Knowing God--growing in our understanding of what He is really like--is important beyond description and is why so many people in the Bible describe their life focus as getting to know God better (Moses said, "Show me your ways." David many times in the psalms says the same thing or something similar. Paul described his life focus as "to know Christ," etc.).
So what is God like? Obviously one cannot answer this question very well in a single blog post, so let me make just a couple of tiny suggestions in this direction.
First, what is God like? The best answer to this that I can think of is that God is like Jesus. Jesus said "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:10), and the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus, the Son of God, is the "exact representation of His being..." (Hebrews 1:3). So whenever anyone asks me, "What is God really like?" one of my suggestions is that s/he reads the Gospels over and over asking, "What is Jesus really like?" (Be aware, however, that even when you read the Bible you will bring your own filters to that reading so that some of what Jesus said and did may be misinterpreted by you--but that's a topic for another day!).
Second, God is like the person He encourages us to be. For some reason, people don't always equate the description of how we are to treat one another, the fruit of the Spirit, the description of how we are to communicate with one another, etc., with what God is like. But all of those things flow out of the nature and character of God. For example, when the Bible tells us that we are to use words that are "helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen," (Ephesians 4:29) or that "strengthen, encourage and comfort" (1 Corinthians 14:3), it is telling us what God sounds like when He speaks to us. And when the Bible describes the fruit that God's Spirit produces in us (Galatians 5:22-23), it is, of course, describing the character of God Himself. You get the picture, I trust.
I am reading a book right now that does a great job of describing what God is like, taking the fact that God is love (1 John 4:16) and blending it with 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (Love/God is patient, Love/God is kind, etc.). I can't fully endorse or recommend The Misunderstood God by Darin Hufford, but his main concept of understanding God as how Scripture describes love is a solid truth.
So, what is God like? He has shown us all along that He is good beyond comprehension, beyond the possibility of our fully experiencing that goodness. Yes, even in the Old Testament He reveals Himself that way. I have probably pointed this out before, but when Moses asks to see the full revelation of God's glory, God answers Him by saying "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you and proclaim my name, Yahweh, in your presence. I am having mercy on those I am having mercy on, and I am having compassion on those I am having compassion on." (Exodus 33:19). Then when God causes His glory (goodness!) to pass by Moses, He says, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." (Exodus 34:6-7a). And yes, I know it goes on from there to talk about not leaving the guilty unpunished, but I will save that for another discussion--it's probably not what you think it means! What I want to suggest to you is that the phrase "compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love" is indeed God's description of His essence, His very nature (that phrase is repeated in crucial places in the Old Testament, including Numbers 14:18, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, Joel 2:13 and Jonah4:2).
So...what are people like who know they are treasured by a God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in love? Perhaps a better question for you is, "What is God like to you?" Darin Hufford suggests that for many believers, God looks more like the devil than the One who describes Himself as love! Perhaps Darin is right, but I am certain that this is not the case for those who read this blog, eh?
Learning to live loved by the One who is Love,
Tom, one of Abba's children
3 comments:
Hi, Tom,
Excellent! Here are few of my thoughts on the subject.
Paul received revelation that God had called him through His grace to reveal His Son in him and that he would preach Christ among the Gentiles (Gal. 1: 15-17). Paul understood that he was to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Grace. Paul labored for the Galatians in order that Christ would be formed in them (Gal. 4:19). Paul understood if we walk in the love of God we would walk in the Spirit and deny our fleshly nature (Gal. 5: 13-26).
Paul wrote the believers at Colosse in 1:27-29,
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Paul goes on to tell them in, where to set their minds and to put off the old man with his deeds and to put on the new man (Col. 3 1- 11). Colossians 3:12- 17 gives us eight character traits to put on, this is similar to the fruit of the Spirit being nine in Galatians. We find we are to put on love first and foremost above everything else because in binds all the traits perfectly together (Colossians 3:14).
This is what Jesus taught in Matthew 22: 37-40,
37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 "This is the first and great commandment.
39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
From the beginning it has always been about God’s love for us, our love for Him and for others. When we love God rightly we are able to love others rightly. The whole bible hangs on these to commandments of love for God and man.
If we want to be like God, like Christ, conformed into His image which is what we as believers are predestined for according to Rom. 8:29, then we must get to know Him. Paul made knowing Christ His one pursuit in life that He may know Him (Phil. 3:7-11).
Will you make it yours?
Only in Him can we find true love and truly be loved perfectly, and have that love birthed in us through His Spirit which dwells in us to give to others around us!
His servant-slave but most of all His child and son!
Galatians 3:26 (NKJV)
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Hi Tom.
Good to hear your voice. (so to speak) I loved your thoughts, it is so amazing to me the simple wisdom that comes from thinking outside the box, and walking with God. Whether it is an author, a blogger, or God himself, it is so freeing to see and understand God's presence in our lives.
I have been considering reading the Misunderstood God, but still have a couple other books to finish first. Loving our Kids on Purpose is awesome and God is using it not only for my 5 kids, but for teaching me how to walk in relationship with him. Thank you for suggesting it.
The other book I am reading is The Shack, and it has not been a huge shock yet but it has presented a couple thoughts for pondering a little deeper. I have not finished yet so I expect God may still have something for me.
As long as I am writing let me share with you, I am still walking through this whole church leadership issue. I appreciate you and Rodger's input, and I have been through Wayne's website with a fine tooth comb, and listened to about 50 different podcasts.
I realize that God will, and God has shown me different things at different times and I just need to be patient with him. For example, I awoke at 3:30 am the other day and I had Hewbrews 13 ringing in my ears, "obey your leaders". I was stressed and knew the verse was true but how does it apply in a relational context and I ended up at my computer for an hour reading scripture, and parsing greek words in the middle of the night. Slowly God relaxed my Spirit, and helped me to know that God has brought men into my life that I considered to be leaders, and that it is a wise man that listens and takes counsel, and there are times where if I choose to follow a person I will need to be submitted to his vision and to what I am making myself a part of.
Just as important is the day after next, after I had relaxed and was open to hear, I listened to another podcast where Wayne and a guy from Australia were talking about that very verse, and they said the same thing that God shared with me the night before.
I know you are busy, but if you would be willing to engage me in a conversation I really could use an understanding voice as I try to walk through the vally God has me in. I know I have issues trusting men, based on past expeineces, so I know this is an area God wants to work on me yet, I also know that my heart is to follow and trust Him and Him alone.
If things are not slowing down enough yet with your wife I totally understand, I just feel like I need somebody outside the box to bounce thoughts off.
Terry Rousseau
Lincoln NE
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