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Who is God? What is He really like? Do you really know for sure or is it just a matter of conjecture?
A lot of times our perception of who God is and what He's really like is clouded by two fallacies which now permeate society. One of these is the fact that people sometimes base their ideas about God on information they have heard from others or what they conclude themselves. This information, however, can be erroneous. Why? Because as human beings, we're not perfect and sometimes the information we use to make a judgment about a particular subject can be inaccurate. This includes our perception of God's character. For example, some people say, "How could a loving God send anyone to Hell?". While it's true that God is a God of love, He is also a God of justice, and these two attributes of His character cannot be separated. "God is just..." (2 Thessalonians 1:6) "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) God does love us, but that love does not translate to His unconditional acceptance of our behavior. God's love for us is independent of our actions. He will always love us, even though at times He may be displeased with our choices in life. The choice of where we spend eternity is left to us, not God. God gives us free will, so we are free to decide what we want, even if that means making wrong choices. God does not choose where we will spend eternity, but rather honors our choice of our eternal destination. God wants us to love Him because we want to, not because we have to. Another fallacy which can obstruct our understanding about God's true personality is the belief that the Bible is either totally written by man or that is is partially in error. God's ways are not our ways, so we should not base our ideas of who God is on our own human reasoning or understanding. God does want us to know who He really is, so He has provided that information for us in the Bible, so we won't be "left in the dark", having to guess about His true character. We can get an accurate representation of who God really is because we're dealing with facts instead of opinions. How do we know that the Bible is a valid source in showing us what God is really like? Click HERE to learn how God shows us how we can know with certainty that the Bible is indeed His Word, free from error. |