Can we know “god”?

When we as Japanese hear about “god” (Translation note: the Japanese word for “god” is “kami” which means spirit or deity in a general sense; See Appendix 1), we tend to think of it as an invisible entity watching us from afar that we call out when needed. What or who is this being called god? Is it even possible for us to know this indefinable being?

When asked, “what is your religion?”, many Japanese will answer, “I am Buddhist”, but we also value Shinto customs, such as visiting a shrine on New Year’s Day or the Shichigosan Festival (Translation note: celebration of children 7, 5 and 3 years old). Additionally, many Japanese celebrate Christmas and have Christian-style weddings. Most funerals and burials are held in the Buddhist style. As we can see, we are involved in many religions in our daily lives, it is not necessarily based on faith, but is influenced by tradition, culture, and trends. Even when we take part in those religious events, we do not do so based on knowledge of the gods those religions teach.

Also, due to the Shinto teaching of Yaoyorozu no kami (Translation note: literally translated to “eight million gods”, is the Shinto concept of “countless gods”) there are many customs in Japan to worship a myriad of gods, including nature gods (sun god, wind gods, thunder gods, mountain gods, water gods), human gods (goddesses, ancestor gods, hero gods), occupation gods (agriculture gods, fishing gods, transportation gods), and Shichifukujin (Translation note: the seven gods of good fortune). But the Japanese culture and customs neither prove these gods exist nor teach about what their abilities and natures are.

God can be known

Generally speaking, we can learn about God in three ways: nature, reason (the way things work) and revelation (what God shows us). From nature we see the beauty and vastness of creation: we see the grandeur of the universe, the deepness of a human heart and value of life. From reason we can see the universe had a beginning, nothing comes from nothing, and that life is miraculously complex. The last way, revelation, is what God has said about Himself to humans. It is the most precise way to learn about God and is found in the Bible.　

This journey to know the God of the Bible begins by first opening　our minds to the possibility that this God exists. Without this first　step, it will be difficult to encounter the true God and come to know Him.

Who does God say He is?

The Bible is God’s book of self-introduction. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) This is the very first thing written in the Bible. The Bible is a book that was written through God’s guidance. When you look in the Bible, you can understand that there is a “Creator”, who is God. 

Through the Bible, God has revealed His nature. His nature is “eternal”. This is because He existed always, even before this universe.

He is “holy, holy, holy”. This is not merely because all that He does is good, but because he is “pure” and “perfect” in every way. There are no evil or wrong things in Him because He is the standard of “goodness”. Because of God’s complete holiness, He cannot dwell with impurity or wickedness. God knows everything and can see beyond our actions to the heart of man. He is able to be present everywhere and not limited to a single place at a time.

He is the creator of this universe and everything in it. He created humans for relationship with Himself, and He made us in the overflow of His love; so, He is our heavenly Father. God is a trustworthy counselor and guide to our life. He is the source of wisdom. He is able to take care of us completely. God is love. He is unlimited in His capacity to forgive. God is able to bless us so that we can be a blessing to others.

Since the God of the Bible is neither an object nor a force, but a person with wisdom and character, we will refer to Him as “Kami-sama” (Translation note: “God” with the most formal honorific title “sama”) to show respect. He reveals Himself to us through the Bible so that we can know Him as follows.

Let’s think about it

Has your image of “god” changed?

Through the Bible we can learn about who God is. However, learning about God is not the same as knowing God. Even after learning information about God, for you to meet Him and form a new relationship with Him, you must know how God feels about you personally. God does not just exist, He is alive and at work, and He has a plan and purpose for you from the beginning to the end of your life.

If this God of the Bible really exists, would you want to meet Him?

In the next section, “2. What are Human Beings?”, we’ll learn about what a man is like. For more details on this topic, go to Appendix 1. Who  is God?