“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
There’s an age-old truth, though not everyone recognizes this truth. Sometimes within Christian communities, discussions emerge about a seemingly profound difference. To some individuals, the God in the Old Testament is vastly different from the God in the New Testament. Some would argue that God is much more punitive in the Old Testament, quick to punish sins, a more ‘fire and brimstone’ type of God. Then they assert that God in the New Testament is much more patient, forgiving, and kind. Maybe this God doesn’t even deal out punishment for sins and if so to a much lesser degree. The truth is that the God in the Old Testament and in the New Testament are one and the same God. We know this because Scripture says as much.
How Do We View God?
We Christians understand God in three parts. Firstly, we view God the Father. Secondly, we view God as the Son, Jesus. And lastly, we understand God as the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. These three components existed during creation in the Old Testament, indicated by “our image” (Genesis 1:26). And the three facets of God continue to exist today. The aforementioned verse indicates that God is the same throughout Scripture. However, the more we read, the more we notice and change in descriptions of God and even His relationship to believers. For example, certain sacrifices were required for atonement, and then they were not. Jesus Christ was once not born, and then He was.