Episode Summary: "The Most Important Question"

Podcast: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Host: Ligonier Ministries
Date: March 2, 2026

Overview

In this devotional episode, Sinclair B. Ferguson explores the profound question, "What is God really like?", considering its place as perhaps the most crucial question a Christian can ask. Ferguson distinguishes between philosophical beginnings, personal preferences in theology, and the importance of objective truth in our understanding of God, guiding listeners to reflect on how our comprehension of God's nature influences our lives and worship.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Importance of Asking the Right Question

• Ferguson opens by considering what the most important question is for Christians.
• He contrasts philosophical questions—such as "Why is there something rather than nothing?"—with the more pressing spiritual concern: "What is God really like?"
  • Quote: "Certainly some philosophers have thought that the most important question is why is there something there and not nothing? ... But for the Christian...perhaps the most important question is what is God really like?" (00:08 – 01:28)

2. The Limits of Human Preference

• Ferguson warns against starting with personal preference when understanding God.
  • Quote: "How I like to think about God isn't really a relevant factor when it comes to the question what is God actually like? God isn't the result of what I like or don't like to think." (01:58 – 02:32)
• He critiques the notion of a customizable deity:
  • Memorable Moment: "He isn’t in the business of saying, if that's the way you'd like me to be, well, of course I'll become like that. That's utterly ridiculous, isn't it? Who do we think we are?" (02:35 – 02:48)

3. The Historic Christian Answer: Catechisms

• Ferguson explains the use of catechisms in church history, especially the Westminster Shorter Catechism, as foundational teaching tools.
• He shares the classic answer to "What is God?":
  • Quote (reciting the catechism): “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.” (03:22 – 03:54)
• He suggests this statement is worthy of deep and extended reflection.

4. The Critical Distinction: "What" vs. "Who"

• Ferguson notes a subtle but significant difference between asking "What is God?" and "Who is God?"
  • Insight: Moving from abstract attributes to a personal, relational understanding of God.

5. Biblical Example: Moses and the Burning Bush

• Ferguson recounts Moses’s encounter with God (Exodus 3) as a key biblical instance of asking who God is.
  • Quote: “Remember what Moses said in reply? ... What is his name? What shall I tell them? ... They wanted to know who God is. Who is this God, Moses?” (04:41 – 05:16)

6. The Practical Impact: We Become Like What We Worship

• Ferguson emphasizes that our lives are shaped by our concept of God.
  • Quote: "But as one of the psalms tells us, we tend to become like whatever we worship." (05:30 – 05:38)
• He closes by highlighting that our understanding of who God is shapes who we are and how we live.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “How I like to think about God isn’t really a relevant factor...” (Sinclair B. Ferguson, 01:58)
• “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable…” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, quoted at 03:37)
• “They wanted to know who God is. Who is this God, Moses?” (Ferguson, 05:13)
• “We tend to become like whatever we worship.” (Ferguson, 05:30)
• "Who God is and what he is like is bound to shape who we are and what we are like and how we live." (Ferguson, 05:39)

Important Timestamps

• 00:08 — Introduction of philosophical questions about existence
• 01:29 — The shift to the Christian’s most important question
• 01:58 — Warning against subjective, preference-driven theology
• 03:22 — Introduction and quotation of the Shorter Catechism answer
• 04:13 — Distinguishing “what is God?” from “who is God?”
• 04:41 — The burning bush: Moses’s question about God
• 05:30 — Application: we become like what we worship

Tone and Language

Ferguson’s tone is reflective, thoughtful, and gently corrective, aiming to lead listeners toward a biblically grounded understanding of God that is shaped by Scripture and church tradition, not by personal whims or cultural trends.

Conclusion

Sinclair Ferguson encourages listeners to consider not just what God is, but who He is, pressing the vital importance of deriving our answers from how God has revealed Himself—not from our personal desires. He prepares listeners for further exploration of this theme in subsequent episodes, ending with the reminder that our doctrine of God is foundational to the shape and substance of our Christian lives.