Do Christians view God as an actual person or just a concept/symbol?

Question

I'm just curious?

"God" is the Universe.

I like Christ, but not Christianity or its "God". Ever felt that way?

Answer 1

G-d is an actual being. Much more than any concept or symbol.

Answer 2

Who Knows? - I've answered some of your questions with a tone of sarcasm, but this answer is real.

You say you like Christ, but not Christianity or it's "God". Jesus (the Christ) is the embodiment of Christianity. He claimed to actually BE God in the flesh - that's why He got crucified. To the Jews, someone who claimed to be God (falsely) commits blasphemy and should be killed. Jesus wasn't making a false statement though. That's why the grave had no hold on Him, and so He rose on the third day (Sunday morning - that's why we go to church on Sundays now)

Christianity is the act of making Christ your Lord (tell Him "OK Jesus, you can be the boss of me.") and then work at learning who He is and what He wants for and of you (read the bible, hang out with (true) Christians, participate in the Lord's supper and spend time in prayer) - see Acts 2:42... As your knowledge of Him grows, so will your love for Him and desire to do as He'd want.

Get to know God as an actual person. Don't rely upon the picture that we Christians paint for you - we're fallible and mess up pretty often. Get to know Him by doing Acts 2:42 and start with reading the bible - if somebody tells you something that is contrary to scripture, you know they're wrong. If a "thought" comes to you that contradicts scripture, you know it's not from God.

Answer 3

I'm a Christian. God is like this to me: Source. Unmovable, AllPowerful AllKnowing EverywherePresent Creator
My Abba The One Presence and Power at work in my life and the universe. God expresses everywhere, in all and through all, so then god smiles at me as I drive down the road (you'll notice I used lowercase 'g', as in ..."ye are gods"...[biblical]), or scowls at me, as the case may be. But I get God in the form of people and in the form of trees and cats and wind and color and music, and on and on. But I am just one Christian. And there are as many right answers as there are Christians. Everyone experiences this walk a little differently, as God has intimate relation with each one of us.

Answer 4

One could lead to another (concept/symbol to person). And vice versa academically. It becomes even more real in these areas as one discovers the mystery of the trinity; in that, there are three persons in ONE God. Jesus, as the second person of the trinity, becomes even more real in the bible.

Answer 5

Jesus is God, and He taught the concepts by which Christians should live. They were given to us by God before Jesus came, and Jesus set the example by living by them and better explaining them to us.

Answer 6

In Christianity, God is a man in the sky sitting on the throne. And they are even prepared to kill for this fairy tale.

Answer 7

Well, since we are humans and relate most easily to humans, we just think of him as a person in most visual perceptions (like "God's hands". But really, God's an entity. There was Jesus, who was a person, but how can we know for sure? As far as I know, I've not seen God yet. :)

Answer 8

well, in reality we dont need to look at how "we" veiw God, but How God has revealed himself too us, in reality our concept of God means Nothing. so, How has God revealed himself? well, one thru creation, we see a creation and it exhibits that Gods first and foremost nature is that of creater and Lord of all that exist. secondly he reveals himself thru the word (Bible), (yes the Bible was written by men, but arent most books? are those books unrealiable too?) God has lastly revaled himself thru our concscince and jesus, for instance, have you ever lied? stolen? looked with l;ust or used Gods name in vain? wel then we have broken Gods law,knowone here can honestly say we didnt know it was wrong too do those things, thats the connscience, the BIble says because our conscience bears wittness to our fofense to God were without excsue. now we deserve Gods Justice but are granted mercy thru jesus christ, who died and paid the penalty for our sin on the cross, and recivning the forgivness of sin is a simple as repenting (confessing and forsaking sin) and trusting in jesus, if we will do that we will have Gods promise of everlasting life and he will convert your heart too do his work. so, now that we know How the BIble reveals God, is he just a idea or a actual being? wel Gods revealed as a being, he is given the charachter of inttelectual creativity and individuallity which he exhibited in creation, hes exhibited as haveing moral standards and having anger at unrightoeunsess, whioch is exhibited sas being prescent only in a intellectual being, and he has exhibited love for us in that while we were yet siners christ died for us.God himself here igves us the ultimate exhibition of his exiatence as a "being" by dweling among us and showing kind compassion toward us. I hope this has helped, the important thing is too look at yurself under the commandments, repent and confess your sins and trust in jesus, abnd lastly, only depend on How the scripture revals God and not the waining ideas of mankind.
God Bless

Answer 9

I think He is an actual being. I don't think He is some man with a long white beard..I think He is an intelligent force and power that humans couldn't even begin to understand.

Answer 10

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?