A View of God in Scripture

Our view of God as Christians is of utmost importance. The way you perceive your God to be is essentially everything to your Christian walk.

For instance, if you believe your God to be a very nice, elderly old chap, with gray hair and good morals.... well let's just say basically your God is Gandalf off of Lord of the Rings. You would never say that, but basically this is what you believe. He is old, wise, kind, and he says very intelligent things at the right moments. This view of God will hold up until you run into an issue that seemingly outdates your Gandalf God. I mean, again, you would never admit this, but more than likely if you hold this view of God you just don't picture him thoroughly understanding myspace or intelligently operating a web browser. Never would you consider God being able to buy a book on ebay, tweet his thoughts on the world, or post a myspace pic of Him, Moses, and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. I mean, he's old. He is into old things, like sitting on a throne and stroking His long heavenly beard. He is much more apt to be playing bridge or shuffleboard with the rest of the senior citizens and yuppies, than engaging post-moderns right?

Now before you right me off as heretical let me make some balancing statements. I do not believe that God has a secret myspace account that He hasn't let the world in on yet. I also do not believe that he is really into twitter, or browsing through the latest sites either. My point is rather that there is an entire Generation of young people that come to church and most assuredly respect God, but do not know him any more than they know the president of the United States. They resepct him enough to stand in reverence and try not to sleep when the preacher man is talking, but they could essentially care less about what he is saying because to them God is not relevant or near. He is the good, elderly chao in the heavens that desires repect. He is not the all consuming, ageless, eternal flame of God that will outlast eternity and exists in forever. They do not know Him as He is and I would propose that perhaps this is a direct reflection of the tragic fact that many of the older generation do not know this God either. Or perhaps if they do, they most certainly to not seem to live in such a way that screams this truth to the world.

How do we view our God? Now this is essential and imperative. We must view our God in light of the only thing that truly holds the authority to tell us about Him; The Bible. O what this generation might look like if they had a holy, love affair with their bibles! The radical face of Christ is shone forth in His gospels and He makes himself known to the world through the ancient texts of scriptures, yet they hold about as much significance today in the Christian household as any other book on the shelf. Beth Moore bible studies are more clear and concise right? Reading the latest trendy Christian article, or listening to the latest T.V. evangelist just seems so much more practical now doesn't it. Yet, the ancient text whispers from the dusty book shelf calling you to find out who this Jesus really is.

It is a tragedy when the majority of people's view God is based on personal emotional experiences and not on the ancient writings of the Holy Scripture. How tragic is it that many of us cannot submit to certain views about God that are clearly outlines in His Word because "we just don't believe God would do something like that." Perhaps, my favorite, (by favorite I mean the one I most despise) "I just don't believe in a God that would send anyone to hell." What are we basing our ideas on? Certainly not the God of the Bible, considering Christ himself, God in the flesh, talked more about hell than any other character in the whole of scripture. So instead, your entire view of God is based on "what seems right to you?" Is it just me that seems to think that this is entirely too ridiculous for words? You want to base your entire view of an eternal, magnificent, all knowing, all powerful God on what "feels right?" I woud argue that scripture would say that "There is a way that seems right man, and in the end it leads to destruction." (Prov. 14:12; 16:25), but that would be contingent on someone actually wanting to submit to the scriptues and not simply to what "feels right."

Our view of God must be rooted in scripture and when it is, we must fearlessly proclaim Him as He has made Himself know to us in scripture. I propose there is no view of God, outside of scripture, that our hearts could create, that would not make God out to be a miniature version of His true self. He is huge. When we worship a small, make believe God that our hearts desires have created, our souls shrink in light of that idol. Our spiritual vitality and life dry up and what could be a wellspring of life is merely a faint trickling sound that poisons the very thought of the true God of the Universe. We were created to worship. When we worship God for who He really is our soul is made glad and swells to embrace such a magnificent and mighty God. Praise Christ that He is much more than just feelings and emotions, but He is a living God! As for a true, clear view of God I cannot say it better than Paul. Here we find a view of God that can truly transform even the coldest if hearts.

"Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How,
unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable are his ways! 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 and to him and through
him are all things. To him be glory forever, Amen." - Romans 11-33-36