I recently received the following four questions from Nathan.
- If God is not a person, how can he know you, and know your past and future?
- How can he hear/answer prayers when he was never a human?
- How can you know God is real when no one has ever seen God, and that Jesus was just a miracle?
- How can I answer questions that my kids ask?
Nathan, thank you for your questions. Here are some of my thoughts in response to your questions.
First, regarding your statements about God not being a person and never being a human, as Christians, we believe that in Jesus Christ, God did become man. So Jesus throws a wrench into both of your statements about God.
Additionally, Jesus, in being God, both shows God as a person and a human. And though there are many miraculous things about Jesus, Jesus is more than a miracle. He is God. To demote him to a miracle is to not recognize his divinity (or Godness).
One final thought about Jesus. Though no one has ever seen God the Father, in the gospel of John we read…
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18 NIV)
In Jesus, though we haven’t seen God with our eyes, we can know what God is like.
Second, though not human, the Father and the Spirit are the other two persons who, along with Jesus, make the Trinity. Early on, the early Christians had to wrestle with two truths: 1) There is only One God, and 2) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each God. This is where the doctrine of the Trinity comes in, which articulates our belief in One God who is Three Persons.
Third, regarding God knowing our past and future, this is part of the doctrine known as God’s omniscience or that God knows all things. Isaiah 46:9-10 state…
Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
About God’s knowledge of us as individuals, Jeremiah 1:5 states…
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
The first half of the verse applies to all of us, while the second half (being appointed a prophet) was specifically for Jeremiah. My point is that in these verses, and many more, we find ample evidence that God not only knows all things, but he knows each of us intimately, and because of his knowledge, he is able to hear and answer our prayers as he sees fit.
Finally, regarding how to answer questions your kids may ask, the greatest piece of advice I can give you, especially if their questions are spiritual or faith-based questions, is to read and study the Bible so you can give them answers based on the truth. I know it’s a big book and can be intimidating for many. That’s why also being part of a Bible-based church and getting into biblical community with others to read and study the Bible are also key.