What About the Other “Gods” in the Bible?
This is where we need to look carefully. The Bible does use the word “gods,” but it never means other real and eternal creators.
Most often, it is talking about man-made idols, which are statues of wood and stone that have no breath, no power, and no life. They are called “gods” by those who worship them, but they are not real. Other times, the Bible warns that behind these false idols are dark spiritual forces, which are demons (1 Corinthians 10:20).
These are real beings, but they are angels who rebelled. They are created things and not creators. They are impostors, and they are not divine. So when the Bible says there is “no God but one,” it is telling us that every other thing called a god is a powerless fake or it is a powerful fraud.
One God, Known in Three Persons
Now we come to the beautiful mystery that the Bible reveals. This one God has shown Himself to us in three distinct and personal ways: as Father, as Son (Jesus), and as Holy Spirit. This is the Trinity.
- We see all three at Jesus’s baptism: Jesus in the water, the Spirit descending like a dove, and the Father’s voice from heaven (Matthew 3:16-17).
- We see it in the blessing we are given: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).
- And we see it in a wonderful verse that ties our faith together. It says in Ephesians 4:4-6:
“4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV
Do you see the harmony? One Spirit. One Lord (Jesus). One God and Father. They are three persons, and yet they are perfectly one.
Why This Truth is Your Foundation
This is not just a doctrine to file away. This is the truth that changes your life. There is one God, so your loyalty and your worship and your trust have one perfect place to rest. You don’t have to look anywhere else.
And this one God is a community of perfect love because He is Father, Son, and Spirit. This means His love for you is deep and it is relational and it is active.
The Father in heaven loves you. The Son, Jesus, came to save you. The Holy Spirit is with you right now to comfort you and to guide you.
This is the good news. This is the truth that brings peace, and it gives purpose, and it anchors your soul. You can build your whole life on this, because you are built on Him.
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