What Kind of God Are We Talking About?

When people talk about God, they often mean very different things. Some picture a distant force behind the universe. Others imagine a moral referee, keeping score. Still others think of God as whatever gives them peace or meaning. The word is familiar, but the content is vague.

Christian faith doesn’t speak about God in general. It makes a specific claim: that God is personal, purposeful, and involved. Not an idea, not an energy, not a projection of human hopes—but a living God who acts.

That matters, because the kind of God you believe in shapes how you live. A distant God doesn’t care. A moral scorekeeper is never satisfied. A God made in our image changes whenever we do.

Christians confess something different. They believe God creates, speaks, and makes promises. He does not remain hidden behind human guesses, but reveals Himself in words and actions, so He can be known rather than imagined.

In the weeks ahead, this column will ask where Christians believe that revelation is found. Because before asking whether faith is true, it’s worth asking what kind of God is actually being claimed.