God

The word **God** is a title that is used to identify the Creator of all things. Throughout the ages, many beings have equated themselves to be gods and have often demanded of their subjects to worship them as such (Ezekiel 28:1,2; 1 Cor. 8:5,6). In some cases, extraordinary men have been deemed as gods, such as Jesus. However, this reminder was given:

"Be of this mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who in the form of God, **not** snatching (seizing that), he considered the, to be equal (things) to God, but he emptied himself having taken the form of a slave" — Philippians 2:5-7.

## God's love

God, the Creator, has no beginning and no end (Psalm 90:2). God is the Source of the good news found in the Bible (1 Timothy 1:11). Since God gave us life, this One is deserving of our worship only to Him∆ (Revelation 4:11). Being a *Life Giver*, we ought to love Him more than we love anyone else (Mark 12:30). As you express your love for God, by learning more about him and doing as he asks, you will draw ever closer to him (1 Timothy 2:4; 1 John 5:3).

God invites us to draw close to him by speaking to Him in prayer. He is interested in us individually (Psalm 65:2; 145:18). He is willing to forgive. He recognizes our efforts to please him, even if we sometimes fail. So despite our imperfection, we really can enjoy a close relationship with God (Psalm 103:12-14; James 4:8).

There are many ways to express our love for God. For example, we show love for God and neighbor by having a zealous share in the Kingdom preaching work (Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20). We show that we truly love God by enduring tests of faith as integrity keepers (Ps. 84:11; Jas. 1:2-5). If our trials become severe, we can be sure that God is aware of our suffering and will help us, for we are precious to him (Ps. 56:8). Our love for God moves us to meditate on his creative works and other marvelous deeds (Romans 1). We show that we love God and highly value his Word by diligently studying the Bible. Love for God draws us ever closer to Him in prayer. And our love for God grows deeper as we reflect on the ransom sacrifice he provided through his Son, for our sins (1 John 2:1, 2). These are just some of the many reasons we have for loving God, whose name is Jehovah (Psalm 83:18), in response to his enduring love for us.

## God's name

*Main*: God's name
Jesus said: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” (Matthew 6:9) Although God has been given many titles, he has only one name. The Hebrew derivative of his Divine Name is often pronounced “Yahweh”. The anglophonic variant is commonly pronounced “Jehovah” (Psalm 83:18).

God’s *Divine Name* has been taken out of many Bibles and replaced with the titles LORD or God. But when the Bible was written, it contained God’s name some 7,000 times. Jesus made God’s name known when he taught people about God (John 17:26).

## God cares

[God] cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). Due to widespread suffering, some teach that he makes us suffer to test us, but that is a false claim (James 1:13). God has granted man the dignity of free will. We can appreciate our freedom of choice to serve God (Joshua 24:15) But many choose to do bad things to others, so suffering abounds. It saddens Jehovah to see such injustice (Genesis 6:5, 6). Jehovah is a God who cares about us. He wants us to enjoy life. Soon he will eliminate suffering and those who cause it. Meanwhile, he has good reason to allow suffering for a limited time. In Lesson 8, we will learn what that reason is.—Read 2 Peter 2:9; 3:7, 13.

## God's Kingdom

*Main:* God's Kingdom
Though government has never succeeded in eliminating violence, disease, or death, there is **good news**. Shortly, God will replace all human governments with his own government (Daniel 2:44). Its subjects will enjoy peace and good health (Isaiah 25:8; 33:24).

## God's purpose

*See also:* Good news
God gave the earth to men and women. It is our home. Therefore, the first human couple, Adam and Eve, were not created to populate the heavens—God had already created angels to live in heaven (Job 38:4, 7). Rather, God took the first man and settled him in a delightful paradise called the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15-17). God gave him and his future offspring the prospect of enjoying life without end on earth (Psalm 37:29; 115:16).

**God**'s purpose for people is to enjoy life on earth. He created the earth and everything on it because he loves mankind. Soon he will act to provide a better future for people in every land. He will relieve mankind of the causes of suffering (Jeremiah 29:11).

Suffering will end only when God clears the earth of bad people (Zephaniah 2:3). When will that happen? God’s Word foretold the conditions that now threaten mankind. Current events indicate that God’s time to act is close (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Learn about **God** from his Word, the Bible. It is like a letter to us from a loving father. It tells us how to enjoy a better way of life now and how to enjoy everlasting life on earth in the future. Some may not like it if you are receiving help to understand the Bible. But the opportunity of a better future is too good to miss (Proverbs 29:25; Revelation 14:6, 7).

## Notes

∆ *Him* - a masculine pronoun that personifies God in place of a direct title or name. No human has ever seen God because, in reality, He is a Spirit, a higher form of life than the physical realm in which the Earth is bound to (John 1:18; 4:24). It may be quite possible that God is neither male, nor female. However, it can be discerned that God actually has a personality that can be observed, either through His Word, or by creation. For instance, the *variety* of fruits and flowers tell us of his love and wisdom. The size of the universe tells us of his power (Romans 1:20).

We can learn even more about God’s personality by reading the Bible. For example, it tells us what God likes and what he does not like, how he treats people, and how he reacts in different situations (Psalm 103:7-10).

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 *Good News*, p.5
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 w15 8/15 1:6, 17, 18
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Good News*, p.3
4. ↑ *Good News*, p.11
5. ↑ *Commentary*