Theological column by Adrienne Greene
Q:
Dear Pastor,
I don’t believe there’s only one God. The Bible even says there are many Lords and Gods.
A:
Yes, the religious journey may be confusing! In India alone, their god-scape includes millions of religious entities to worship. In contrast, the Christian religion and Bible poses a singular God made up of three distinct components entwined as the divine power-source, as you’ve mentioned. This Gospel simplifies the plethora of spiritual choices and boils things down to one name: Jesus. “Jesus” was an offensive name in antiquity and not much has changed. Your question and underlying sentiment illustrates that fact.
The Bible’s truth explains the hopelessness that non-Christian people must be experiencing every day: “The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you. There you will serve gods, the work of man’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:27-29, NASB95.) Thankfully, that scripture also includes a hope and a promise that somehow in the confusion and chaos of unfruitful worship, our souls will have the opportunity to cry out to the Living God…and when we seek the Christian God we will find him.
Also, in the Bible’s book of Isaiah, chapters forty-three and forty-five, we are told that God knows us by our names. Even if we don’t acknowledge him, he apparently knows us. For many lonely people, these scriptures provide the encouragement they need to live. “Somebody knows I exist” they say. “I am not insignificant. I have value to God!” Yes you do.
The lords-and-gods verses are often taken out of context by groups of people who are building a case against who the Bible names as the “one true God” (Mark 12:32.) These anti-Christian groups have decided that they don’t like the idea of coming under the helm of one benevolent force. Instead, they prefer to add their own ideas to the Holy Scriptures—add their own rules and throw in a few more gods to satisfy what they feel is lacking in the simple message of the Christian Gospel: Christ died, rose again and will return. In Jesus and through Jesus alone are the workings of the Holy Spirit and The Father (Jehovah.) Thus, we have a triune power-source built into one sovereign being whose core identity is love. But the cults and various other religions like the idea of additional lords-and-gods since they get to cherry-pick the divine landscape. When a human being chooses the god most convenient or the one who most easily fits into their chosen lifestyle, they are not humbly submitting to any God at all. They sit on their own thrones; ruling and reigning as the center of their universe.
Isaiah 43:10 declares, “You are My witnesses, and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” Then in chapter forty-four, verse six he says it another way, “I am the first and I am the last and there is no God besides Me.” And yet, well-meaning sects teach the doctrine of many Gods, including the possibility that humans may even become the God of their own world.
The Apostle Paul (who wrote the statement about gods and lords in his letter to the Corinthian church) was not affirming the leadership of other entities. He was simply stating a fact that there are many religions out there who have so-called lords and gods attached. He’s explaining that these spiritual beings are not lords or gods at all, they are demonic imposters. (1 Corinthians 8:5, 6)
I’m thankful you’re searching for spiritual answers to tough questions. My prayers are with you as you continue to ask God for the truth about these important matters. Remember: you will find the one true God when you humbly seek him with all of your heart. He will find you.
Do you have a question or comment for Pastor Adrienne? Send your inquiries to: info@adriennewgreene.com or write to P.O. Box 214, Harrison, OH 45030. For more information, tune into the “Ask Pastor Adrienne” YouTube channel for sermons and insights.