The Almighty

People fight over religion. Yet we all face the same ultimate reality: the Almighty. If God is truly almighty, He is the One who creates but is not created, who exists eternally, and who alone deserves our worship.

St. Thomas Aquinas described God as ipsum esse subsistens—“subsistent Being itself” (Summa Theologiae, I, q. 3, a. 4). God does not receive His existence from anything else. He is the source of all existence.

Religion and the Truth

Religion reflects humanity’s understanding of God, but our knowledge is limited by our understanding, desires, and weaknesses. Even when we read the Bible, we can interpret it wrongly. Revelation itself warns about false teaching within the early Church. In Revelation 2:14, Jesus rebukes the teaching of Balaam that led some believers into sin.

It is naive to assume that we fully understand the truth simply because we read Scripture or believe we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must remain humble and willing to examine our beliefs.

Who Is the Almighty?

In Revelation 1:8, the Lord God declares that He is “the Alpha and the Omega” and “the Almighty.” John then sees the glorified Christ, who declares, “I am the First and the Last, and the one who lives” (Revelation 1:17–18). John 1:1–3 further teaches that the Word was God and that all things were created through Him. The Catholic faith professes Jesus Christ as true God.

Christ entrusted His revelation to the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, to lead humanity toward the fullness of truth. As Lumen gentium 16 explains, even those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ or His Church may attain salvation through His grace if they sincerely seek God and strive to do His will. This does not mean all religions are equally true. Salvation comes through Christ, and we cannot presume to know God’s final judgment of individual souls.

Stop Being Hypocrites

Do not boast about your salvation or assume that your understanding of Scripture guarantees it. Knowing the Bible, defending Catholic teaching, and attending religious activities are not enough if we refuse to repent and love God.

Jesus rebuked the Church in Ephesus: “You have lost the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4). They had not abandoned every good practice, yet Christ confronted their loss of love. The same warning applies to us.

For Catholics, taking our faith seriously means receiving the Sacraments with the right disposition, going to Confession, repenting of our sins, and preparing daily for God’s Kingdom. The Sacraments are not achievements to boast about; they are gifts of grace that call us to conversion.

Heaven is eternal communion with God, while hell is definitive separation from Him (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1023–1024, 1033–1035).

The Final Encounter

Let us not be satisfied with claiming that we know the truth or know the Almighty. What matters is whether our lives reflect that knowledge through our love for God, our repentance, and our response to His grace. One day, when we encounter the Almighty face-to-face, the reality of our lives will be revealed: whether we truly belong to Him or have chosen to reject Him.