The Greatest Knowledge| Greatest Decision

THE GREATEST KNOWLEDGE you will ever gain in your life is the knowledge of YAHWEH God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life. Knowing Yahweh God of the Bible—the one and the only true and the living God there is, knowing His essence and His nature, knowing His attributes and His actions, knowing His character and His reputation, and above all knowing His perfect will for your life is so important so much so that there is no any other knowledge that can compare to this knowledge. Not the knowledge of sciences or arts, not the knowledge of engineering or mathematics, not the knowledge of medicine or linguistics, not the knowledge of astronomy or geology, not the knowledge of lofty philosophies or latest technologies, and not the knowledge of anything in the heavens above or in the earth beneath is comparable to the knowledge of Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life. And this is simply because the knowledge of Yahweh God of the Bible is infinitely superior to any other knowledge there is. It is the fountain head of true knowledge. It is the starting point of gaining wisdom. It is the key that helps you to understand universe and everything in it. And above all, it is the source and the sustenance of having the correct perspective of life. For with this knowledge of Yahweh God of the Bible, you get to know and understand the Ultimate Reality. That is, you get to know and understand the One from whom everything else came. Also with this knowledge of Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life, you get to know and understand where you came from, why you are here on earth and finally where you will go when your time to depart from this world shall come. In short, with this knowledge of Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life, you get to know and understand the One by whom you live, you move and you have your being and how you can have a good loving relationship with Him through Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior.

Of course, the only sure and trustworthy source of this knowledge of Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life is the Bible. Yes, I know that it is true indeed that Yahweh God of the Bible has sometimes used visions, dreams and several other subjective means to reveal Himself and His perfect will for mankind particularly in the Old Testament days when the first part of the Bible was gradually being written and nowadays to all those people who have no access to the Bible or who live in countries where biblical Christianity is forbidden. But for the most part, Yahweh God the Bible reveals Himself and His perfect will for mankind using His own written, inerrant, infallible and inspired word that is clearly and unquestionably taught throughout all the 66 books of the holy Bible. It therefore goes without saying that the only sure and trustworthy way by which you can gain this knowledge of Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life is through reading, studying, memorizing, meditating and more importantly obeying the word of God taught in all the 66 books of the holy Bible (i.e. 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament). For without any controversy or any shred of doubt, the Bible is the only sure and trustworthy source of knowledge of Yahweh God and His perfect will for your life. Any other subjective means by which Yahweh God of the Bible can use to reveal Himself and His perfect will for mankind such as dreams, visions, signs, wonders and miracles must be tested for their veracity using what is clearly and unquestionably taught throughout all the 66 books of the holy Bible. For only when these subjective means agree 100% with what is clearly and unmistakably taught in the Bible can you be sure that they come from Yahweh God Himself who authored the Bible because Satan also can and does actually use dreams, visions, signs, wonders and miracles to deceive people (see Exodus 7:10-12, Jeremiah 23:21-28, 2nd Thessalonians 2:8-12 and Revelation 13:11-13).

Seeing how important the Bible is in helping you to gain the greatest knowledge you will ever gain in your life, it therefore goes without saying that to the degree that you know, understand and obey the Bible is to same degree that you are going to know Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life. So I cannot overemphasize the importance of reading, studying, memorizing, meditating and more importantly obeying the word of God taught in all the 66 books of the holy Bible. It is very important because your spiritual life depends on how well you know and wholeheartedly obey what the Bible teaches from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. That is why the whole of this discourse lends itself to the following clarion call which you ought to fulfill in your life:

KNOW THE BIBLE TO KNOW YAHWEH GOD OF THE BIBLE AND HIS PERFECT WILL FOR YOUR LIFE!

Your pursuit to know the Bible starts with understanding the following important facts that the Bible is not one book but it is a library of 66 books (39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament) which were written by 40 different authors, over a period of 1,500 years from around 1,445 BC to 96 AD, who wrote in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic), separated from each other in 3 different continents (Asia, Europe and Africa) and were all inspired by God the Holy Spirit to write every word they wrote, which all culminate in a singular message of Jesus Christ: God the Son who become the God-Man about 2,000 years ago, and then He died and rose again paying in full for all the sins of mankind so that whoever repents their sins and believes in Him can be truly and eternally saved. Important to note is the fact that all the 66 books of the holy Bible were inspired by God the Holy Spirit who moved each one of all these 40 different authors (32 authors who wrote 39 books of the Old Testament and 8 authors who wrote 27 books of the New Testament) to pen down inerrant, infallible, inspired word of God. And this was in spite of the significant diversity of all these 40 authors. For some were old and others were young; some were highly educated while others were less educated; some were medical doctors while others were religious lawyers; some were fishermen while others were priests; some were military leaders while others were kings; some were shepherds while others were tax-collectors. But in spite of the significant diversity of all these 40 authors regarding their age, level of education, occupation and status in society: God the Holy Spirit inspired each one of them to write detailed plan of God for salvation of sinful mankind from Genesis 1:1 all the way to Revelation 22:21 without any contradictions. That is why the Bible categorically states that, “16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works” (2nd Timothy 3:16-17). Furthermore the Bible goes on to reiterate the fact it was not invented by men but it originated from Yahweh or Jehovah God Himself. And here is how the Bible explains that fact, “20Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2nd Peter 1:20-21).

In summary, the whole Bible made up of 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament is the written, inerrant, infallible and inspired word of God which governs faith and practice of all true Christians. The original writings of the whole Bible known as the autographs are inerrant and are therefore free from all falsehood, fraud or deceit. Today, we do not have the original autographs but we do have thousands of handwritten copies of the original autographs commonly known as manuscripts which the Bible versions we use today are translated from. Worth noting is the fact that some of these manuscripts date back to just few years after the original autographs were written, which means that they were copied when some of the eyewitnesses of the events recorded in the Bible were still alive and they could have raised objections if there were additions or omissions in these manuscripts. However, whether you are dealing with earlier manuscripts or relatively newer manuscripts, you must always bear in mind that manuscripts of the Bible as well as translations of the Bible are inerrant word of God only to the extent that they faithfully represent the original autographs. Something else to note is the fact that the autographs of all the 66 books of the holy Bible were not divided into chapters and the verses as it is in the Bibles we use today. These divisions of the 66 books of the Bible into chapters and verses were not inspired by the Holy Spirit but were put there later on by Bible translators to help Bible users to trace certain portions of the scriptures easily and quickly. No doubt, these chapters and verses are very helpful even though they are not inspired. However, as you read the Bible do not always assume that a verse or even a chapter represents a complete idea or subject which the author of that book of the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write. Sometimes Bible translators put verse and chapter breaks in the middle of an idea such that if you stop reading at the end of that verse or chapter you will not get the full message which the author of that book of the Bible intended to communicate.

Sadly, some verse and chapter breaks are unfortunate and can cause you to think that the word of God failed or is misleading. A good example is the chapter break between Matthew chapters 16 and 17 which was put in the middle of the subject of Jesus Christ coming in His kingdom. So a person who stops his or her reading at the end of chapter 16 in verse 28 where Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “Verily I say to you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom,” may come to the wrong conclusion that these words of Jesus Christ did not come to pass because since then, all the disciples He was speaking to in 1st century A.D. have died and yet He has not yet come again here on earth to establish His kingdom. But if that person does not stop at the end of chapter 16 but continues their reading or study into chapter 17, he or she would quickly realize from Matthew 17:1-8 that Jesus Christ was actually referring to Peter, James and John, whom six days after that, He took with Him to the mount of transfiguration where He was transfigured before them and they saw Him in His glory such as He will be having in His future kingdom of 1,000 years here on earth. That is why you must be very careful with verse and chapter breaks as you read, study, memorize, meditate and more importantly obey the word of God taught in all the 66 books of the holy Bible.

Therefore as you embark on the process of knowing the Bible so that you can know Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life, here are some basic facts you ought to know about the Bible:-

1. THE 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING 10 CATEGORIES

A. FIVE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF THE 39 BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

1) FIVE BOOKS OF THE LAW

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

2) TWELVE BOOKS OF HISTORY AND GOVERNMENTS

Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1st Samuel
2nd Samuel
1st Kings
2nd Kings
1st Chronicles
2nd Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther

3) FIVE BOOKS OF POETRY AND WISDOM WRITINGS

Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon

4) FIVE BOOKS OF MAJOR PROPHETS

Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel

5) TWELVE BOOKS OF MINOR PROPHETS

Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

B. FIVE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF THE 27 BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

1) FOUR BOOKS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

Matthew
Mark synoptic gospels—which record similar events only differing in details & emphasis
Luke
John

2) ONE BOOK OF THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHURCH

Acts of the Apostles

3) THIRTEEN BOOKS OF EPISTLES OF APOSTLE PAUL

Romans
1st Corinthians
2nd Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1st Thessalonians
2nd Thessalonians
1st Timothy
2nd Timothy
Titus
Philemon

4) EIGHT BOOKS OF OTHER EPISTLES

Hebrews
James
1st Peter
2nd Peter
1st John
2nd John
3rd John
Jude

5) ONE BOOK OF PROPHECY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Revelation

2. MAJOR STYLES OR LITERARY FORMS USED TO WRITE THE 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

The Bible was generally written using 4 major styles of writing or literary forms listed for you here below:-

Narratives or story form of writing

[22 books: 5 books of Law, 12 books of History and Government, 4 Gospels and the book of Acts]

Epistles or instructional form of writing

[21 books: 13 epistles of Apostle Paul and 8 other epistles]

Prophetic form of writing

[18 books: 5 Major Prophets, 12 Minor Prophets and Revelation]

Poetry and wisdom form of writing

[5 books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon]

3. FIVE IMPORTANT RULES YOU OUGHT TO FOLLOW SO THAT YOU CAN INTERPRET THE BIBLE CORRECTLY AND THUS APPLY IT APPROPRIATELY IN YOUR LIFE

The following five important rules of interpreting the Bible will help you to interpret the Bible correctly as well as apply what the Bible teaches appropriately in your life:

FIRST RULE: Always remember that the Bible is the progressive revelation of the plan of God for salvation of sinful mankind.

The Bible is the progressive revelation of the plan of God for salvation of sinful mankind which starts in the 39 books of the Old Testament and then it progresses on to its fullest, clearest, and final version in the 27 books of the New Testament. Therefore, as you interpret the Bible, you must carefully consider what both the Old and the New Testament scriptures teach on that subject you are interpreting bearing in mind that the New Testament scriptures give you the fullest, clearest, and the final revelation of that subject. In other words, no verse of the Bible should be interpreted in isolation without considering what the whole of the Bible truly teaches on that subject. For example, in the Old Testament right there in Genesis 1:26; 3:22 and 11:7, you will notice that God used plural pronouns “Us” to speak of Himself or to Himself implying that even though He is one God according to Deuteronomy 6:4, He nevertheless does exist in more than one person. However, these Old Testament scriptures and many more like them in the Old Testament do not explicitly give us the number of the persons who exist as one God nor do they plainly give us their names. But when we turn to the New Testament scriptures which gives us the fullest, clearest and the final revelation of any subject in the Bible, we get scriptures such as Matthew 3:16-17 and Matthew 28:19 which explicitly reveal to us that Yahweh God of the Bible is one God (the only true and the living God there is) who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons giving us their names as God the Father, God the Son also known as Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, to avoid coming to the wrong conclusion on the nature of Yahweh God of the Bible or any other subject in the Bible, you must always bear in mind that the Bible is the progressive revelation of the plan of God for salvation of sinful mankind which starts in the 39 books of the Old Testament in partial form and then it progresses on to its fullest, clearest and final version in the 27 books of the New Testament.

SECOND RULE: Always interpret the Bible LITERALLY unless it is plain and clear that the passage you are dealing with is using figurative language such as symbols and metaphors.

God says what He means and He means what He says hence you must always interpret the Bible literally unless it is plain and clear that the Bible verse or passage you are interpreting uses figurative language such as symbols and metaphors. This means that the obvious, plain and clear meaning of a passage is the correct one. Therefore you should not try to make the Bible say what it does not say. Always remember that the Bible says what it means and it means what it says! When the Bible uses symbols or figures, the meaning of that passage is derived from what that symbol or figure stands for. For example, the symbol “Rock” stands for strength. Therefore when the Bible uses the symbol “Rock” as it does in Psalm 18:2 which says, “The LORD is my rock,” it means that the LORD is my source of strength and protection. Obviously, it does not mean that the LORD is a piece of a literal physical rock lying somewhere in the field! Similarly, when Jesus Christ in John 10:9 said, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,” He meant that He is the only way through which repentant sinners who believe in Him receive their salvation. It is obvious that Jesus Christ did not mean that He was a wooden door or a metallic door or any kind of a literal physical door! Likewise, Jesus Christ in John 6:53-56 was not speaking literally but figuratively when He said, “53Verily, verily, I say to you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoso eats My flesh and drinks My blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For My flesh is meat [food] indeed and My blood is drink indeed. 56He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood, dwells in Me and I in him” (bracketed mine). It is obvious that Jesus Christ was not telling His disciples that in order for them to be saved and receive eternal life they must literally eat His flesh and drink His blood because that would amount to cannibalism which is forbidden both in the Old Testament in Genesis 9:4 and in the New Testament in Acts 15:20, 29. But rather He was speaking figuratively that one must receive Him into his or her life to be saved similar to how food is ingested and assimilated into a person’s body in order to nourish it. In fact, a few verses later in John 6:63, He clarified that He wasn’t advocating cannibalism because He made it absolutely clear that “flesh profits nothing” and further explained that, “It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life”. Therefore, as a rule, you always interpret scriptures literally unless it is rather obvious that the passage you are dealing with uses figurative language such as symbols and metaphors.

THIRD RULE: Always allow the Bible to interpret itself by comparing and contrasting all the Bible passages in the Old and in the New Testament which deal with the same subject.

When interpreting the Bible, always go to other passages in the Bible which deal with the same subject so that you can arrive at the correct Bible meaning of the verse or the passage you are interpreting. This therefore means that you should always study the Bible in CONTEXT. That is, you should always consider carefully what was said BEFORE and AFTER in that chapter, in that book you are studying as well as in the rest of the Bible so that you can get the clearest meaning of that verse or passage you are studying. This is because, as a rule, context always determines the correct and the most appropriate meaning of what is being communicated. Consequently, you should always seek to find out who wrote the book you are studying, to whom did he write it to (i.e. who were the original recipients), why and what was the occasion that led him to write to them, when and where did he write it from and what might have been happening to him or to those people he wrote to, and more importantly, what was he intending to communicate to the original recipients of that message and how does that message apply to you now if indeed it does apply directly or indirectly to you. Then make sure that you find out what is the real meaning in the original language of a particular word or words you are interpreting noting especially their usage then and now: that is, from the Hebrew language when dealing with Old Testament scriptures and from the Greek language when dealing with New Testament scriptures. (By the way, these days there are Bible software which can help you accomplish that goal). In addition, consider carefully the literary style employed in the passage you are interpreting. Is the passage written in story form? Or is it written in instructional style, say like the way epistles are written? Or is it written in prophetic style? Or is it written as poetry? Or is it written as an allegory? Or is it written as a parable? Or is it written as proverbs? Or is it written as a song? This is because each one of all these literary styles call for different method as you interpret them. In short, as you interpret the Bible you should always adhere to the literal, grammatical and historical context of what the Bible authors intended to communicate to the original recipients of the books of the Bible they wrote.

FOURTH RULE: Never “read into” the Bible your own ideas or thoughts but instead you should always “read from” the Bible the message of God exactly as is clearly written there in the Bible.

Your task of interpreting the Bible involves first of all finding out what the Bible passage really SAYS and then finding out what it really MEANS strictly guided and directed by the literal, grammatical and historical context of what the Bible author of that book intended to communicate to the original recipients of that book of the Bible. Therefore, your task is to “read from” the Bible the message of God exactly as is clearly written there in the Bible and NEVER EVER to “read into” the Bible your own ideas, thoughts or even the popular “interpretation” your church or your denomination gives to that Bible passage. In other words, your fidelity as you attempt to interpret the Bible correctly should be strictly channeled to God and God alone by clinging to His written, inerrant, infallible and inspired word taught in all 66 books of the holy Bible and not to your own preconceived ideas or popular “interpretation” propagated by your church or your denomination or your favourite Bible teacher.

Fifth Rule: Never Assume That What the Bible “Describes” to Have Happened Is Exactly What the Bible “Prescribes” Should Always Happen to All People in All Places and at All Times

Always remember that the Bible truly records what happened in the past as well as what will happen in the future whether good or bad as it progressively unveils the plan of God for salvation of sinful mankind from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. It therefore means that not everything that the Bible records is actually what the Bible truly teaches that it should be done by all people in all places at all times. There are some events recorded in the Bible that happened in a particular place to a particular person and for a particular reason, hence they should not be expected to always happen to all people in all places at all times.

For example, it was Prophet Hosea and Hosea alone who was told by God to marry a prostitute to serve as a picture of how God was a faithful husband to the nation of Israel, but the nation of Israel was unfaithful wife to God because they had forsaken God and had gone about committing spiritual adultery by worshipping all other gods and goddesses (see Hosea chapters 1-3). So you cannot use this scripture in Hosea 1:2 to teach that Christian men or even women, for that matter, should marry unsaved people contrary to 2nd Corinthians 6:14-16, which clearly teaches that Christians should not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

Similarly, it was Prophet Jeremiah and him alone who was told by God not to marry but to remain single so that he could serve God as a prophet in such a perilous time when the kingdom of Judah was about to be taken into captivity in Babylon (see Jeremiah 16:1-21). So this scripture cannot be used to teach celibacy, that all persons who have a call to serve God in “full-time ministry” must remain single and should never marry because that is to make this scripture say what it was not intended to say, let alone to teach.

In the same vein, it was the rich young ruler and him alone who was told by Jesus Christ to sell all he had and give that money to the poor and then follow Him. Now, Jesus Christ knew that riches were stopping this young man from following Him inasmuch as his riches had sadly become his own god, hence he had to forsake them to follow Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:16-24). So this was not a universal commandment that for a person to become truly and eternally saved, he or she must sell everything they have and give all their money to the poor people and then follow Jesus Christ. No, not at all!

Likewise, the Bible does indeed record gross and grave sins of some of the famous Bible characters like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, King David, and King Solomon, to mention but a few. In that regard, it “describes” what happened but does not “prescribe” that is what ought to happen. A classic example is what the Bible records in 1st Kings Chapter 11, how King Solomon married 700 wives and 300 concubines contrary to God-ordained design of marriage whereby one man should marry one woman, as is prescribed in Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5:31.

Obviously, what King Solomon did is not recorded in the Bible as a way to endorse polygamy, but it is recorded in the Bible as a true historical event which took place, although it was and still is categorically forbidden by God. Consequently, it was never intended as an example to follow, but as grave and gross sin to avoid. Therefore, as you interpret the Bible, you have to avoid the “IS-OUGHT FALLACY” whereby you automatically assume what is recorded in the Bible to have happened is what ought to always happen to all people in all places at all times. Hence, avoid the mistake of making what was “described” in the Bible to have happened in a particular occasion to be exactly what is “prescribed” by the Bible that it should always happen to all people in all places at all times.

By the way, many false prophets and false pastors are fond of doing this. For example, they fleece the flock of God using the incident recorded in Acts 4:34-37 where Christians voluntarily sold their possessions and laid all the proceeds from the sale of their properties at the Apostles’ feet. They make this incident, which was “describing” what happened to those individual Christians, to be “prescribing” what should happen to all Christians, obviously ignoring scriptures such as 2nd Corinthians 9:7 and Matthew 6:1-4, which clearly “prescribe” how Christians ought to give their money without being pressured or openly parading the amount they give so that they can receive praise from men.

It is my hope and prayer that the above five rules of interpreting the Bible will help you to interpret the Bible correctly as well as apply what the Bible teaches appropriately in your life and in the lives of others.

4. TO KNOW YAHWEH GOD OF THE BIBLE AND HIS PERFECT WILL FOR YOUR LIFE, YOU MUST SET APART ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF TIME EVERY DAY TO READ, STUDY, MEMORIZE AND MEDITATE ON THE BIBLE SO THAT YOU CAN OBEY AND THUS PRACTICE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES YOU!

Finally, as you embark on the process of knowing the Bible so that you can know Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life, know that it will not come without a price. There is an extremely high price to pay. And that price which you must pay to know Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life is your time. You must set apart an adequate amount of time every day to read, study, memorize, and meditate on the Bible so that you can obey and thus practice what the Bible teaches you, and by so doing, you will get to know “who” Yahweh God of the Bible really is and “what” is His perfect will for your life!

So, are you willing to pay this price by deliberately setting apart enough time each day to read the Bible? Remember, you always find time to do all those things you believe are very important in your life. Therefore, as a Christian, you should always find time, and adequate time for that matter, to read the Bible, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and more importantly, obey all what it teaches you from Genesis 1:1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. And this is simply because what the Bible teaches you is infinitely important both for now and for eternity compared to anything else you might be doing, having, or pursuing. So, please read it. And read the whole of it from Genesis to Revelation, each one of all the 66 books of the holy Bible: 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Yes indeed, you can read the whole Bible. It is not that big.

The Bible has only 1,189 chapters, which if you would be reading 4 chapters per day, say for example 2 chapters in the morning and 2 chapters in the evening, it would take you only one year to read the whole Bible from cover to cover! By the way, at the top of this website, you will find the “READ THE WHOLE BIBLE ONCE EVERY YEAR” icon giving you every day on this website “TODAY’S BIBLE READINGS” which, if you will be reading them every day, then by the end of one year, you will have read the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

But if you prefer to have the whole “PLAN FOR READING THE WHOLE BIBLE ONCE EVERY YEAR” with you all at once, then you can download and print your own copy by clicking on that pull-down menu marked “PRINT YOUR FREE COPY OF PLAN FOR READING THE WHOLE BIBLE ONCE EVERY YEAR” on THE GREATEST INVESTMENT webpage here on this website. Now, this plan for reading the whole Bible once every year is developed in such a way that you will be reading 4 chapters per day. Though you are free to be reading them as you wish, it is suggested that you be reading 2 chapters every morning to start your day with the word of God and 2 chapters every evening to end your day with the word of God. So do not fear these Bible chapters. They are not very long like the chapters of other books. In fact, Bible chapters are on average made up of twenty-six verses and a verse is more or less like an average sentence.

As a result, Bible chapters are very short. In fact, the longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, which has 176 verses, most of which are very short. And by the way, all these 176 verses deal with the importance of knowing and obeying the word of God. Therefore, you can easily read the whole Bible in one year. So resolve and thus commit yourself to be reading the whole Bible once every year to feed your soul and your spirit with the word of God.

For the Bible will feed your mind and help you to be thinking good godly thoughts. It will feed your emotions and help you to be having good godly feelings. It will feed your will and help you to be making good godly decisions. And lastly, it will feed your regenerated spirit and help you to know God intimately, to love God supremely, to serve God faithfully, and to obey God completely. So as a born-again Christian, you must take your daily Bible reading very seriously because it will help you to know Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life so that you can live a life that is always pleasing to God in thought, in word, and in deed as well as in private and in public.

Once you purpose to set apart adequate amount of time every day to read, study, memorize, and meditate on the Bible so that you can obey and thus practice what the Bible teaches you, then the ground is set for you to gain THE GREATEST KNOWLEDGE you will ever gain in your life which is to know Yahweh God of the Bible and His perfect will for your life. This noble process of gaining THE GREATEST KNOWLEDGE you will ever gain in your life can be broken down into the following two major subjects:

Knowing “who” Yahweh God of the Bible really is
- A. Knowing the true nature of Yahweh God of the Bible
- B. Knowing the attributes of Yahweh God of the Bible
- C. Knowing the actions of Yahweh God of the Bible
Knowing “what” is the perfect will of Yahweh God for your life
- A. Your salvation freely by God
- B. Your service faithfully to God

So let us briefly look at each one of the above two major subjects concerning THE GREATEST KNOWLEDGE you will ever gain in your life.

1. KNOWING “WHO” YAHWEH GOD OF THE BIBLE REALLY IS

There is only one true and the living God whose name is Yahweh or Jehovah. His name is translated “LORD” in our English Bibles as is shown in this verse in Jeremiah 10:10 which declares that, “But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God and an everlasting King.” From this verse, we can learn four truths about Yahweh or Jehovah God of the Bible. First, He is the only true God who alone deserves to be worshipped by all people in all places at all times. And this is simply because He has no equals in the heavens above or in the earth beneath. Second, He is the living God whose life has no beginning or end; and for that reason, He is the source and sustainer of all life in the universe. Third, He is the everlasting King who rules and reigns forever and ever in His everlasting kingdom of life and light. And fourth, the name of Yahweh or Jehovah God of the Bible is translated LORD in most of the English Bibles with all its four letters spelt in capital letters to distinguish it from the Hebrew name “Adonai” which means “master” but is also translated “Lord” in English. This name LORD appears about 6,000 times in the original Hebrew text in four Hebrew consonants as YHWH. Owing to the proper reverence that Jewish people gave to the name of Yahweh God of the Bible, His name remained unpronounceable for many centuries until the time when vowels were inserted into this Hebrew form YHWH giving rise to the name YAHWEH, which is transliterated to the name JEHOVAH. This therefore explains why these two names YAHWEH and JEHOVAH are used interchangeably to refer to the God of the Bible—the one and the only true and the living God there is. So let us begin by finding out from the holy Bible: what is the true nature of YAHWEH or JEHOVAH God of the Bible?

A. KNOWING THE TRUE NATURE OF YAHWEH GOD OF THE BIBLE

Now, Yahweh who is the only true and the living God exists eternally as one God in three distinct but equal persons. This unity of the three persons of Yahweh God is what is commonly known as the holy trinity. Therefore, in order to show you that Yahweh God exists as one God in three distinct but equal persons, I must do two things. First, I must show you from the Bible that Yahweh God is one God. Then I must show you from the Bible that Yahweh God, though He is one God, He nevertheless does exist in three distinct but equal persons. So let us begin our study with some of the Old and the New Testament scriptures which clearly state that Yahweh God is one God. To get us started is this well known Old Testament scripture in Deuteronomy 6:4 which declares that, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” Without missing words or confusing phrases, this verse states that the LORD or Yahweh God is one God. In other words, the all knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, and eternal self-existing Supreme Being by the name LORD or Yahweh, is One God. From this verse, we see that Yahweh God is one God—the only God there is. Consequently this verse, firmly and with finality drives in the last nail to the coffin of many gods. Furthermore, when we read this verse together with Jeremiah 10:10 which we have just examined above, we can only come to this one conclusion: Yahweh God is not only one God but also He is the only true and the living God there is! Here are some other Old Testament scriptures which also prove that Yahweh God is one God: Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6-8; 45:5, 21 and 46:9. As we turn to New Testament scriptures, the evidence becomes admirably convincing. For example, 1st Corinthians 8:6 clearly states that, “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.” This verse makes it plain and clear that there is only one God, who of course is Yahweh God, the only true and the living God there is. The same truth is clearly reiterated in Galatians 3:20 which states that, “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.” Other New Testament scriptures which also prove that Yahweh God is one God include: Romans 3:30, Ephesians 4:4-6, 1st Timothy 2:5 and James 2:19 to mention but a few.

Having shown you from the Bible that Yahweh God, is one God, let us now see how He exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons. To start us off, it is worthwhile noting that Old Testament scriptures clearly reveal Yahweh God as one Supreme Being who eternally exists in three persons without (for the most part) giving us their names. However, New Testament scriptures (which provide the fullest, clearest and the final revelation of all the subjects of the Bible) clearly reveal to us the names of these three distinct but equal persons as the Father, the Son known as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Bearing in mind that fact, let us now begin our study with the Old Testament scriptures starting with Genesis 1:1, the first verse of the first book of the Bible which declares that, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The Hebrew name translated God in this verse is “Elohim” the plural form of the Hebrew name of God and not “El” the singular form, clearly implying that Yahweh God exists eternally in more than one person. Still navigating our way through this first book of the Bible, we notice in Genesis 1:26; 3:22 and 11:7 that God used plural pronouns “Us” to speak of Himself or to Himself, implying that He exists in more than one person even though He is one God.

From Genesis, our study of this subject takes us back again to Deuteronomy 6:4 which states that, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” This verse in addition to proving that Yahweh God is one God (as we have seen above) it also forms the foundation of proving that Yahweh God does indeed exist in three distinct but equal persons. And this is how it accomplishes that task. The word translated “one” in Deuteronomy 6:4 is the Hebrew word “echad” which denotes plurality in oneness or compound unity. Simply put, it is the unity of many as in the case of one team with many players or one body with many organs. A classic example from the Bible where this word “echad” is used is in Genesis 2:24 where it is used to describe oneness in the relationship between the husband and his wife where the two are said to become “one” flesh. Now, it is interesting as well as comforting to note that the verse which proves that Yahweh God is one God is also the very same verse which proves that there is plurality of persons in the same Yahweh God. Had Moses, the author of the book of Deuteronomy intended to communicate that Yahweh is absolutely one Supreme Being with no plurality in that oneness, he would have definitely used the Hebrew word “yachiyd” which is used to denote absolute oneness or indivisible one without possibility of any plurality in that one Being. By the way, this is what Moses did in Genesis 22:2 where he used this word “yachiyd” to stress the fact that Abraham was to offer his “only” son Isaac. But here in Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses obviously inspired by God the Holy Spirit made sure that he used the Hebrew word “echad” and not “yachiyd” so as to correctly communicate the fact that Yahweh God is one God who exists in more than one person. In this case, three persons namely: the Father, the Son known as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as we are going to see in the New Testament scriptures.

For proof that there is plurality of persons in Yahweh God of the Bible, let us take a closer look at these three Old Testament scriptures. By the way, even though these three scriptures do not explicitly give us the names of the persons they are referring to; a simple deduction helps us to identify three persons namely the Father, the Son known as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The first scripture is Genesis 19:24 which records, “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.” This scripture reveals two persons who exist as Yahweh God. One person is referred to as the LORD who rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire, who must be God the Son known as Jesus Christ according to the foregoing passage from Genesis 18. The other person is also referred to as the LORD who was in heaven from where fire and brimstone came from, who is most likely God the Father. The second scripture is Isaiah 59:21 which reads, “As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the LORD; My Spirit that is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed, says the LORD, from hereafter and for ever.” This scripture reveals two persons who exist as Yahweh God. One person is referred to as the LORD who is God the Father. And the other person is referred to as My Spirit i.e. the LORD’s Spirit who is obviously God the Holy Spirit. Finally, the third scripture is Jeremiah 23:5-6 which states, “5Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” This scripture also reveals two persons who exist as Yahweh God. One person is referred to as the LORD who shall raise to David a righteous Branch who must be God the Father. And the other person is referred to as THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS who shall be raised by the LORD to sit on the throne of David and rule as King. This person must be God the Son known as Jesus Christ according to Isaiah 9:6-7. So, from these three Old Testament scriptures, we see three distinct persons who exist eternally as one Yahweh God namely: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Now, let us turn to the following three New Testament scriptures to get the fullest, clearest and the final revelation of this subject on how Yahweh God exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons. Here is the first scripture, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19—NKJV). This New Testament scripture shows us that Yahweh God exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons namely: the Father, the Son known as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The author is very careful to distinguish these three persons, giving us their names as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yet, he maintains their unity as one God inasmuch as he wrote in the “name” singular and not in the “names” plural, underscoring the fact that these three persons exist as one Yahweh God. The second scripture is Matthew 3:16-17 which records, “16And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up immediately out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Once again this New Testament scripture shows us that Yahweh God exists in three distinct but equal persons namely: the Father, the Son known as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. In this scripture, we see very clear distinctions between the three persons. The Father speaks from heaven while the Son known as Jesus Christ in His human body is being baptized in River Jordan. Then Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus Christ like a dove. Hence these three distinct but equal persons are clearly seen working together as one Yahweh God. The third scripture is 1st Peter 1:2 which reads, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace be multiplied.” Like the first two, this New Testament scripture shows us that Yahweh God exists in three distinct but equal persons namely: God the Father, God the son known as Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. In this scripture, we see clear distinctions between God the Father who elected believers, God the Son known as Jesus Christ whose blood atoned for believers’ sins, and God the Holy Spirit who sanctified those believers. Once again, we see these three distinct but equal persons of Yahweh God existing and working together as one Yahweh God.

As you might have noticed above, I have prefixed each of these three persons of Yahweh God (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) with the title God, because it is an indisputable fact that each one of them is God, that is, Yahweh God Himself. For confirmation, we shall briefly look at some of the New Testament scriptures which clearly show that each one of the three persons of Yahweh God is God. Starting with scriptures which show that the Father is God consider 2nd Corinthians 1:3 which reads, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” Plain and clear, this scripture calls Father “God” because Father is indeed Yahweh God. Other verses which show that the Father is Yahweh God include, John 17:3, 1st Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 1:3, 1st Peter 1:3 and 2nd Peter 1:17 to mention but a few. Turning to the scriptures which show that the Son known as Jesus Christ is God, consider John 1:1, 14 which reads, “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” This scripture clearly states that a person known as the “Word” was with Yahweh God of the Bible in the beginning and He was Yahweh God Himself. Then, at the appointed time, the “Word” became flesh or rather added a perfect human nature and henceforth became the God-Man so as to save sinful mankind. Of course, the “Word” is God the Son known as Jesus Christ. (Later in this webpage we will see why and how God the Son became the God-Man). Other verses which show that the Son known as Jesus Christ is Yahweh God include: John 20:28, Acts 20:28, Philippians 2:9-11, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8 and 1st John 5:20 to mention but a few. Finally, as we turn to the scriptures which show that Holy Spirit is God consider Acts 5:3-4 which records, “3But Peter said, Ananias, Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own power? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.” This scripture makes it clear that lying to Holy Spirit is equal to lying to God proving that Holy Spirit is God, that is, Yahweh God Himself. Other verses which show that Holy Spirit is Yahweh God include: 2nd Corinthians 3:17-18, Hebrews 9:14, Matthew 28:19 and Isaiah 59:19 to mention but a few.

Having briefly seen how each one of the three persons of Yahweh God is God, let us delve further into what we Christians mean when we constantly assert that the Father, the Son known as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are the first, the second and the third persons of the holy trinity respectively. To do that, I will start with the following definition of a person. A person, unlike a thing or a force, exists on his own possessing mind and will hence he is intelligent and is therefore able to know, feel, think, and decide independently on his own. Now, when we carefully read the whole Bible informed by this definition of a person, while at the same time bearing in mind that Yahweh God is incomprehensible hence we the finite beings cannot fully understand Yahweh God who is infinite, we notice three persons who are referred to as Yahweh God. These persons are the Father, the Son known as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Each one of them is a person—a Divine Person—because He subsists or necessarily exists having mind, will and intelligence. And this truth is proven by the fact that each one of them knows, feels, thinks, and decides as is clearly revealed throughout the New Testament. The Father knows, feels, thinks, and decides because He is a person: the first person of the holy trinity. Likewise, the Son known as Jesus Christ knows, feels, thinks, and decides because He is a person: the second person of the holy trinity. Similarly, the Holy Spirit knows, feels, thinks, and decides because He is a person: the third person of the holy trinity. Yet these three persons eternally and co-equally exist as one Yahweh God. This is the reason why all true Christians irrevocably believe and boldly proclaim that Yahweh our God is a personal God, precisely, a triune God as is clearly shown in the figure below.

Figure 1.1: The true nature of Yahweh God (1 God in 3 persons).

Now, when we refer to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as the first, the second and the third persons of the holy trinity respectively; we are actually referring to their distinction in position or their relationship to each other and not their nature or essence as Yahweh God. This is because, even though the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are equal in power, glory and nature as Yahweh God; they are nonetheless distinct from each other in terms of their personalities, positions, functions and relationships. This therefore means that as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit execute their divine functions and responsibilities, their distinct positions or relationship one to another is clearly seen in the following five ways. First, they have perfect love for one another. Second, they have perfect submission amongst them. Third, they have perfect unity between them. Fourth, they have perfect order amongst them. And fifth, each person has clear functions and responsibilities which He willingly and perfectly performs. Consequently, in their infinite wisdom and for their eternal purposes: the Father ranks as the first person of the holy trinity; the Son known as Jesus Christ ranks as the second person of the holy trinity; and the Holy Spirit ranks as the third person of the holy trinity. These ranks and order in the holy trinity are clearly displayed in the way these three persons submit to one another as well as strictly adhere to the order or position each person holds in the holy trinity. For example, the Son as the second person of the holy trinity willingly submits to the Father (John 5:30) and gladly accepts the seniority of the Father (John 14:28). Likewise, the Holy Spirit as the third person of the holy trinity willingly submits to Jesus Christ, the Son (John 15:26; 16:7) and gladly accepts the seniority of Jesus Christ (John 16:13-15). And yet, both Jesus Christ, the Son and the Holy Spirit do not lose their divine nature because of submitting to the Father and the Son respectively as well as gladly accepting the perfect order of how holy trinity functions. They do not lose and can never lose their divine nature the same way wives do not lose and can never lose their human nature because of willingly submitting to their own husbands and gladly accepting God-given order of how God-glorifying marriage functions!

To wrap up this study on the three persons of the holy trinity, I wish to reiterate these two facts. The first fact is that these ranks of first, second and third persons of the holy trinity do not in any way whatsoever denote inequality or differences in their nature or essence as Yahweh God. They simply denote order of how the three members of the holy trinity execute their divine functions. For as these three persons of the holy trinity execute their divine functions: there is a person who initiates and another person who executes; there is a person who plans and another person who fulfills those plans; there is a person who sends and another person who is sent; there is a person who gives and another person who is given; and so on and so forth. The second fact I wish to reiterate is that the Father and the Son are not so named so as to imply that the Father existed before the Son neither imply that the Father biologically produced the Son as some people erroneously think. Not so! These names, the “Father” and the “Son” do not denote their biological relationship but their divine loving relationship based on each person’s divine functions using terms that human beings can easily relate to. This is because each one of them (be it the Father or the Son) is eternal Yahweh God without a beginning or an end. You can read Proverbs 30:4 together with John 17:5 to see how both the “Father” and the “Son” are eternal. If you wish you can read again THE GREATEST GIFT webpage where you will see why and how the Son, who is eternal Yahweh God, added a perfect human nature and became fully a Man while still being fully God all in one person. Hitherto I can confidently say that I have shown you from the Bible the true nature of Yahweh God of the Bible so that you can now know and understand that He is one and the only true and the living God there is, who eternally exist in three distinct but equal persons namely: God the Father, God the Son known as Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.

Next, let us find out from the holy Bible: what are the attributes of YAHWEH or JEHOVAH God of the Bible?

B. KNOWING THE ATTRIBUTES OF YAHWEH GOD OF THE BIBLE

The true nature of Yahweh God of the Bible is revealed to us by His attributes or His characteristics which we find in the Bible. Here are some of the Attributes of Yahweh God of the Bible as they are revealed in the Bible.

1) Yahweh God is all-powerful

This means that He has eternal limitless power. Consequently, there is nothing that Yahweh God cannot do so long as it is in accordance with His will and is perfectly in harmony with His nature. Among many other scriptures which reveal this truth to us is Jeremiah 32:17 which says, “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for You.”

2) Yahweh God is all knowing

This means that Yahweh God knows everything there is to be known about everything both actual and potential whether in the past, or in the present or in the future. This is possible because He exists in eternity outside of space, time and matter hence He is able to know the past, the present and the future all at once. Consequently, nothing is hidden from Him whether actual or potential. Moreover, whatever He knows: He knows it perfectly, infinitely as well as eternally. Among the scriptures which reveal this truth is 1st John 3:20 which says, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”

3) Yahweh God is everywhere present

This means that Yahweh God is everywhere present both in eternity as well as in the whole of His creation. However this does not mean that He is one with His creation but rather that He is everywhere present in His creation. Consequently, there is nothing in eternity or in the whole of His creation that is hidden from Him. Among many other scriptures which reveal this truth to us is Jeremiah 23:23-24 which says, “Am I a God at hand, says the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? says the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the LORD.”

4) Yahweh God is eternal

This means that Yahweh God does not have a beginning or an end but He exists in the “eternal now”. Hence He dwells in eternity outside of space, time and matter. And to that end, He cannot be limited by space, time or matter. Among the scriptures which reveal this truth is Deuteronomy 33:27, which says, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

5) Yahweh God is self-existing One

This does not mean that Yahweh God brought Himself into existence for that would be illogical! What it means is that Yahweh God is an independent self-contained and self-sufficient Being who has always existed on His own never ever depending on anyone or anything whatsoever to exist. Furthermore, He is the Uncaused-cause who brought everything into existence but He Himself was never ever brought into existence because He has always existed. One of the scripture which reveals this truth is Exodus 3:14 which says, “And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.”

6) Yahweh God is unchanging

This means that Yahweh God does not change either in His nature or in His character or even in His relationship to His creation. Consequently, who He was in the past is who He is in the present and that is who He shall be in the future. There are many scriptures which reveal this truth; amongst them is Malachi 3:6 which says, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

7) Yahweh God is sovereign

This means that Yahweh God rules all and overrules all. Hence He does whatever He wants, however He wants, whenever He wants, wherever He wants, to whosoever He wants; and whatever He does or allows to be done is always right. Among many scriptures which reveal this truth to us is Psalm 115:3 which declares that, “But our God is in the heavens: He has done whatsoever He has pleased.”

8) Yahweh God is transcendent

This means that Yahweh God is above all, beyond all and over all. Hence He is separate from His creation: be it time, space or matter even though He is everywhere present in His creation all at the same time. This truth is revealed to us in Deuteronomy 4:39 which states that, “Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”

9) Yahweh God is immanent

This means that Yahweh God is present and active in all His creation. First of all, He is present and active in all His creation as the One by whom and through whom everything and every being began to exist. And secondly, He is present and active in all His creation as the One by whom and through whom everything and every being continue to exist. Among the scriptures which reveal this truth to us is Acts 17:28 which says, “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” This truth is also revealed by the following scripture which speaking about Jesus Christ says, “And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17).

10) Yahweh God is infinite

This means that Yahweh God is without limits. Hence He has no limits in any of His attributes. This amazing truth is revealed to us is Psalm 147:5 which says, “Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.” It is also expounded further by this scripture which says, “Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the Almighty to perfection? It is as high as heaven; what can you do? Deeper than hell; what can you know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea” (Job 11:7-9).

11) Yahweh God is one God

This means that Yahweh God is one God, the one and the only true and the living God there is. This amazing truth is revealed to us is Deuteronomy 6:4 which says, “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD.” It is also expounded further by this scripture which says, “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me” (Isaiah 45:5). It is also reiterated by this scripture which declares that, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Isaiah 46:9).

12) Yahweh God is love

This means that Yahweh God by His very nature is love as is explicitly stated by the following scripture, “He that loves not knows not God; for God is love” (1st John 4:8). Of course this does not mean that love is God because that would be illogical but rather that God is by His very nature and essence love hence He ever loves.

13) Yahweh God is holy

This means that Yahweh God is morally pure, perfect and sinless. Hence whatever He ever thinks and does is perfect and eternally right. Therefore, He is by nature without sin and as a result He can never ever sin. Moreover, He hates sin hence He cannot excuse sin; but as the just and righteous Judge, God shall ultimately and righteously judge all sins. Among many other scriptures which reveal this truth to us is Leviticus 11:45 which declares that, “For I am the LORD that brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

14) Yahweh God is Just and Righteous

This means that Yahweh God is right and just. Hence He always does what is right and just because there is nothing crooked, sinful or unjust in God. This truth is declared by among other scriptures Psalm 33:5 which says, “He loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.”

15) Yahweh God is merciful

This means that Yahweh God shows mercy to all mankind giving all sinners a chance to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as their personal lord and savior. This therefore means that those people who die unsaved reject the mercies of God shown to them and tragically they choose to receive the judgment of God for all eternity in hell. Among many scriptures which reveal to us that Yahweh God is merciful is Exodus 34:6-7 which declares that, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, to the third and to the fourth generation.”

16) Yahweh God is gracious

This means that Yahweh God freely gives unmerited favor to all mankind. That is to say, He gives undeserved favor to sinners just because He wants to do so and not because He is forced to do so. Therefore, it is through His graciousness that God the Father gave up His only begotten son: Jesus Christ to die in our place and in so doing Christ paid the full penalty for our sins so that those who repent and believe in Him are eternally saved. Among many scriptures which reveal this truth to us is Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

C. KNOWING THE ACTIONS OF YAHWEH GOD OF THE BIBLE

In addition to His attributes, the true nature of Yahweh God of the Bible is revealed to us by His divine actions which He performed and He continues to perform that are recorded in the Bible. Here are some of the actions of Yahweh God of the Bible as they are recorded in the Bible.

Yahweh God created all things
One of the actions that can only be performed by Yahweh God is the creation of all things that exist from nothing. And that is exactly what Yahweh God did about 6,000 years ago when He created all things that exist in the universe from nothing just as is recorded in the Bible as follows, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Yahweh God is the giver of life
Another action that can only be performed by Yahweh God is giving of life to all living things in the whole of the universe. Life with all its complexity can only be created by Yahweh God because He alone is all-powerful, all knowing and is everywhere present to be able to perform such an incredible and incomprehensible action. And that is exactly what Yahweh God did and continues to do even today just as is confirmed by the Bible which says, “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He gives to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).
Yahweh God is the only savior of mankind
Another action that can only be performed by Yahweh God is salvation of sinful mankind. The Bible is clear that salvation of sinful mankind can only be satisfactorily and eternally done by Yahweh God and Him alone. Here is one of those scriptures which declare that fact, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11).
Yahweh God is the giver of eternal life
Another action that can only be performed by Yahweh God is giving of eternal life to all repentant sinners who believe in Jesus Christ at the very moment of their salvation. This is because it is Yahweh God and Him alone who at the moment of salvation infuses eternal life into the dead human spirit of a repentant sinner who believes in Jesus Christ thereby transforming it into a living human spirit that is born again (John 1:12-13; 3:1-18; 4:22-24). Moreover, this eternal life is actually conveyed and permanently sustained in the born again human spirit of a believer in Jesus Christ through the indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14, John 14:16-17 and Ezekiel 36:26-27). Consequently, only Yahweh God can give eternal life to a repentant sinner who believes in Jesus Christ; and that is exactly what He continues to do as is noted in the following scripture, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2).
Yahweh God receives worship from angels
Another action that can and should only be performed by Yahweh God is receiving worship. Only Yahweh God, who is the true and the living God deserves to receive worship from all His creation at all times. This is because as the Creator and the Sustainer of all things, He deserves to always receive worship from every one of them. Moreover, none of His creation is exempted from worshipping Him, neither the mightiest angels in the heavens above nor the smallest living thing on the earth beneath. In fact, the Bible in the book of Revelation chapters 4 and 5 makes it clear that all angels of Yahweh God joyfully worship Him: from the four cherubim round about His throne in heaven to all the other angels regardless of their rank or order.
Yahweh God receives worship from human beings
Finally, another action that can only be performed by Yahweh God (as we have noted above) is receiving worship from all His creation at all times. While the whole of creation of God ought to willingly and joyfully worship Yahweh God their creator and sustainer (Revelation 4:11), it is the human beings who should be more motivated to do so. This is because, out of all the creation of God, it is only the human beings who are so privileged and so honored to be created in the image and after the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). And yet human beings are rarely willing and eager to worship Yahweh God as they should. No wonder, throughout the Bible all human beings are reminded over and over again to worship Yahweh God and Him alone as is the case in the following scripture, “For you shall worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).

Now that you know “who” Yahweh God of the Bible really is, let us now briefly look at the second major subject concerning THE GREATEST KNOWLEDGE you will ever gain in your life which is stated as follows:

2. KNOWING “WHAT” IS PERFECT WILL OF YAHWEH GOD FOR YOUR LIFE

Perfect will of Yahweh God for your life is twofold. It starts by YOUR SALVATION freely by God followed thereafter by YOUR SERVICE faithfully to God. Let’s take a look at the first one.

A. YOUR SALVATION FREELY BY GOD

Jesus Christ taught that the very first thing you ought to do in your life is to, “Seek you first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). So salvation is the very first thing that you ought to seek to have in your life. Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, male or female: the first thing you should do in your is to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness by sincerely repenting all your sins and then truly believing and willingly receiving Jesus Christ into your life to become your personal lord and savior. That is where God’s perfect will for your life begins. It starts with receiving God’s free gift of your salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior. Therefore kindly receive today this free gift of your salvation that God has been offering you freely from the very first day you knew how to choose what is right from what is wrong. To help you do that, I have published on this website the following web pages. The first web page is THE GREATEST DISCOVERY which explains in great details “WHY” you must be saved. The second web page is THE GREATEST GIFT which explains in great details “WHO” alone can save you. And the third web page is THE GREATEST DECISION which explains in great details “HOW” you must be saved.

Therefore, exercise your freedom of choice today and choose without force or coercion to receive the free gift of salvation that God is graciously offering you. Remember, God is the initiator of your salvation and you are the responder. Hence God is drawing you to Jesus Christ to be saved (John 6:44) but you are free to choose whether or not you will come to Jesus Christ to be saved (John 6:37). Also, God is freely offering you the gift of eternal life so that you can be saved (Romans 6:23) but you are free to choose whether or not you will receive God’s free gift of eternal life so that you can be saved (John 1:11-13). Moreover, God commands you to repent (Acts 17:30) but you are free to choose whether or not you will obey that commandment of God and sincerely repent (Acts 2:37-41). And to crown it all, God is calling you to believe and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of all your sins and eternal salvation of your soul (John 3:16) but you are free to choose whether or not you will believe and trust in Jesus Christ so that you can be forgiven of all your sins and thus be truly and eternally saved (Romans 10:9-10). In short, God as the initiator of your salvation has perfectly played His part. Now, it is your turn as the responder to play your part. As it were, the ball of your salvation is squarely in your own court. It is therefore your turn to play!

Becoming a true born again believer in Jesus Christ who is truly and eternally saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior is the first facet of Perfect will of Yahweh God for your life. If that is what has truly happened in your life, let us now see the second facet of Perfect will of Yahweh God for your life.

B. YOUR SERVICE FAITHFULLY TO GOD

The second facet of Perfect will of Yahweh God for your life is YOUR SERVICE faithfully to God. This is what follows next once you become a true born again believer in Jesus Christ. In fact, it should commence immediately you become a true born again believer in Jesus Christ who is truly and eternally saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior. The logic is simple. The moment you become truly and eternally saved, you ought to vacate the throne of your life and henceforth allow Jesus Christ to sit on the throne of your life ruling and reigning over who you are (body, soul and spirit), what you have (material and immaterial possessions) and what you do (occupation, vocation or vacation) all the days of your life. However, this does not automatically happen because of your fallen “self” that is invariably tainted by the sin nature you inherited from Adam and Eve. Consequently, your fallen “self” seeks to remain on the throne of your life: ruling and reigning, guiding and directing, dominating and controlling your life contrary to the will of God. That is why you must deny this fallen “self” its usurped rule and reign over your life if indeed you are to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ, just as Jesus Christ Himself strongly encouraged saying, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Therefore, the moment you become truly and eternally saved, you ought to stop sitting on the throne of your life and allow Jesus Christ to sit on the throne of your life ruling and reigning over who you are, what you have and what you do all the days of your life. In fact, you should remember that you are a pilgrim here on earth. This is not your eternal home but your temporary dwelling place on your way to eternal destination in heaven. Your permanent eternal home is in heaven—the eternal dwelling place of Yahweh God of the Bible, the one and the only true and the living God there is.

The most important thing in this pilgrimage to heaven is to always remain in the centre of God’s perfect will for your life. That is why you must begin your pilgrimage to heaven by discovering what God has called you to do in this life and then commit to be doing it led and empowered by God the Holy Spirit all the days of your life. Therefore, just like Apostle Paul in almost all of his epistles in the Bible was able to say, “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,” so should you also be able to say, “I so and so called to be _ _ _ by the will of God.” It therefore means that you are not supposed to be doing what you are doing because you were pressured to do it by the necessities of life or because you were pushed to do it by other people or even because of the grades you got in your academic pursuits but because that is exactly what God has called you to do in this life. Remember, just as God told Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5 that before He formed him in his mother’s womb He had already ordained him to become a prophet to the nations, know that likewise there is a vocation or a career or a profession that God ordained you to have before He formed you in your mother’s womb. So you should first of all discover what it is and then wholeheartedly cling to it just as Apostle Paul knew with certainty that God had called him to become an apostle and then he wholeheartedly clung to his calling as an apostle throughout his life (Galatians 1:11-24). Therefore kindly find out from God what He has called you to do in this life and then faithfully and selflessly do it led and empowered by God the Holy Spirit all the days of your life. For that is the only time that your pilgrimage to your eternal destiny in heaven is going to be meaningful, fruitful and joyful.

Now, in your pilgrimage to heaven, there is only one way you can ensure that you will always remain in the centre of God’s perfect will for your life. And that is by vacating the throne of your life and allowing Jesus Christ to sit there as the master of your own destiny, the captain of the “ship” of your life, the pilot of the “plane” of your life and the driver of the “vehicle” of your life. As it were, your seat in the “vehicle” of your life is not the driver’s seat but the passenger’s seat. This is where you ought to sit calmly and patiently as Jesus Christ takes the driver’s seat and then He skillfully drives the “vehicle” of your life through the lows and the highs, the cold and the hot, the rough and the smooth, the ugly and the beautiful terrain of the road of this life step by step and day by day towards your permanent eternal destination in heaven. As the perfect driver of the “vehicle” of your life, Jesus Christ knows which road to take, what speed to drive at, when to speed up and when to slow down, when and where to turn, and most important of all, how to safely drive the “vehicle” of your life from this space-time continuum here on earth until He ushers you into your permanent eternal destination in heaven—the eternal dwelling place of Yahweh God of the Bible, the one and the only true and the living God there is. So while you are seated on the passenger’s seat, resist the temptation (we all have) of trying to direct Jesus Christ to drive you through the road you think is best for you and not the road He has chosen for you. Also resist the temptation of telling Him what speed to drive at or when to speed up or when to slow down or when and where to turn or even when and where to stop. Worst of all, resist the temptation of trying to take the driver’s seat so that you can drive this “vehicle” of your life in the road that you think is best for you instead of allowing Jesus Christ to drive you in the road He has chosen for you because He knows it is the best road for you. In other words, resist the temptation of becoming a practical atheist by doing whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want, wherever you want and to whomsoever you want without even for a moment pausing to consult God (whom you profess to believe in) to reveal to you what His perfect will for your life is. This ought not to be the case because as a true born again believer in Jesus Christ you ought to always follow and fulfill God’s perfect will for your life.

Therefore between now and the time when God shall call you to depart from this world into eternity in heaven, your chief duty is to fulfill what God has called you to do. So go for it! Filled with the Holy Spirit, determine with all your heart, soul, mind and strength to fulfill what God has called you do here on earth and live the rest of your life giving God the Father maximum pleasure and glory through who you are (body, soul and spirit), what you have (material and immaterial possessions) and what you do (occupation, vocation and vacation)! More information on God’s perfect will for your life is available on THE GREATEST INVESTMENT web page right here on this website.

NOTES

This information on how the name “YAHWEH” was formed in later times by inserting vowels to the Hebrew form YHWH to YAHWEH, which is transliterated to JEHOVAH is taken from introductory notes titled The Names and Attributes of God found on Red Letter King James Bible – Easy Reading Edition page Xii.