Understanding God
Introduction. Among the most important elements of our service and worship to God is our ability to see Him clearly. The better we understand God’s righteousness, holiness, love, forgiveness, mercy, and compassion the more honor and devotion we can create within ourselves and offer to Him. Yet, if we are not careful, misunderstandings can develop that will hinder the response in our own heart of love, joy, hope, and peace. As we consider all the harsh judgments in the Old Testament, we can become so afraid due to His righteousness that we can feel lost even with all Scripture saying otherwise. God has revealed so much about Himself that it is impossible to fully understand. It is easy to focus on one attribute more clearly than others and thus come away with a view of God far different from what He has revealed about Himself.
Peter described our first contact with God in his sermon to Cornelius. “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 10:34-35). These are the people God planned the gospel to draw from every nation. This is not something the gospel was designed to produce; it will already be in existence before they hear it. “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.” (Rom. 1:20). This part of God’s character is already understood. It will be strengthened and broadened with the Scriptures.
After hearing the gospel, faith leads to the next step. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6). No one obeys the gospel without knowing that God wants to reward those who obey. He is a kind and generous God offering salvation and eternal life. With a foundation built on His everlasting power and divinity and knowing He rewards diligence, we are prepared to move to a fuller understanding.
Learning all that is in the Scriptures is the diligence God seeks. We “give diligence to be approved to God,” by “rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Tim. 2:15). This begins the fellowship that will lead to a full understanding of God and leads to becoming more and more comfortable in His presence. Our fear and reverence never diminish, but they are blended into a sense of joy and peace as we learn of His mercy, forgiveness, grace, and love. It is here that we need to guard ourselves against seeing or emphasizing one attribute more than another.
Some who see His grace and mercy emphasize it so strongly they lose their fear, awe, and reverence of His righteousness. They live a life of comfort, peace, and joy even while living in sin without repentance. This is the basis of the “once saved always saved” doctrine.
Others, learning of His harsh judgments and hatred for sin become so afraid they never feel the joy of salvation. Seeing God’s anger and wrath over the sins of others makes them feel that wrath when they sin. Even asking for forgiveness doesn’t help remove that fear.
We must be careful for this is a line that must not be crossed in either direction. His grace and mercy do not remove His righteousness and hatred of sin. Yet this righteousness and hatred of sin must not become so powerful that we cannot feel the joy of salvation.
From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, God’s dealings with man changed. If we had remained grateful and submissive children, God could have responded far differently than what He was forced to do because of our rebellion. Much of what we learn about God in the OT Scriptures is only a record of how He was forced to “respond” to man’s wicked depravity. While many have concluded that God is rigid and harsh, it could not be further from the truth. It is as unfair to judge God’s character under these extreme circumstances as it would be to judge our own character when we are forced to strongly discipline our children or practice church discipline in the church. In both cases, the goal is to help and save. It is still love, but it takes more time and effort along with a deeper insight and understanding to see it.
God did not destroy the earth with a flood because He is harsh and rigid. It was His righteous and just response to man’s violence and evil thoughts which had led to the almost universal ruin of what God had desired this creation to accomplish. Their actions forced God into this response. They rejected all His warnings and refused to repent. It is no different than a righteous human judge sentencing a hardened criminal who is guilty of murder to death. It doesn’t reflect anything of His character or feelings. It is only the righteous and just penalty for that crime.
When we see all of God’s judgments like this, we protect ourselves. The fire and brimstone of Sodom and Gomorrah, the ten plagues in Egypt, the destruction of the seven nations of Canaan, Israel throughout their history in the judges, kings and prophets all have one central theme. They are all examples of God’s righteous response to man’s sin. God did not initiate any of them. They were only done in response to man’s rebellion.
If there had been no rebellion, we would never have seen this side of God. Even with these harsh judgments, our view of God must not lead us away from the truth. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” (Jas. 1:17). No matter how harshly He treats sinners, this will never change.
Since the creation, God has “endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” He did not have to “endure” this. God could have fairly and justly ended the world at the moment Adam and Eve sinned, or any time since. The fact that He has not is a clear indication of His grace and mercy. He tolerates and endures and is forced to judge and punish because He wanted to “make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.” (Rom. 9:22-23). This is His true self! His true intent is to allow man back into fellowship with Him and after observing His glory ultimately give them glory also.
If we miss this, we will swing like the pendulum from one error into another. We could misinterpret His longsuffering as tolerance of the wicked and be led like the Psalmist to a terrible misunderstanding: “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.” As he worked through this he finally saw the truth and said: “my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.” (Ps. 73). Peter clarified this when He said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2Pet. 3:9). Everything God is doing is because He wants all to come to repentance. It is done not because He wants to punish evil men, but because He wants to save evil men.
The love of God is emphasized in the gospel. “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son.” (Jn. 3:16) “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8-9) “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” (Eph. 2:4-5) “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1Jn. 3:1) “He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn. 4:10)
This is God’s true character when there is no provocation and He is not forced to respond to open rebellion and evil. He has so much love (unselfish care and concern for others) that it has created pity, mercy, grace, compassion, and forgiveness. It doesn’t remove God’s righteousness and justice. If it did, Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross. They are perfectly blended.
Side by side going from eternity and into eternity, this is the God we serve. We can’t lose our fear and reverence leading to obedience because of His love and we can’t lose our sense of being loved and forgiven because of His righteous wrath and indignation.
Conclusion. This is a perfect blending of love and righteousness. He will always judge sin harshly because of His righteousness. Whether we were righteous before we committed a sin or exceedingly wicked before we committed a sin, His response will always be the same. He will always love and when we repent and confess our sins, He will always forgive us.
Helpful Scriptures
Peter described our first contact with God in his sermon to Cornelius. “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 10:34-35). These are the people God planned the gospel to draw from every nation. This is not something the gospel was designed to produce; it will already be in existence before they hear it. “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.” (Rom. 1:20). This part of God’s character is already understood. It will be strengthened and broadened with the Scriptures.
After hearing the gospel, faith leads to the next step. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6). No one obeys the gospel without knowing that God wants to reward those who obey. He is a kind and generous God offering salvation and eternal life. With a foundation built on His everlasting power and divinity and knowing He rewards diligence, we are prepared to move to a fuller understanding.
Learning all that is in the Scriptures is the diligence God seeks. We “give diligence to be approved to God,” by “rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Tim. 2:15). This begins the fellowship that will lead to a full understanding of God and leads to becoming more and more comfortable in His presence. Our fear and reverence never diminish, but they are blended into a sense of joy and peace as we learn of His mercy, forgiveness, grace, and love. It is here that we need to guard ourselves against seeing or emphasizing one attribute more than another.
Some who see His grace and mercy emphasize it so strongly they lose their fear, awe, and reverence of His righteousness. They live a life of comfort, peace, and joy even while living in sin without repentance. This is the basis of the “once saved always saved” doctrine.
Others, learning of His harsh judgments and hatred for sin become so afraid they never feel the joy of salvation. Seeing God’s anger and wrath over the sins of others makes them feel that wrath when they sin. Even asking for forgiveness doesn’t help remove that fear.
We must be careful for this is a line that must not be crossed in either direction. His grace and mercy do not remove His righteousness and hatred of sin. Yet this righteousness and hatred of sin must not become so powerful that we cannot feel the joy of salvation.
From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, God’s dealings with man changed. If we had remained grateful and submissive children, God could have responded far differently than what He was forced to do because of our rebellion. Much of what we learn about God in the OT Scriptures is only a record of how He was forced to “respond” to man’s wicked depravity. While many have concluded that God is rigid and harsh, it could not be further from the truth. It is as unfair to judge God’s character under these extreme circumstances as it would be to judge our own character when we are forced to strongly discipline our children or practice church discipline in the church. In both cases, the goal is to help and save. It is still love, but it takes more time and effort along with a deeper insight and understanding to see it.
God did not destroy the earth with a flood because He is harsh and rigid. It was His righteous and just response to man’s violence and evil thoughts which had led to the almost universal ruin of what God had desired this creation to accomplish. Their actions forced God into this response. They rejected all His warnings and refused to repent. It is no different than a righteous human judge sentencing a hardened criminal who is guilty of murder to death. It doesn’t reflect anything of His character or feelings. It is only the righteous and just penalty for that crime.
When we see all of God’s judgments like this, we protect ourselves. The fire and brimstone of Sodom and Gomorrah, the ten plagues in Egypt, the destruction of the seven nations of Canaan, Israel throughout their history in the judges, kings and prophets all have one central theme. They are all examples of God’s righteous response to man’s sin. God did not initiate any of them. They were only done in response to man’s rebellion.
If there had been no rebellion, we would never have seen this side of God. Even with these harsh judgments, our view of God must not lead us away from the truth. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” (Jas. 1:17). No matter how harshly He treats sinners, this will never change.
Since the creation, God has “endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” He did not have to “endure” this. God could have fairly and justly ended the world at the moment Adam and Eve sinned, or any time since. The fact that He has not is a clear indication of His grace and mercy. He tolerates and endures and is forced to judge and punish because He wanted to “make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.” (Rom. 9:22-23). This is His true self! His true intent is to allow man back into fellowship with Him and after observing His glory ultimately give them glory also.
If we miss this, we will swing like the pendulum from one error into another. We could misinterpret His longsuffering as tolerance of the wicked and be led like the Psalmist to a terrible misunderstanding: “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.” As he worked through this he finally saw the truth and said: “my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.” (Ps. 73). Peter clarified this when He said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2Pet. 3:9). Everything God is doing is because He wants all to come to repentance. It is done not because He wants to punish evil men, but because He wants to save evil men.
The love of God is emphasized in the gospel. “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son.” (Jn. 3:16) “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8-9) “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” (Eph. 2:4-5) “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1Jn. 3:1) “He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn. 4:10)
This is God’s true character when there is no provocation and He is not forced to respond to open rebellion and evil. He has so much love (unselfish care and concern for others) that it has created pity, mercy, grace, compassion, and forgiveness. It doesn’t remove God’s righteousness and justice. If it did, Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross. They are perfectly blended.
- Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. (Ps. 85:9-11)
Side by side going from eternity and into eternity, this is the God we serve. We can’t lose our fear and reverence leading to obedience because of His love and we can’t lose our sense of being loved and forgiven because of His righteous wrath and indignation.
Conclusion. This is a perfect blending of love and righteousness. He will always judge sin harshly because of His righteousness. Whether we were righteous before we committed a sin or exceedingly wicked before we committed a sin, His response will always be the same. He will always love and when we repent and confess our sins, He will always forgive us.
- When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. (Ezek. 33:18-19)
Helpful Scriptures
- Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Ps. 103:1-5)
- The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. (Ps. 103:8-14)
- "Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: 'The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.' 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live. (Ezek. 33:12-16)
- Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ... 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1Jn. 4:7-11, 16)