The True God: Knowing the One Who Has Revealed Himself
The second article of the 1853 New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith directs our attention to the most important subject anyone can consider: the nature and character of God Himself. Before we can understand salvation, worship rightly, or live faithfully, we must know who God is.
The confession begins with a bold declaration: “We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God.” In a world filled with countless beliefs and competing claims about spirituality, Christianity affirms that there is only one God. He alone is the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of all things. He is not one god among many, nor is He a product of human imagination. He is the living God who has eternally existed and who has made Himself known through creation and His Word.
The confession describes God as “an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth.” God is infinite, meaning He is without limits. His power, wisdom, knowledge, and presence extend beyond human comprehension. As Spirit, He is not confined by physical limitations. Yet this infinite God is not distant or impersonal. He is intelligent and purposeful. He governs His creation with wisdom and sovereign authority.
For many people today, the idea of God’s rule can seem intimidating. Yet the confession reminds us that God’s sovereignty is inseparable from His goodness. He is “inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love.” God’s holiness means that He is perfectly pure, righteous, and set apart from all evil. Everything He does is consistent with His perfect character.
Because God is holy and good, He is worthy not only of our obedience but also of our trust. In uncertain times, believers can have confidence that the God who rules over heaven and earth does so with wisdom, justice, and unfailing love. The God who commands our worship is the same God who faithfully keeps His promises.
The confession then presents one of Christianity’s most profound truths: “in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Christians worship one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a mathematical puzzle to solve but a glorious reality revealed in Scripture.
The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. Yet there are not three gods, but one God. Each person is “equal in every divine perfection,” sharing fully in the divine nature and glory.
At the same time, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit execute “distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.” The Father plans salvation, the Son accomplishes salvation through His life, death, and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit applies salvation by drawing sinners to Christ and transforming them into His likeness.
Far from being an abstract theological concept, this truth shapes everyday Christian life. We pray to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit. We rest in the Father’s love, trust in the Son’s finished work, and depend upon the Spirit’s ongoing presence.
In a culture tempted to reshape God according to personal preference, this confession reminds us that God defines Himself. Our calling is not to create a god who suits our desires but to know, worship, and delight in the God who truly is. The one true God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is worthy of our highest devotion, deepest trust, and wholehearted love.
Article II reminds us that theology is never merely academic. To know God rightly is to worship Him more deeply, trust Him more fully, and love Him more faithfully. The God revealed in Scripture is not only infinitely glorious—He is the God who has graciously made Himself known to us through Jesus Christ.
Article II. Of the True God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.