Dec. 15, 2024

What is God Like? BTS, 15 Dec 24

Introduction - This teaching is a short introduction to what will be several messages on loving God which I will be sharing in the near future.  It starts with an old folk story from India, concerning up to six blind men from that country who were trying to describe an elephant, which they had just encountered, to each other. One, feeling the broad side of the animal, said “an elephant is like a wall.” Another, holding onto the tail, said, “No, an elephant is like a rope.”  A third said “No, an elephant is like a spear,” as he held the sharp tusk.  A fourth said “No, an elephant is like a snake” as he held the squirming trunk.   A fifth said “No, an elephant is like a tree” as he tried to put his arms around a massive leg.  A sixth blind man said “you are all wrong, an elephant is like a large fan” as he felt a large, flapping ear.  

We Christians are much like these blind men.  We make sweeping generalizations about God, based upon limited observations, and we take Scriptures out of context and form an opinion of God which is not circumspect.  Just like the blind men, we dwell on two particular pictures of God: 

Romans 11:22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. NLT

Generally, the teachers I have known over the years have swung between these two poles:  1) God is severe and few are going to make it to heaven and 2) God is kind, and just about everyone will be saved.  

Verses which seem to bolster view #1 are verses like this one:

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ NLT

Be careful when you apply scriptures from Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount!  This and several 

other related passages in other gospels are describing the constitution and laws of the millennial kingdom, which will be the 1,000 year reign of Jesus on the earth beginning immediately after His Second Coming.  The kingdom was offered to Israel in the form of the baby Jesus who was to be “He who is born King of the Jews.”  The Jews would have their rightful eternal king and all other peoples of the earth would be in subjection to Him.  This kingdom offer was formally rejected in Matthew 12:14 where the Pharisees “counseled together how they might destroy Him.” Since the kingdom was postponed, so were the constitution and laws of the Kingdom.   

 The millennium is the last period of testing for man to show that, even under nearly perfect conditions, and with Satan bound, man will still choose to sin.  There will still be natural people alive during the millennium who populate the earth.  These people will need a salvation experience just like we did.  It will, of course, be much easier than what we experienced because Satan will be bound and temptation much easier to resist. We, as transformed people, will not be subjects of the King’s rule during this time.  We will be helping Jesus to rule and reign over the natural peoples of the earth.  In the Millennium, there will still be those who choose to sin, even after being used by the Spirit to do works for God.  Remember Judas Iscariot, who, after walking with Jesus and the disciples, no doubt taking part in some of the miracles they did, (healing and casting out demons with the 72, probably) decided to forsake Him for 30 pieces of silver.  

By contrast, verses which seem to bolster view #2 about the loving, merciful nature of God are verses like these:

1 John 4:16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17NLT

Ephesians 2:4-6 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. NLT

We would not have this life, which is the result of righteousness unless someone gave it (righteousness) to us.  Our situation is hopeless unless someone does it for us.  This did happen, in the sacrifice Jesus made by dying in our stead.  So instead of us having to constantly worry about whether God will condemn us or love us based on our unpredictable behavior and basically wicked heart, we have one steady, constant picture of his relationship to  us right now and forever:

Psalm 85:10 Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed!

Here is a verse which describes what God is like, right now! What a profound truth this is!  Written by the sons of Korah after the return of the Israelites from captivity in Babylon, it is a joyful recognition of how gracious God is because of the (future, at this point) work of Jesus in behalf of Israel and all humankind.  For the Israelites, God could have left them forever to become an extinct race of people.  He didn’t, instead providing a way, a thread of communication, a messenger (Daniel) and mercy, resulting in the restoration of the Israelites to their homeland.  

The seemingly impossible reconciliation of truth (a cold, emotionless standard) with Mercy (a warm, living attitude of grace and good will) is prophesied here in this verse.  Likewise, the state of righteousness which was impossible for us to achieve has been realized by Jesus’ sacrificial death, resulting in the sweet fruit of peace which had, after the fall of Adam, been unattainable for us.  Everyone who believes in Jesus Has this gracious work applied to their life.  

Conclusion - At night near my home in Roscoe, Pennsylvania, I can hear railroad cars being coupled to configure a 100 car string of coal cars.  The sound, a pretty loud crash as the couplers slam together and engage, is somehow romantic and comforting to me.  It is basically what Psalm 85 is telling us about the two standards which were pointed against us (truth and righteousness) because of our insurmountable inability to ever achieve them, and the undeserved mercy we received from God which satisfied both demands by Jesus’ work on the cross, resulting in peace.  This is what God is like today.  He is the great Coupler.  He has taken care of our worst eternal problems by coupling them to his mercy.  He has made us honored family members, freed now to engage in the acts of love which He wants from us more than anything.  Get set to love God!