RUSHWAVE: Establishing Believers in the Christian Faith

Chapter 4: There is One God

The many conceptions of God throughout history are not equally valid, for there is only one God.

In the ancient way of thinking, victory in war did not necessarily mean the gods of the opposing army did not exist, but simply that they were less powerful. And in similar manner, the defeated army did not interpret defeat as necessarily meaning their own gods did not exist, but simply that they had displeased them in some way or the gods of the opposing army were more powerful. This mindset is evident in the historical account of an official of the Assyrian empire taunting an Israelite king named Hezekiah. In the presence of the Israelite army, the Assyrian official said:

Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And when have they delivered Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord would deliver Jerusalem from my hand? Isaiah 36:18–20

Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim and Samaria were lands that had suffered defeat by the Assyrian empire, and reference is made to the “gods of these lands” being unable to effect deliverance. So in the ancient way of thinking, the common perception was numerous gods existed. They all were real, even those of other nations.

This worldview of there being multiple gods is in direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus Christ. When it is stated “For God so loved the world,” the God being referred to is not one god amidst a host of other gods, but rather the only true God who alone has existence.

God Himself affirms He is the only God. In numerous places God says of Himself:

I am He, And there is no god besides Me. Deuteronomy 32:39
For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me. Isaiah 46:9
There is no one like Me in all the earth. Exodus 9:14
I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. Isaiah 45:5
I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. Isaiah 43:10
Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none. Isaiah 44:8

These statements clearly indicate the uniqueness of God. There never has and never will be anyone who can even compare to Him. He has absolutely no equal.

There being only one God is the basis for God’s prohibitions against worshiping other gods. It did not matter how elaborate the religious system, how imposing the idol, or how impressive the temple architecture. If these were representative of a false god, they were not to be honored, feared, or in any way regarded as God. Countless times this was commanded.

I am the Lord your God … You shall have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:2–3
You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you. Deuteronomy 6:14
Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. Psalm 81:9
I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites. Judges 6:10
Do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them. Jeremiah 25:6
You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them. 2 Kings 17:35

The world is filled with monuments, temples, altars and artifacts that different cultures have used in the worship of their gods. Some of these are still in use today. As architecturally impressive and historically interesting as these sites may be, it must be understood they represent religious systems that God prohibited because they perpetrated a false conception of Himself.

There are two serious implications of there being only one God, and they are startling.

There is only one true God, so all conceptions of God outside of Jesus Christ are false and represent gods that do not even exist. This is critical, for it is substantially different from not only ancient thoughts of God but even some contemporary viewpoints.

It is not that the gods of another religion have actual existence, and the God of Jesus Christ is more powerful, more knowledgeable, and so on. The other gods throughout history and in the present day are not even there. They are not real. They do not exist. It does not matter what image was used in the worship of the god. It does not even matter if the god in the particular religion was represented by any idol at all. There is in reality only one God.

Since there is only one true God, it is He who determines right and wrong, what are appropriate acts of worship, how to pray, and all other things related to religious life. The rites associated with the different gods in different religions are not equally valid. And as such there necessarily follows this second inescapable conclusion:

All activities, services, and worldviews based on a conception of God outside of Jesus Christ are ultimately vain. As previously shown, a man’s conception of God has implications on every aspect of life. These different conceptions affect his view of right and wrong, the sanctity of life, what happens after death, and other important issues. People may strictly adhere to the teachings of their religion in accordance with their particular god. They may faithfully fulfill all the religious rites, daily prayers, and acts of worship prescribed. The code of conduct in the religion may be very strict by insisting on various activities of self-denial, and they may honor them all. But ultimately, if they are doing these things for a god other than the God of Jesus Christ, that god does not hear. And it is not that the god is unwilling to hear, it is that he has no ears to hear. It was the recognition of this futility that drove those who knew Jesus Christ to exclaim to those who were given to the worship of other gods:

You should turn from these vain things [lifeless idols] to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. Acts 14:15

Note how scripture describes the idols themselves, and the worship and service associated with them: it is “vain.” It is empty, void of result, worthless, and serves no purpose. And this exhortation still applies today.

God Himself affirms He is the only true God. There is absolutely no one like Him. He forbids the worship of others gods because they are not real and do not even exist; they are false gods. And they are as false as the idols carved out of stone from ancient civilizations. Your service to any god other than the God of Jesus Christ is ultimately empty, and serves no purpose. There is only one true God, and it is the God of Jesus Christ.

from The Nature and Character of God

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