"A true understanding of God is as important to our worship of God, our work for God and our witness to God as a foundation is to a building. If the foundation is not right, then the building will be lop-sided, or worse - topple over. Thus we must ask ourselves: What kind of building will the Church of the next generation inherit from us? A strong one or a steady one?"
"...I believe it to be one of the most crucial aspects of Christian living - seeing God as He is, not as we would like Him to be. Unless we have an understanding of God as He is, not as we wish Him to be, then our lives will lack spiritual force and power. This is because our lives will never rise higher spiritually than our vision of God."
"The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is, and substitutes for the true God one made after its own imagining. But a god Who is created out of darkness of our hearts is not the true God. The greatest affront we can give to the Almighty is to view Him other than He really is."
- All of the above quotes are from Selwyn Hughes
What kind of concept of God do you have? Is your concept of Him based on the Word of God...on what you read in someone's book...or made after the imaginings of your own heart? Do you see God as He is, or as you would like Him to be?
Do you realize that your life will never rise higher - spiritually speaking - than your vision of God?
What kind of vision of God is the Church of today passing on to the Church of tomorrow?
As we look upon the world today, we see a people as described by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 - "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."
Here Paul paints a picture of the widespread collapse of the moral structure of the family and society. And it all stems from the deification of Self - worshipping the god of self...worshipping at the altar of pride and ego...while including self-aggrandizement, self-indulgence, and self-fulfillment. It is a picture of a people who are determined to make themselves the god of their own lives.
It is a people who have "eaten the fruit of lies" (Hosea 10:13) from the "serpent" who is telling them - "...ye shall be as gods..." (Genesis 3:5)
Consequently, we have a people (inside and outside of the Church) "having a form of godliness" - who are searching for a "god" - "another Jesus" - who will give them the gift of salvation (so that they can escape Hell fire and enjoy eternal life in Heaven) and, at the same time, "allow" them to be a "pseudo god" of their own lives - whereby they "call the shots" (so to speak)...determine what is right and wrong (what is allowed and not allowed)...and choose for themselves between good and evil.
And sad to say - this is the kind of concept of God that some in the present-day "Church" are passing onto the next generation!
Some (inside and outside of the Church) depict God as One Who "winks at sin" - or is "light" on sin. This "god" of their own imagination knows full well that they have a great desire to be flattered... have an insatiable desire to be entertained...and cannot handle "strong" preaching, prophesy, or rebuke.
This "god" knows that their constant cry is - "Let the day of judgment alone." Their sentiments are as J. Parker D.D. stated - "...if we have to go to Hell, let us go down a bank covered with velvet moss. The people make the pulpit."
This "god" - represented as a Being full of universal tenderness and kindness (never displaying severity of any sort) knows that these people want to hear "smooth things." (Isaiah 30:10) They hate the "naked" truth or any doctrine which disturbs their self-complacency.
And, sad to say - this is the "god" which many in the "Church" circles (even in the Pentecostal circles) worship every Sunday and throughout the week!
He is a "god" Who says to those who "despise" Him (cast His Word behind their backs or slight His authority) and to those who "walk after the imagination of their own heart" (are resolved to go on in their evil ways...whose course of life is after the lust of their own heart...and walk after the flesh and not according to the word of God) - "Ye shall have peace" and "No evil shall come upon you." (Jeremiah 23:17)
This "god" promises these people that they will live well...live happily...enjoy all good things in peace and prosperity and even offers them the hope of impunity (exemption from punishment) while they are living in sin.
Once again, we ask you - what kind of concept of God do you have? On what is your concept of Him based - on the Word of God...the words of another man...or on your own imaginings?
Do you see God as He is, or as you would like Him to be?
Could a "false vision" of God be the reason why the present-day Church - generally speaking - lacks spiritual force and power in this generation?
Remember - the Church cannot rise higher - spiritually speaking - than her vision of God!
What then would constitute a "true vision" at this time?
Moses alluded to it in Exodus 15:11 when he and the children of Israel sang this song of praise unto the Lord on the shores of the Red Sea after Pharaoh and his army were drowned by God's mighty right hand - "Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
Here we see that a true vision of God includes the fact that He is "glorious in holiness."
He is eminently, absolutely, essentially, and perfectly "holy" in His person. It is His "holiness" that is the glorious perfection of His nature - both divine and human. He is so holy that He cannot will or encourage sin in any. He is so "holy" that He cannot approve of any evil done by another. He perfectly hates all things contrary to the rule of righteousness. He is so "holy" that He cannot but love "holiness" in others. And He is to be "worshiped...in the beauty of holiness" (1 Chronicles 16:29).
A true vision of God also includes the fact that He is "fearful in praises."
That means that He is to be loved and feared at the same time. He is to be viewed with awe when you praise Him. This gloriously holy God is so worthy of your praise. Hence, He deserves to be approached with reverence and obeyed with promptness.
You must never forget that He is "terrible in His doing toward the children of men" (Psalm 66:5) ...He "is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him" (Psalm 89:7)...He is "King of nations" (Jeremiah 10:7)...He "has power to cast into hell" (Luke 12:5) ...He is "a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29)...He "only is holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Him" (Revelation 15:4)...and "For true and righteous are His judgments" (Revelation 19:2).
And, lastly, a true vision of God includes the fact that He "does wonders" - that He still performs miracles.
He is the God "Who only doeth wondrous things" (Psalm 72:18; 86:10)..."the God That doest wonders" (Psalm 77:14)...and Who "alone...doeth great wonders" (Psalm 136:4). In other words, He is the God of miracles. He is the God of signs and "wonders." Every part of His work is "wonderful." Wherever there is a miracle, He is there. Being great, He cannot help but work "wonders." He does marvelous things - things which are not common and ordinary - things which spring from His almighty power. He is ever doing them and will continue to do them. He alone is the unrivaled Wonder-Worker.
Matthew Henry said - "Let us always entertain great thoughts of this great God, and be filled with holy admiration of this God Who doeth wonders; and let Him alone have our hearts Who is God alone."
Are you seeing God as He is - "glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders"?
If you want your life to be infused with spiritual life and power, then you need to see God as being eminently, absolutely, essentially, and perfectly "holy" in His person - causing Him to hate sin and love righteousness. Knowing this, you will not hesitate to approach Him - at all times - with a holy fear (with reverence and awe) in your prayers or praise. And, lastly, having this vision of God, you will find that you cannot help but believe for or expect Him to do "wonders" on your behalf or in your midst.
This is the true vision of God the Church of today should be passing on to the Church of tomorrow!
One last thing to always keep in mind - it is when you recognize and honor God's holiness that He then shows you His power!
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved