What comes to mind when you think about God? Your answer will shape how you live, how you view yourself, and how you respond to the gospel. It is not a small matter. The early church knew this well—and so should we.
From Acts to the Creeds: Clarifying God’s Nature
The book of Acts shows the apostles adapting their message for audiences with very different pictures of God. They knew that unless God’s nature was presented clearly, the gospel could be misunderstood.
In the first centuries of the church, this same need for clarity led to the creeds. While much of their focus was on affirming Jesus as both God and man, they began with an uncompromising statement about God the Father:
“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” — Nicene Creed
The implication was clear: if we are wrong about God, we will be wrong about the gospel.
The Changing Picture of God in Our Culture
For many years, gospel conversations in America assumed a shared starting point—most people held a Catholic/Protestant view of God as Creator, holy, sovereign, and judge. The only missing piece, in many cases, was the personal love of God.
That is no longer the case.
- Pew Research Center reports that absolute certainty in God’s existence has declined sharply.
- American Worldview Inventory reveals that only 6% of U.S. adults have a biblical worldview—and Americans are now more confident in Satan’s existence than in God’s.
- Only half of the nation accepts the biblical picture of God as Creator, sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly just.
Even more telling: 71% of Americans believe God loves them unconditionally—often with a sentimental “Santa Claus” image—but many reject His holiness, justice, and authority.
As George Barna notes, “It’s no wonder that more than nine out of ten Americans lack a biblical worldview given that people’s fundamental understanding of the nature and existence of God is flawed.”
Why Our Picture of God Matters for the Gospel
Our picture of God is the starting point for understanding the gospel. If we add Jesus to a distorted view of God, we produce a distorted faith. If God is a cosmic genie, then the gospel becomes about self-fulfillment, not repentance, kingdom transfer, and new creation.
I learned this decades ago while sharing “The Bridge” illustration. I would draw two cliffs—God and Man—and ask people to describe God. Their answers were usually orthodox: Creator, holy, sovereign, and just. This provided the perfect opening to add God’s love to the picture and introduce Jesus.
Today’s answers are different. God is seen as loving but rarely as Creator, holy, sovereign, or just. Without these truths, the gospel loses its context and urgency.
A Biblical Starting Point
Before someone can grasp the good news of Jesus, they must first meet the God who is its source. The Old Testament gives us essential truths about Him:
- There is one God (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 46:9).
- God is eternal—self-existent, without beginning (Gen. 1:1).
- God is the creator of all things seen and unseen (Gen. 1:1; Isa. 45:18).
- God is relational—seeking fellowship with His creation (Gen. 3:8).
- God is sovereign—the owner and ruler of all He has made (Isa. 40:21–26).
- God is holy—morally pure, completely separate from evil (Isa. 6:1–5).
- God is just—the perfect judge of righteousness (Isa. 61:8).
- God is loving—kind, merciful, and compassionate (Psalm 136; Isa. 63:7–8).
These truths shape the way we present the gospel. Without them, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection can be reduced to a vague act of kindness rather than the decisive rescue mission of the Creator-King.
Helping People Take the First Step
Dr. James Engel’s “Scale of Spiritual Decision” begins at stage -8: discovering that God exists and learning who He is. From there, people progress toward understanding and embracing the gospel. Our task is not to rush them to the cross without first introducing them to the God of the cross.
So before we explain what Jesus has done, perhaps the most important question we can ask is:
“What is your picture of God?”
Because, as A.W. Tozer warned, “The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself.”
For Discussion
1. How do Old Testament truths about God (Creator, sovereign, holy, just, loving) prepare the way for understanding the gospel?
2. What differences do you see between how past generations in America viewed God and how people view Him today?
3. Why do you think so many Americans believe in God’s love but reject His holiness and justice?
4. What questions could you ask in a conversation that might surface someone’s unconscious assumptions about God?
5. If you had to summarize your own “picture of God” in three words, what would they be—and why?