The Truth About God and Christ

Who Is God?

What Is God’s Name? God himself says: “I am Jehovah. That is my name.” (Isaiah 42:8) The personal name of God appears some 7,000 times in the Bible. However, many Bible translations improperly substitute this name with a title, such as “Lord.” God wants you to be his friend, so he encourages you to “call on his name.”​—Psalm 105:1.

Jehovah’s Titles. The Bible refers to Jehovah by such titles as “God,” “Almighty,” “Creator,” “Father,” “Lord,” and “Sovereign.” Many prayers are recorded in the Bible in which Jehovah is addressed by both a respectful title and his personal name, Jehovah.​—Daniel 9:4.

God’s Form. God is an invisible spirit. (John 4:24) The Bible confirms that “no man has seen God.” (John 1:18) The Bible reveals his feelings. People can cause him grief, or they can “bring pleasure to him.”​—Proverbs 11:20; Psalm 78:40, 41.

God’s Wonderful Attributes. God is impartial toward people of all nations and backgrounds. (Acts 10:34, 35) He is also “merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth.” (Exodus 34:6, 7) However, four attributes of God are especially appealing.

Power. Since he is “God Almighty,” he has unlimited power to accomplish whatever he promises.​—Genesis 17:1.

Wisdom. God’s wisdom surpasses that of anyone else. In that sense the Bible says that he “alone is wise.”​—Romans 16:27.

Justice. God always does what is right. His actions are “perfect,” and he “is never unjust.”​—Deuteronomy 32:4.

Love. The Bible says that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Not only does God show love​—he is the very personification of love. His superlative love influences everything he does, and it benefits us in many ways.

God’s Friendship With Humans. God is our loving heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:9) If we put faith in him, we can be his friends. (Psalm 25:14) In fact, God invites you to draw close to him in prayer and to “throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”​—1 Peter 5:7; James 4:8.

What Is the Difference Between God and Christ?

Jesus Is Not God. Jesus is unique​—he is the only person created directly by God. That is why the Bible calls him God’s Son. (John 1:14) After creating Jesus, Jehovah used his firstborn as “a master worker” to create everything and everyone else.​—Proverbs 8:30, 31; Colossians 1:15, 16.

Jesus Christ never claimed to be God. Instead, he explained: “I am a representative from [God], and that One sent me.” (John 7:29) When speaking to one of his disciples, Jesus called Jehovah “my Father and your Father” and “my God and your God.” (John 20:17) After Jesus died, Jehovah resurrected him to life in heaven and gave him great authority at His right hand.​—Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:32, 33.

Jesus Christ Can Help You Draw Close to God

Jesus came to the earth to teach us about his Father. Jehovah himself said about Jesus: “This is my Son, the beloved. Listen to him.” (Mark 9:7) Jesus knows God better than anyone else. He said: “No one knows who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.”​—Luke 10:22.

Jesus reflects God’s qualities perfectly. Jesus imitated his Father’s qualities so closely that he could say: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father also.” (John 14:9) Jesus drew people to God by reflecting his Father’s love in his own words and deeds. He said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) He also said: “True worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him.” (John 4:23) Imagine that! Jehovah is looking for people like you who want to know the truth about him.