Belgic Confession Article 1, part 1
There is One Only God
Article 1: There Is Only One God
We all believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that there is one only simple1 and spiritual2 Being, which we call God; and that He is eternal,3 incomp-rehensible,4 invisible,5 immutable,6 infinite,7 almighty, perfectly wise,8 just,9 good,10 and the overflowing fountain of all good.11
1 Eph. 4:6; Deut. 6:4; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Cor. 8:6; 2 John 4:24; 3 Isa. 40:28; 4 Rom. 11:33; 5 Rom. 1:20; 6 Mal. 3:6; 7 Isa. 44:6; 8 1 Tim. 1:17; 9 Jer. 12:1; 10 Matt. 19:17; 11 James. 1:17; 1 Chron. 29:10–12
We all believe with the heart and confess with the mouth. The phrase "We all believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God" reflects a deep-seated conviction that transcends mere intellectual assent. It echoes the Apostle Paul's words in Romans 10:9-11: "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.'"
For the Church Under the Cross, this confession was more than a personal belief; it was a public declaration of faith, often made under the threat of persecution. Believers understood that failing to confess their faith openly could mean forfeiting their eternal salvation. This underscores the significance of the confession of faith as a matter of life and death, urging modern believers to maintain the same level of commitment and courage. One cannot secretly believe these things in the heart, you must confess them with the mouth, too, even in the face of the threat of torture, punishment, and death for doing so.
Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of confessing faith publicly in Matthew 10:32-33: "Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." A disciple is not above his Master. This call to bear our cross, as Jesus did, and to joyfully embrace our fate with the truth of God in our hearts and the confession of faith on our lips, remains a powerful reminder of our discipleship.
Now, what exactly is it that we are confessing here? That there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God.
There is One God. But what exactly are we confessing? The belief that there is only one simple and spiritual Being, whom we call God. This foundational truth of monotheism asserts that there is no other god. There is only One. Deuteronomy 4:39 declares, "The LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other." Similarly, Deuteronomy 32:39 and Isaiah 44:8 affirm God's unique and unparalleled existence.
Deut. 32:39 - ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me;
Isa. 44:8 “Is there a god besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
Eph. 4:6 likewise tells us there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Simple. But there is another aspect to God’s Oneness that is important to keep in mind, which is God’s simplicity. This doesn’t mean that God is simple to understand or comprehend. Rather it means that God is not composed of parts and cannot be divided up into pieces. To say God is simple is to say that all of God is in all of God.
God's attributes - wisdom, justice, goodness, love, mercy, wrath, power, and might - cannot be divided into separate parts that make up God. All of God's attributes are present in all of God, all the time. Therefore, we cannot appeal to the love of God without considering His other attributes, such as His justice, wisdom, or wrath. All of God's attributes are equally present in all of God, all the time.
This is likewise true of the Trinity. You cannot divide God by saying: This part is the Father, this part is the Son, and this part is the Spirit. The Father, Son, and Spirit are one God, that cannot be divided. They can be distinguished as different persons, but they are not parts of God. The Father is 100% God, and the Son is 100% God, and the Spirit is 100% God. God is not divided. We worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.
God being a Trinity in Unity is reflected in such passages as the Shema, in Deut. 6:4, it says, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord, is One. The word “one” is the word “echad” which is the same word used in Gen. 2 when it says that Man and Woman were made “one” flesh. This suggests that God being One is not just saying that there are no other gods, but it is a reference to His nature. God is One God in Three Persons, and the Three persons cannot be divided and separated.
Isa. 44:6 hints at this Unity in Diversity when it says:
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
YHWH, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, YHWH of Hosts, are the First and the Last, Besides Me there is no God. Thus we have two persons that are both eternally God, but who are so united that they are a He, who refers to Himself as Me – singular, not plural.
Likewise, 1 Tim 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Cor. 8:6 likewise affirms, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”
So, there is only One God. There are not multiple gods. All those whom the pagans call gods are no gods at all. There is only one. And this One God exists as a Unity of Plurality. One God in Three Persons.
Spiritual. The spiritual nature of God is highlighted in John 4:24: "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." This spiritual essence means that God is self-conscious, self-determining, and personal. God is not an impersonal force or abstract energy; He is a relational and moral Being who engages with humanity. Therefore God is a He and not an It.
Worshiping God in spirit and truth necessitates understanding and honoring His divine nature. Idolatry, or the worship of physical images, fundamentally misrepresents God’s essence. Physical representations fall short of capturing His true nature, as God is spirit, and His divine qualities cannot be ascribed to material objects.
This is important as we consider that God’s relationship with man is spiritual. It concerns who we are in our person, and in our affections, and in our will. Thus, Jesus says God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. God’s Spirit searches the spirit of man, that we would come know God truly, and become one with Him.
The spiritual nature of God also carries profound pastoral implications. The Holy Spirit, as our Comforter and Guide, leads us in sanctification and spiritual growth. In times of despair and uncertainty, the Holy Spirit provides solace and strength, deepening our relationship with God and allowing us to experience His joy and peace.
In conclusion, the confession of faith in one God is a declaration of His unique and unified nature. It calls for a commitment to worship Him in spirit and truth, recognizing His profound simplicity and spiritual essence. This belief not only shapes our understanding of God but also transforms our lives, guiding us in our spiritual journey and deepening our relationship with the Only One True God.