Is God a Spirit or a Person?

Q: Is God a Spirit or a Person? — G.Q.

A: Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). God isn’t made of atoms or molecules; He isn’t part of the created world. He exists in a wholly different realm. Because He is a Spirit, God isn’t limited in any way. He is far greater than the material world (which is one reason we aren’t to worship idols or nature). We should not try to confine Him to one place, or paint an imaginary picture of Him, or restrict Him to one way of doing things. We cannot put limits on His power.

God also is a Person. A person acts — and so does God. He feels, thinks, sympathizes, forgives, decides, acts, judges, and loves. God is not an impersonal force or power; He is a Person — the most perfect Person imaginable. There is, of course, a vast difference between God’s personality and ours: He is perfect, but we are not. Emotions like anger, selfishness, hatred, jealousy, and pride overwhelm us. Our personalities may even become sick or self-destructive. But God isn’t this way. He alone is perfect. Even His anger is righteous, because it is directed solely against evil. The Bible says, “His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

God is also holy, righteous, and pure. We have a hard time understanding this. We are weak and imperfect, and we can scarcely grasp the overwhelming perfection and holiness of God. We’ve become so used to sin that we can’t imagine anyone being absolutely perfect. But God is! The Bible says, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Because God is holy, He never does wrong — ever. And we should worship Him with our obedience.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(c)2019 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.