What is God Like?

Biblical Christians should find out about God from Jesus. Christ is the standard for everything a Christian should think about God.

If something we think about God violates what we know of Jesus, what he taught, and how he acted, then that thought lies. If someone gives us the impression that God’s nature differs from what Jesus said and demonstrated it to be, then don’t buy a used car from that person—and don’t listen to anything he or she says about anything else. If someone errs on this important issue, probably he or she will go badly wrong about a whole lot more.

What I’m about to say isn’t wish fulfillment, a hopeful doctrine, or anything of the sort. It’s a fact—a space/time fact—that God took on human flesh and lived for a while in our presence. Throughout history people like you and I have asked our questions about God. Is there really a God? Did he create all of this? Does he care? Does he love? Does he love me? Somebody always gave answers to such questions, but most of them amounted to little but conjecture—head answers to the heart’s questions. Then, in a breathtaking and explosive way, God moved into our hearts—not with propositions, but with himself.

Now, that’s good news! In fact, the incarnation of God in Christ was the best news the world has ever heard. It cut through the sham and pretense of spurious religious ideas. It presented the simple message that God was not what every religious person thought he was. And it offered people freedom…and with freedom, healing, meaning, immortality, and forgiveness.

“In the beginning was the Word,” the apostle John writes, “and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him not any thing made that was made…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3,14).

Again John wrote: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us…” (1 John 1:1-2).

The book of Hebrews opens with these words: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:1-3 NKJV).

Do you want to know what God is like? Then look at Jesus. If you want to know how God reacts to people, look at how Jesus reacted to people. If you want to know what God thinks, how he acts and who he is, don’t get with a group of people and vote on it. One doesn’t discover divine truth with an election. If you want to know the truth about God, don’t get a book on theology or listen to a preacher. For God’s sake, go to Jesus.

So, what is God like? By looking at Jesus, we discover two crucial facts about God that significantly impact our views on freedom and grace.

If God is the vindictive, angry, abusive deity that many tell us he is, then we have a serious problem. Given who we are, we can never please him. Nobody is that good, and nobody is that pure. We can, of course, sacrifice our firstborn; but even that won’t be enough. We will live in constant fear, and with very good reason: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

I have an acquaintance who writes me bunches of critical letters. In those letters, he always tells me that I disappoint God, “and after all he has done for you!” He reminds me that I’m too flippant, too joyful, too unorthodox, or too whatever. He always says to me, “How would you feel if Jesus came back today?” My friend has seen only one side of God. His God says, “Cry, will you? Cry, will you? OK, now I’ll give you something to really cry about!”

Our teachers have threatened us that God is watching and that while we may get away with fooling people, we will never fool God. In the end the books will be balanced, and we will find ourselves in serious trouble. And so we cry.

On the other hand, are we in any better shape if God is kind, but also safe and controllable? I don’t think so. In that case we have another problem. We have a god who isn’t God at all.

Little gods do little things. If you have never stood before God and felt afraid, then probably you have never stood before God. You have stood before an idol of your own making. Worse, your life will remain silly and superficial because you worship a silly and superficial god.

A user-friendly god we can control is not God. That kind of god exists only in our imagination. He certainly is not the God of the Bible or the God who Jesus revealed to us.

Listen to what God said to some ancient theologians who tried to make him a bit more manageable: “You thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue” (Psalm 50:21-22 NIV).

What we say about God has no bearing on who God really is. I can say that God is the Great Pumpkin, but my declaration doesn’t make it so. God remains who he is.

I think it was C.S. Lewis who pointed out, in answer to Freud and others who charged that Christians had created and worshiped a “father” god out of their own desire, that we certainly wouldn’t create the God revealed in the Bible. I know that if I created a god for myself, he would be far safer and far less terrifying than the one in the Bible.

God said through the prophet Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Paul writes: “‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:34-36).

I can worship a God like that, a sovereign Lord both fully God and unimaginably kind. Those who bask in a “nice” Jesus and a “nice” God simply haven’t read the Gospels. Even a cursory reading of the teaching and the actions of Jesus will reveal both the “kindness and sternness” of the real God (Romans 11:22).

Jesus talked about a “narrow way” that leads to life and a broad and easy one that leads to destruction. His anger at hypocrisy and religious manipulation knew no bounds. He taught clearly about God’s judgment, hell, and the wrath of God. “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42). That, dear friend, is not a safe God.

At the same time, Jesus showed an incredible understanding of human weakness and sin. He hung around with winebibbers, sinners, and prostitutes. He ministered with gentleness and kindness to the broken. He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

So is God confused? Quite the contrary! Only by understanding both the rule and the kindness of God do we find great personal balance and freedom.

You know the verse by heart; it is the bridge between God’s justified wrath and his amazing love: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).

The gospel is simple—simplicity on the other side of complexity. We are needy, sinful and helpless orphans birthed into a fallen world of darkness and death. God, out of his boundless compassion and love, has come himself and made us sons and daughters by the sacrifice of Christ. Aquinas rightly said that the cross did not secure the love of God, but the love of God secured the cross.

By trusting in Christ—and him alone—we become divine heirs. Orphans don’t receive anything. The news is so phenomenally good that we can hardly stand it: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:26).

And not only did we get reconciled to a holy and righteous God through the sacrifice of Christ, something else happened: We received the righteousness of Christ. (We call the formal doctrine “imputed righteousness.”) God transferred all the goodness of Christ to our account. “That is why his faith was ‘counted to him as righteousness.’ But the words ‘it was counted to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It [Christ’s righteousness] will be counted [“imputed,” KJV] to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:22-25).

What does this mean? If you are a Christian, it means that God will never be angry at you again. God has turned away his wrath from you because he imputed (credited to your account) Christ’s righteousness to you. And how can God be angry at perfection?

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1). Paul expounds on the theme when he writes:

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:33-35,37-39).

Now, may I ask a question? If you really, really believed that God was good (not safe, but good), that he was in charge of this mess, and that he never grew angry with you—how would you act? What would you do? How would you order your life? What kinds of things would you change?

Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

And these verses apply to those who do not know Him yet.....

Acts 17:29-31 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,a not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Jesus is God come in the flesh. Whatever Jesus did He did as the Father directed Him.

So whatever you see Jesus doing is a direct reflection of the Father’s heart and what the Father would do if He were here on earth.

All you have to do is look and see how Jesus related to the downtrodden and hurting. The only ones He was hard on were the religious leaders who were such hypocrites.

I’ll tell you, any god who comes to earth, goes through a 9 month gestation, goes through the tedium of growing up, learning to walk and talk, just like any other human being, who WALKED everywhere, and spent untold hours teaching and healing people, CARES about His people.

He didn’t HAVE to do it.

None of those people whom Jesus met and ministered to on His life here on earth were any more or less worthy of His attention than you are.

And believe me, I do and can understand the feeling that God doesn’t care. Been there, done that, and I still sometimes wrestle with that.

There are no easy answers for those of us in the midst of the fiery furnace of affliction.

I know that it’s small and cold comfort to be told you are not alone in your suffering and that other people feel as abandoned by God as you do. But you are not as alone as you maybe, perhaps think.

Why are you coming on a Christian thread linking to a heretical man-made theology that calls for Christians to deny that Jesus is the Messiah? There is no biblical laws called the 7 laws of Noah but that which was born of the Pharisees who denied that Jesus is the Messiah.

http://www.hasidicuniversity.org/index.php?page=hu_theocracy/th01_idolatry.htm

2 Examples that Christians need to beware and not fall for these fake “noahide” laws the unbelieving Pharisees invented.

Required

Mandated punishment for violation: Death penalty

Brief description:
Not to worship any false god in any one of four standard ways: (a) bowing, (b) making sacrificial offerings, (c) burning incense, or (d) pouring libations (such as wine or water). These four ritual acts are all involved in the worship of the true G-d in the Jerusalem Temple (once it is rebuilt from its current ruins), and thus are sanctified modes of worship that are forbidden to be exercised for any false god, even if the act is not part of the customary ritual for that false religion (whereas commandment -6 deals with the established rituals specific to each false religion). Thus even if it is not an established Christian custom to offer sacrificial foods to Jesus, nor would Buddhists normally pour libations for their idol, either act would nonetheless be a capital crime.
This commandment also prohibits the verbal acceptance of any false god as one’s deity, on pain of death penalty.

Examples:
•Not to verbally accept Jesus as one’s god or “lord.”

Required

Mandated punishment for violation: Death penalty

Brief description:
Not to worship a false god according to the customary rituals established by its religion. Some idols or false gods are worshipped through bowing, burning incense, or making offerings of food; others through certain types of dancing, singing, chanting, or meditation; others through growing one’s hair long, shaving it off, and offering it; and others through ceremonies involving fire, water, or convening at certain locations at certain times of year. Whatever the practice of the false religion, even a single act of such worship is a capital offense.
While it is also a sin to believe in the existence of a false god (commandment -1), even without worshipping it, that act of false belief is not covered in this commandment.

Examples:
•Not to bow to a Buddha statue, nor to offer incense before it.
•Not to be baptized in Christianity, nor to pray in the name of Jesus.
•Not to participate in worship ceremonies of Hinduism, Hare Krishna, or various “New Age” cult movements — including transcendental meditation or Yoga — even if no idol is physically present.
•Not to celebrate such pagan holidays as Easter, Halloween, or Christmas.

Penned by a common man.....Why didn't God reveal Himself to the other nations of the world in order to eliminate any future confusion such as this?

It doesn't matter if God revealed Himself to a "common" man or not.

He DID reveal Himself and it was through Jesus and it's OUR job to see to it that the world hears about Him, just like it was the job of the Jews to present God to the world.

Or maybe He did as evidenced in the other religions who worship their own form of God...........

They don't worship their own form of God.

The other religions of the world are not fundamentally the same or worship essentially the same God. They made up their own and worship that.

God did not say he chose a scripture. God said he chose a people.

One of the Seven Laws of the Children of Noah is to establish courts of justice. These would not be Jewish courts, but rather courts established by each nation according to their own preferences, provided they intend the goal of justice and an orderly society.

Godly courts in the Land of Israel administered by Jews would indeed be stricter than those of the nations.

http://www.aish.com/jl/jnj/nj/80405497.html?s=rab

Yes jotto,

YHWH Elohim chose a people, a people that would believe in & follow His Word that He calls His Messiah. Yeshua (Jesus) is the name of the flesh that the Word appeared to men in after Israel rejected Him as their sovereign. [1Sam 8:7] And from there is was all down hill because they chose to put the Word of YHWH 3rd after the laws that they made & the traditions of Baal they had adopted. [2Kg 17]

So to set the record straight, Israel was a mixed multitude of the sons of Jacob and many of the nations who left Egypt with the sons of Jacob. Therefore, Israel is neither Jew nor Gentile, it is a people who believe in the living Word of Elohim that has been from the beginning of time. Even your Talmud (man-made law of the unbelieving Pharisees) admits this fact, that the Messiah has been from the beginning & it was the Messiah in Spirit who delivered Israel out of Egypt... from Sanhedrin, Chapter 11 ....

“The days of Messiah shall endure as long as long as from creation until now, as it is written...”

“The days of Messiah shall be 7000 years, as it is written, and the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall they Elohim (God) rejoice over thee...”

The Father CHOSE His Messiah & all who believe in His Messiah are Israel, DNA & religion need not apply. Which is why it is written that He will once again, gather, purge the rebels, and ONLY the Israel of Messiah will enter into His reign. [Eze 20]

Shalom

Not so cut & dried as you state jjotto, as the fake noahide laws say those courts are to be run by what the Talmud calls “Hasidic Gentiles” aka “Noahides” who deny that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah of YHWH Elohim. And those “Hasidic Gentiles” do not accept testimony from those who believe & openly confess that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah of YHWH Elohim. The fact that they believe & confess the true Messiah of Israel over the false chosen one of the rabbinic is an automatic death sentence unless they deny Him before the court.

http://www.hasidicuniversity.org/index.php?page=hu_theocracy/th07_justice.htm

http://www.hasidicuniversity.org/index.php?page=hu_theocracy/th08_general.htm

Righteous according to whom? Man? There is no righteousness in the man-made noahide laws because they are of men and not of YHWH Elohim & His Messiah.

The FACT is, there was NO oral law given at Mt. Sinai to the Moses & the 70 elders. They received what is written today & that only, so that no man should add to it or take away from what is written. The fact that that command to not add to and not take away from what is written is the only evidence one needs to prove these noahide laws invented by men are just that, an invention birthed out of the imaginations of men, laws that have no one jot or tittle of support from YHWH Elohim & His Messiah.

Those interested in the truth need only visit the Hasidic University that teaches “noahidism” because everything at all those other websites, that whitewash the real truth of the false man-made noahide laws, is found at the Hasidic University website where each false law has references back to the Talmud from which they were invented.

http://www.hasidicuniversity.org/index.php?page=hu_theocracy/th_toc.htm

Universal Theocratic Law
for Non-Jews
(620 commandments)

Table of Contents

Overview of Theocratic Law

1. Commandments Against Idolatry

(57 commandments: 7 positive, 50 negative)

2. Commandments Against Blasphemy

(39 commandments: 14 positive, 25 negative)

3. Commandments Against Murder

(6 commandments: 2 positive, 4 negative)

4. Commandments Against Theft

(37 commandments: 16 positive, 21 negative)

5. Commandments Against Immoral Relations

(32 commandments: 3 positive, 29 negative)

6. Commandments Against Eating Living Animals

(3 commandments: 3 negative)

7. Commandments For Legal Justice

(37 commandments: 15 positive, 22 negative)

General Commandments for Orderly Society

(31 commandments: 14 positive, 17 negative)

Optional Commandments

(112 commandments: 51 positive, 56 negative, 5 rabbinical)

Irrelevant / Forbidden Commandments

(235 commandments: 116 positive, 117 negative, 2 rabbinical)

Uncertain Commandments

(31 commandments: 10 positive, 21 negative)

Absolutely. There's so much fake out there that people automatically believe that Christian doctrine is what the NT teaches, when in fact the NT witnesses against it, especially the trinity. Chabad is much much closer to the true meaning of spreading the gospel (good news) to all corners of the earth. Not the kind of message the church would ever accept. Heh, well God is the master of flipped over stories.

Like the following verse.

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

The prophetic perfect tense is a literary technique used in the Bible that describes future events that are so certain to happen that they are referred to in the past tense as if they already happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophetic_perfect_tense

Sinai is the place of the giving of the Law, but who's looking there [in the modern era], as it has been relegated to the dustbin of history.

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