Who is the one true God?

This is one of the very outstanding names of God in the Old Testament, occurring well over 2,000 times — 27 times in Genesis 1. It is the plural of Eloah, and means creatorial power... the plural word Elohim, is followed by a singular verb. Has this no meaning in the light of Scripture? It is clear that we have here the first intimation of the Godhead as Trinity — Father, Son and Spirit, yet One God. Hence the verb in the singular, the two words, "God (plural) created (singular)" set forth a plural unity, never known save in relation to the Being of God.

Here in this very majestic declaration of the Oneness of the Godhead, care is taken to state it consistently with the truth afterwards revealed concerning the Three Persons of the Godhead — Father, Son and Spirit. These Three Persons, of one Substance, completely united in thought, will, purpose, counsel, are not three Gods, but One God, not a tritheism, but a Holy Trinity. We cannot understand the mystery of all this, but this truth lies at the very foundation of the Christian faith.

We are baptized "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19). This carries with it the formal declaration of the mystery of the Godhead; the Son being a divine Person (in the recognition or declaration of this sentence), as is the Father, and as is the Holy Ghost.

If there are Persons in the Godhead, as we know there are, are we not to know also that there are relationships between them?... The Persons in that glory are not independent, but related. Nor is it beyond our measure to say that the great archetype of love, the blessed model or original of all relative affection, is found in that relationship.

The understanding which has been given us, has been given us to know "Him that is true," as being "in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ"; and to this it is added, "This is the true God, and eternal life."

Before the coming of the Son of God into the world the true God was unrevealed, and it was not until the Spirit was given that any were capable of taking in the revelation made by the Son. From the world's foundation the eternal power and divinity of God were to be perceived in the things that are made, but not the true God Himself... It needed One who was in Himself God to be adequate to perfectly declare God.

It is to be noticed, the Father is here called the true God, just as the Son is called the true God in 1 John 5:20. It is not that there are two Gods, but the Son is God and the Father is God, even as also the Holy Spirit is God; but it is in the Son, become man, we see "God manifest in the flesh."

"No man comes to the Father but by Me," said the Son of God. "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life." This excludes all the efforts of man apart from the Son: it shuts out the natural man even at his very best. The Son is the Way, not simply a way! The Son is the Truth, not simply a portion of it! The Son is the Life, not simply a partial manifestation of it. Yea, "He is the true God and eternal life."

(1) The Word was in the beginning, that is from all eternity. (2) The Word was WITH God, a distinct Personality. (3) The Word was God, DEITY is claimed for the Word. (4) The Word was WITH God in the beginning, that is eternally, a distinct Personality.

When John 1:1 says that "The Word was with THE God," it means God absolute, that is Father, Son and Spirit, One God, the Fullness of the Trinity... But when it says, "The Word was God" without putting in the definite article, we see Deity claimed for the Word, God relative. Thus carefully does the inspired word of God put the definite article where it is needed, and leaves it out, when its insertion would not have conveyed the truth of the relative position of our Lord in the Godhead.

"And this is the message which we have heard from him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

"God is love." ... "Herein was manifested the love of God in our case, because God hath sent his Only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as propitiation for our sins."

"The deity of Christ can no more be denied because the Father is here called 'one God,' than the dominion of the Father can be denied because the Son is called 'one Lord.'" To this we may add — or the deity and dominion of the Spirit be denied, because He is not mentioned at all. The fact is, of course, that the Godhead is being presented in contrast with the many gods and lords of the pagan world; and in the Godhead the Son is He who has taken the place of Lord.