Let me ask you this question - and think it through before giving any kind of cliche answer - how would you describe God?
We immediately want to say, "God is such and such" and use an adjective. But is it possible to use an adjective to describe God?
God is love. That's true. The Bible says that.
God is holy. That's true. The Bible says that.
Yet as we use these words, we must be careful that we do not attribute human characteristics to divine ones.
God is love, yet his love is so unconditional and purposeful that it smashes through the boundaries of what we consider love.
God is holy, yet his holiness is so reverent and awesome that the writer to the Hebrews describes it as a "consuming fire."
In eating lunch yesterday with a Jewish friend, he explained to me that in his way of thinking we can't really describe who "God is," but only what "God is not."
Our human word for love falls short, so the only thing I can do is say that "God is not hate."
Our human word for holiness falls short, so that the only thing I can do is say that, "God is not sin."
That's one thing that's really cool about Jesus. In Jesus I can describe God. Jesus said basically, "if you want to know the Father, look at me."
God is like Jesus.
How would you describe God?
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3 comments:
To follow your spin (and that of Rabbi Steve), I submit the following:
God is not false
God is not pessimistic
God is not weak
God is not ineffectual
God is not late
God is not unaware
God is not uncaring
God is not absent
Well, I'll leave a few for others. The basic thing I can say about God is that He is mine and I am His. Not that I own God but I know that He is always with me and I recognize that I owe, and dedicate, my life to Him. I am His child, His heir (well, co-heir with Jesus), His man, His student, His focus of attention, His joy at times...His disappointment at others. I belong to Him...and that's all I got to say about that!
Forrest Gump said, "Mamma said that life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get until you open it." Well, God is not like a box of chocolates...I always know what I'm going to get with God for He never changes. He is eternal and ever present. He IS. Or in His words, "I AM." Nothing more need be said if looking for a description of God...rely on His description of Himself. And trust in that description.
Love God
Jon
For me, I need to recognize his attributes to remind me exactly who He is. It's often hard to get into an attitude of worship and for me, I go through the alphabet with characteristics of what the Bible says He is. A for my Almighty, B for my Banner, C my counselor…F – Friend, etc. It sounds churchy and wordy, but by time I get to Z the Lord is my focus rather than me focusing on myself and all that He isn’t. It builds my faith. I agree with the blog and especially the statement that we need to “not attribute human characteristics to divine ones.” I think when I do this is when I’m not understanding Who God is, putting him in a box, and allowing what I know and see to take over. When I focus on who He is then I am able to step back and rely on the Lord, having faith that I often do not have. I agree we cannot fully describe who He is, but for me I guess I need to look at both, who He is and what He is not, but always to remember, which I love this statement, “God is like Jesus.” Overall, there aren’t enough words to even describe the wonder and beauty of the name of Jesus.
Welcome to Teresa O, We need more input, thank-you for posting.
Who is God? What is God? What God isn’t!
Who and What does God say He is and isn’t?
In the King James Version of the Bible, Moses ask God what he should tell the people when they asked, who sent him (Moses). God replied. Tell them “I Am That I Am” sent you.
In the Jewish Chumash (Torah), God replied to the same question this way. Tell them,
“I Shall Be As I Shall Be” sent you.
In short what God is saying, “I Am what you need for today” and “I Shall Be what you need tomorrow”.
What God isn’t? God is not a lair.
What He says, He will do. We just need to bring our lives in line with His Will.
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