In the beginning… God. (Gen 1:1). God, கடவுள், Gud, Gott, Deo, Dieu, Deus, θεός, தேவ, தேவன், Divine, Don.

All started from Him. All originated here. All began hence. This is eternity past, even before space or time or matter existed. And this is when God existed. God as a Spirit existed. His Word existed. Before anything existed.

God is. There is no denial of His existence. – Heb 11:6. He is the ‘I AM’.

God is a Spirit. God is invisible to the naked eye of man (1 Tim 1:17). However, He has put a spirit in man through which mankind can communicate with God. Until a relationship has been established with this God, man’s Creator, through man’s revived spirit, there is always a void that fails to be filled by anybody/anything else other than Him.

God is Father. Being a Spirit, no gender can be attributed to Him, but He is addressed in the masculine because He calls Himself the ‘Father of all’ in the Scriptures. – Eph 4:6. (Pattor is forefather in Thamizh). The Father gave rise to everything. But for Him, nothing would exist. Adam, the Father’s created son, was made in His image but eventually marred it (lost His glory) because of unbelief. This Father is in heaven. The Father’s only begotten Son in the beginning (before Time) was born on earth in Time as Jesus; Jesus is the second man bearing the express image of this Father (and Jesus is the last Adam); Now, God is the Father to all who have been born of His word which His seed. Jesus, now the first begotten, has made this possible for the further begotten; the born-again bear His image again. And the Father does not need a wife to beget His Son or His children.

God created Adam first. Then God separated the feminine aspect of man from Adam and made Eve who He gave to Adam as his wife. Adam needed to ‘know’ Eve for the propagation of their species. A physical union was (and is) necessary for the birth of a child. God is a Spirit and has no gender attribute. However, He is the First Cause for everything i.e., He is the Father to all.

God is One. Not two. Not three. Not many. 1 Tim 2:5. He personifies Himself to His creation distinctly – as the invisible Father in Heaven; as the Son of God (the human expression of God or ‘the express image of God’) Who descended on earth two thousand years ago and in Heaven now; as the Holy Spirit of God Who indwells all believers here and now. Triune. One in substance and character: three persons – not three Avatars.

God is eternal – beyond time and space. (1 Tim 1:17). God has always existed. He is called the ‘I AM’. (Exo 3:14). He was before time began and will be after time will be no more. Nobody created God. None can. God is the beginning and the end of time and space. God is immortal (Amrith) – no corruption can occur in Him and He can’t grow old or fade away (Avinashi).

God is the Creator. Without Him, nothing could have come into existence. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. – Rom 1:20. Things which are seen were not made of things which do appear – Heb 11:3. He still creates, always in the context of His one purpose as ever.

God is Omnipotent – all-powerful. (Gen 17:1; Jer 32:17). He is the blessed and only Potentate (Sovereign) Who possesses great power and authority. Nothing is too hard for God. What He purposes, He accomplishes. What He has planned, He has been executing. While God can do everything, He will do nothing that contradicts His character. For example, God does not lie; truth is in Him – He is the Truth. God does not sin because He is Holy – distinct from His creation.

If God is Omnipotent, can He create so large a stone that He cannot move it? might sound like an ‘intelligent’ question from an ‘intellectual’ but the argument violates the Law of non-contradictions in Philosophy. The first part of the sentence and the second part are simultaneously contradictory and thus violate the said law. Here is another example that violates the law mentioned: ‘X is a liar because he speaks the truth’ (unless the statement is a sarcastic remark or a wordplay!).

God is Omniscient – all-knowing. He knows the end from the beginning. (Isa 46:10). He knows the invisible things and searches the inward parts (mind, will, emotions, motives, thoughts and conscience) of man (Ps 139:4). He is the only wise One who has set every one of His creation in its place for a pre-determined time. (Acts 17:26). God does not forget – He intentionally will not remember our sins.
Here is a reassuring answer to the ‘large stone’ argument in the earlier paragraph for all believers: An all-wise God won’t create something or a situation that He cannot handle!

God is Omnipresent – ubiquitous. (Ps 139:7-10). There is no place beyond His reach. While God is not in hell and won’t be in the eternal lake of fire that is destined for those who disobey Him, they are still in His purview and control. This also does not mean that everything becomes God or that He is present in every pillar and every speck. தூணிலும் இருப்பான் துரும்பிலும் இருப்பான் is absurd.

God is immutable. For instance, at no point will God declare all good evil and all evil good because He never changes (Heb 13:8) nor does He ever change His word. The perfection in Him requires no improvement, and He does not need to add anything more to His excellence.

God is Holy. He is unique in His being. (Ps 22:3). He is different from His creation. He set apart / sanctified Himself as a special One compared to His creation. He is the uncreated One in Whom there is absolutely no pollution, decay, impurity or sin.

God is the Glorious One. He is rich in glory. (Rom 9:23). His purity and splendour outshine all luminous bodies He has created or anything man has ever invented. His brightness and brilliance outshine the wisdom of man. His glory is His perfection. (Ma-Hima is great(est) snow white/purity).

God reigns – He is in control of all His creation. (Ps 93:1). He is Sovereign. He rules over the kingdoms of men. (Dan 4:17). He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Nothing happens beyond his knowledge. None can break free from His dominion and government. Believer, rest assured!

God is good. No evil exists in Him. (Ps 100:5). He is rich in goodness. It is this goodness that leads a sinner to repentance and endures continually. All good gifts come from Him. (Does the word “good” have its root in God?)

God is light. There is no darkness in Him. (1 Jn 1:5). His presence gets rid of darkness and makes everything evident. This Light shined on the Earth when He commanded, “Let there be light” (even in the absence of the sun and other luminous heavenly bodies which were created subsequently by Him on the 4th day). He dwells in unapproachable light.

God speaks. He spoke in the past through His prophets. The Oracles of God used “Thus says the Lord” as a standard phrase when they spoke the word of God. Later, He spoke to mankind through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. – Heb 1:1, 2. Today He speaks to us through His written word.

God hears. He gives ears to the cry of His people. (Pro 15:29). He listens to the voice of His servants. He hearkens to the prayers of those who fear Him. He hears them while they are yet speaking. He heeds those who ask anything according to His will. (1 Jn 5:14).

God answers. He grants our petitions as we ask according to His will. (1 Kings 18:24). He gives to him who asks. He reveals to him who seeks. He opens to him who knocks. His occasional silence is also an answer.

God is Love. (1 Jn 4:8, 16). He loves mankind and wants to make them His sons. This was the very purpose for which God created man. God has given mankind the free-will to experience God meaningfully. In the absence of this free-will man cannot love God but would function like a programmed robot. God loved man so much that He wanted him to enjoy life and take control of everything around him. Therefore, He gave him laws that would guide him all along for a mutually peaceful existence with his fellowmen and his environment. Breaking these laws would result in self-inflicted injury and ultimate destruction to himself, to everyone and to everything around him. In His greatest demonstration of love, He also gave Himself in His Son Christ Jesus to die on the cross, to offer mankind a second chance to come back to Him. This sacrificial, unselfish and enemy-loving love was demonstrated on the cross at Calvary by the Son of God.

God is Just. He is righteous in all His dealing with His creation. (Dan 9:14). He sets rules for the peaceful existence of all His creation. All absolutes have been determined by Him. Any deviation, trespass or breaking of even one of these laws would lead to chaos, confusion and conflict resulting in punishment. He rules righteously with a rod of iron.

God punishes. He condemns sin. He can destroy both soul and body of a sinner in hell. (Matt 10:28). He is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:29).

God is awesome. We must approach Him with fear & trembling (Ps 2:11)

God rewards. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. – Heb 11:6. He reveals Himself to a believing and searching heart. Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. – Rev 22:12. Eternity with Him and crowns are waiting!

God is rich in long-suffering. (Rom 2:4). While He cannot behold sin and abhors evil, He loves mankind and wants them to come back to Him for reconciliation. It pains him to see mankind hurting themselves with sin. He is waiting with open hands to receive anyone who returns to Him. He desires that none should perish but that all mankind be saved; He is forbearing.

God forgives. All sin is punishable; all sinners deserve death. But all believers who repent of their sins and submit to His purpose and plan wilfully are forgiven and are rewarded with eternal life (Amizhdhu – Amrith / Dheergaayush). (Ps 86:5).

God is rich in mercy. Once a sinner returns to God with a repentant heart, He does not award the sinner what he deserves – death and destruction. (Eph 2:4). He is kind at heart and compassionate towards men.

God is rich in grace. Man, though undeserving, receives unconditional favour from God – God’s best for man’s worst. (Eph 1:7). The believer keeps receiving grace in time of need while here on earth to resist temptation and to live a holy life. And man receives grace to receive grace! – John 1:16.

The list above is not exhaustive! God is incomprehensible to mankind!

God is JESUS and Jesus is 100% man too – a unique personality – not a split personality. He has always existed as the Word, the word of God. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. – 1 Tim 3:16.

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He (Jesus) hath declared Him (God). – John 1:18. For in Him (Jesus) dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. – Col 2:9. Who (Jesus) being the brightness of His (God’s) glory, and the express image of His (God’s) person. – Heb 1:3.

The very title Christ expresses Jesus’s divinity. Peter, John, Thomas and Paul acknowledge the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Those who deny that Jesus Christ is God are blasphemers.

The Son of God (as Man and the express image of God), emptied Himself (Phil 2:7 ESV and Thamizh) voluntarily to take on sinful flesh in order to live among men. – Rom 8:3. In His body, He set aside His original glory to stay in one place, be tempted, and face death (obviously, a natural human body cannot be everywhere, shut down the senses, and live forever). He was born; grew up; was hungry and thirsty; ingested, digested food and egested; sweat; washed, dressed, slept (with a pillow!); felt pain; and wept. He had a sense of humour and spoke sarcastically at times.

As man, Jesus was tempted by Satan all His life (not just at the beginning of His ministry – the Scriptures say that Satan left Him for a season in that context. The Devil was keeping vigil at close quarters by possessing Judas now and again and even Peter momentarily). For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted. – Heb 2:18. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. – Heb 4:15. He knows our weaknesses and our infirmity. He can empathise; not standing afar to sympathise. A Great High Priest to plead and intercede for us indeed!

When Jesus prayed to God while here on earth, He was praying in His humanity (thus demonstrating how mankind can relate to God as their Father) and when He performed miracles, He did that with the power of the Holy Spirit who dwelt on Him. As man, He lived a life of submission – totally submitting His will and doing the will of His Father all along – He did no sin - 1Pet 2:22. The Holy Spirit of God enabled Him to do this. As man, He obeyed His Father humbling Himself, until His shameful death on the cross. As man, He prayed to His Father to forgive those who crucified Him; As man, He had the power to forgive sins on earth too. As man, He had the power from God to lay down His life and take it back again. I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. – Jn 10:17, 18. As man, He died on the cross and as man, He was raised up by God from the dead on the third day, conquering death for the sake of the whole of mankind.

Those who deny that Jesus Christ is human are antichrists.

Because of His unique personality and position in the Godhead, Jesus Christ is the perfect mediator between God and man – 1 Tim 2:5. He is God; He has been a man; He continues to be a man now, however with the original glory restored. He is called the Son of God; A son is the closest relationship mankind can relate to in human terms. A son reflects the complete characteristics of a father, holds his name and position and is recognized as a father’s perfect representative; so it is with the Son. That is why He declared plainly, “I and my Father are One”.

Post His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ assumed a supernatural glorious body. In this blood-free body of flesh and bones, He could enter closed rooms and even eat. He is still Man with the same body seated at the right hand of the Majesty in glory. – 1 Tim 2:5. We, with our glorious bodies, will see Him in His glorious body at His coming. – 1 Jn 3:2.

God is the HOLY SPIRIT. God’s Spirit has always existed as God’s life. The Holy Spirit of God expresses God’s personality – His demeanour, His bearing and His disposition. So, He hears, speaks, indwells, helps, comforts, teaches, reminds, convicts, empowers the believer and intercedes for him. He can be grieved and quenched. He sets up the attitude, determines the mindset, and produces God’s ‘fruit’ in the believer. Being a spirit, no gender can be attributed to Him. However, He is addressed in the masculine because God created man in His likeness and man is masculine! God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. – Gen 1:27.

Interestingly the Holy Spirit is the feminine ‘pneuma’ in Greek. Though femininity was built in man when he was created, God separated this femininity from him as the woman. Male and female created He them. – Gen 1:27. Incidentally, it is the man who still holds the XY chromosome pair, the feminine gene, that brings forth a girl child. He is the ‘Sakthi’ in Thamizh who overshadowed Mary empowering her to bring forth Jesus on earth.

The eternal Word crossed over into time, space, and matter to dwell among His creation. God, in His Son, also entered into the sinful human race to dwell among His people, later in Time (not late but at a very determined time). God, in His Spirit, came into the hearts of men to dwell in every individual post the ascension and glorification of the Son of God. Kada Ull.

“When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything”. –G.K. Chesterton.

What are some Satan-made alternatives to faith in God the Creator?

1. No god. Atheism – itself is a belief system and a delusion. Everything exists because of natural causes, not God. No accountability. No real morals. No absolutes. Everything is relative. My truth and your truth are different versions of the same truth. But your truth need not be truer than my truth! It is difficult to define good or evil as there is no absolute with which to compare things. 0 K is absolute zero. All heat is measured with this as the absolute. Nothing can be lower than this temperature. Likewise, an ethical absolute is needed to define what is right or wrong, good or evil, just or unjust. If not, none is answerable to others for unlawful actions; what is unlawful to one can be lawful to another!

2. Gnosticism is நாத்தீகம்; not Atheism. It is a belief that God is apart from His Creation (Dvaitha / Dualism) as He is a good Spirit and He has nothing to do with the physical, evil world. So, He cannot be known. If He cannot be known, how did Gnostics know that He is a Spirit? And, what is His function at all? If He cannot relate to His fallen creation, is He apathetic/loveless? And God at the same time?

3. Many gods and goddesses. Polytheism. Eastern religions. Certainly, if one god cannot fulfil all the needs of mankind, (and requires another for another need) he/she cannot be God at all. Moreover, there always seems to be competition, conspiracy and conflict between these so-called gods (kula deivam in Thamizh), each trying to prove to the others that he/she is superior! The mythology of Greek, Roman, Hindu and other Eastern religions is rampant with gods that have questionable (and sometimes utterly obnoxious) lifestyles as per our human standards. No one can pray to such gods, “O god, make me more like you!”. Such a prayer, if answered would make the devotee an antisocial element and an abominable individual in the society! ‘All roads lead to Rome’ might be a cliché frequently used by advocates of unity. All religions might look superficially the same but are fundamentally different in many aspects.

4. Money is god. Capitalism. Make more money by exploiting the masses. Pay them less, sell them costly goods (originally produced by the working class. Irony!) most of which falsely promise a comfortable and healthy life, assure them a great future, while scraping them off to the last cent now, give them loans and keep them under bondage (of EMIs!). The rich become richer while the poor become poorer – the unbridgeable gap widening ever. And has money been able to save anybody from the worries of life and give a sense of fulfilment? Steve Jobs, where are you?

5. The state is god. Communism. The state defines what is right and wrong. All who tend to rebel against the state-defined law are prone to severe punishment and even death. God is out of bounds for all citizens. All property is owned by the government. Each person contributes but receives only a quantity that the govt decides. Communist countries, are you listening? Is there true freedom for citizens?

6. Society is god. Socialism. The government must provide everything for the welfare of the citizens. Unfortunately, gullible citizens have little or no power to demand better living standards or more fundamental rights for human existence. The government would work towards bridging the gap in society between the haves and the have-nots and distribute the country’s wealth equally among all citizens. All societies that tried Socialism have failed miserably! Where is the erstwhile USSR?

7. Nature is god. God is in the grass and in the speck of dust too. So, everything in nature is God. Trees and animals are gods. The environment is god. The earth, sun, moon, planets, stars and constellations are gods. Rivers and hills are gods. If these are gods, then who is the one who is the original cause for all these to come into existence?

8. Man is god. Sithars, Masters, Gurus and Godmen who seem to have attained a state of ultimate bliss! Do they have a solution to the problem of sin? What happens to man’s past sinful life? While gurus can lay guidelines on how to lead a ‘godly’ life hitherto, they themselves are found wanting in following these guidelines. And, would they dispense the ability to their genuine devotees to resist evil and do good? Would they assure them of heaven beyond this life? By the way, where are they now?

9. Ancestors are gods. Thamizh religion. All who are dead and gone become gods. The seventh ancestor in line is called the Paraman / heavenly and the abode of these ancestors is called paralokam / heaven. They also seem to go around as frightening spirits (kaathu / karuppu). Their photographs are garlanded (poo sei / poojai) and worshipped at home. Where are the attributes of God in these people? Would a sinner (terrorist/ whoremonger / paedophile / …) become God at his / her death?
10. Father and Mother are gods. They are the ones who gave the children life. Really? If so, who gave the parents, life? Where does the chain begin? And how about one-nightstand fathers and deceivers who are the cause of innumerable single mothers? And accidental mothers who trade their flesh? And child deserters that throw away newborns on waysides and temples, my side of the world? And those that run away with paramours?

11. I am god. New age. I decide what is right and will do everything to achieve whatever I desire and dream of. None has the right to question me, and the means don’t have to justify the end. I will control everything around me – money, things and people to achieve my ends. I want people to worship me, bow to me and exhibit their loyalty. Ultimately, I have the right to live as I please or even to end my life. Infinitheism fits in here. Can I be everywhere, know all, and do everything? Would I be God? If so, how come I have a beginning? And die afterwards!

12. One god who cannot be a Father. Judaism. If anybody calls god his father, he should be stoned to death as he has equated himself with the incomparable and matchless One. Mankind cannot enjoy the father-son relationship with god. What does Ps 2:12 mean when it says, ‘Kiss the Son' and what does Is 9:6 mean when it says, 'unto us, a Son is given'?

13. One god who cannot have a Son. Islam. God cannot have a wife to beget a son as do humans. However, God is beyond all these vile passions. Can’t God become a Son who is not biologically brought forth but is the very image of the invisible God? We call Him Jesus.

14. Mary, apostles and saints are God! Even if Roman Catholics don’t mention this in their confession, they still make idols of these personalities and bow to them, not realising that these are dead and gone. God prohibits even making such an idol, even if it is of Jesus.

None of the above defines a purpose for human life on this earth. “Why are we here?” is a question that goes unanswered by all these alternatives.

God is not dead. Moral truths that are true everywhere point to a transcendent morality that man did not invent. God has placed not only natural laws on the earth but also spiritual laws. When these laws are broken, it results in people being broken. Not only does violating these spiritual laws separate us from God but causes pain in our lives and those around us. –Rice Broocks, God’s Not Dead.

Imagine for a moment: What will happen if every one of the inhabitants of this earth believes that there is no God? Would the world be a better place to live in? Think of a world with no morals, ethics and standards, and the entire Police department going on leave for a week. Would there be peaceful co-existence, or would it be a struggle for life and survival of the fittest? What would happen to the old, the sick, and the poor? And the rich? Can we ever forget the genocide committed by Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Marx, Polpot, and Mao, all atheists? And what did the imperialists do in their colonies?

In the year of its millennial edition in 2000, The Economist magazine published an obituary for God. In 2007, it published a sixteen-page apology titled ‘God is back’. It is not what they don’t know about God that keeps people from believing; it is what they do know – that God is holy and demands holiness from His creation. Because they hate God’s rules, they suppress the truth in their unrighteousness – Rom 1:18. They want to break free from Him and get out of His control to become their own gods. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. -Jn 3:18.

People also offer a seemingly valid reason not to believe in the existence of a God – the believers in God! If there are so many believers in God, why is there so much evil and injustice in the world, most of which is supposed to be committed by such ‘believers’? Starting from the Roman Catholics (they are not Christians, as being held by the world) of the Crusades, Sangh Parivar to the jihadists, millions have been murdered in the name of religion. The answer to the above question is very simple. The very sense of ‘evil’ existing in a normal man is because of the existence of God who defines what is evil and what is good for mankind. “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line!” –C.S. Lewis.

Again, evil is not just around us, it is in us. God denounces evil and expects mankind to turn away from it. Christ became the victor by defeating the devil, on the cross through His death. In fact, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Evil One. Evil’s ultimate destruction is round the corner! Recognizing this is the first step to faith in God. This would automatically lead one to obedience to His commands and compliance with His rules. God wants to get rid of evil starting from me!

Are there some things God cannot do? Some Christian preachers take pride in listing things that God can’t do viz., “God can’t stop loving people; God can’t remember our sins; God can’t stop thinking about His children”. They are trying to sound wiser than God, are advocates of God, and are trying to add to the glory of God. Foolishness! For with God, nothing shall be impossible. – Luke 1:37. While God can do everything, He will not do these (and many other things that contradict His nature) by deliberate choice and determined will. For example, He will not remember our sins anymore after He has forgiven them – not that He can’t. He is not a human being with a weakness to forget things. He is not suffering from amnesia!

Modern preachers say, “Jesus could not establish His kingdom on the earth the first time He came because the Jews rejected Him”. Nothing can be far removed from the truth. Jesus could not? Heresy! Jesus did establish His kingdom here on earth. The rejection by Jews was factored into God’s one plan.

There are other unbelievers that come up with questions like, “If there is a God, could He lie? Can He bring back the past? Would He be able to rule that all evil is good and all good is evil?” God does not lie because that would contradict His character. God never changes His nature a bit. Then, where is the question of He turning everything upside down? Regarding the ‘past’ argument, God has purposed and planned everything ahead even before the foundation of the world (the theme running throughout this book ABHOT) and is executing the plan to the tee. This being the fact, where is the question of God reversing the past? He would rather transform your future!