The Nature of God
If a person has never gone to a Church service, never read the Bible - how do they develop their personal beliefs and opinions about God? Everybody has an opinion on who God is, or isn't - how do they come to that conclusion? Many times people passively absorb ideas from TV or movies - and that information without much basis in scripture tends to shape their thinking.
What about each person's personal life experiences? How do they shape a person's view of God? Do people who've lived through a pandemic now have a different view of God and who He is?
I recently read an article where a woman was complaining that her 7 year old son's friend had been talking to him about God. She was upset because this boy was telling her son that Jesus loves him. She said, "I don't really want my son to learn these things. I don't want him to be religious, honestly. I want him to learn that you should be a good person and do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, not because God will punish you if you don't."
While I believe this mother has the right to teach her own son, I'm sad she's so mistaken about her own Creator. This sort of mistaken idea leads you to believe that God's main goal is to punish you for your sins, but that's not who God is! In reality, God is wanting you to come to Him so He can extend grace to you! God came in the flesh in order to save you from being separated from Him!
All these thoughts and beliefs about God fall into the category of 'theology'. And I know as soon as you start talking about 'theology' many people's eyes just glaze over. But there's an important reason why it's vital for us to talk about this. Simply put, 'theology' is...
I. The study of God
And because God is a living, active being - 'theology' has to include looking at His plans, His actions, His values, His character, His relationship with His creation including 'us'. In a nutshell - theology is seeking God; seeking to know more about Him.
Theology is a subject for more than just a University lecture hall. Every one of us are theologians in a sense. We all have these thoughts and ideas about things that are bigger than us. We all have some sort of beliefs about the things of God - right or wrong. What we believe about God matters. Our theology - matters. Let's look at a passage from Matthew 16:13-17 (NIV)...
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (14) They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (15) "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
(16) Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (17) Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."
Jesus cared about what Peter thought about Him; about who Peter believed He was. Jesus wasn't just happy that the disciples were following Him; He wanted to know why they were following Him. He wanted them to have more than a 'fuzzy warm feeling' about Him but a clear understanding of who He really was, and is.
And I don't want to give the mistaken impression that we get to Heaven based on our correct 'theology' - as if 'being right' on every theological issue determines our salvation. Chances are pretty good you won't show up at Heaven and be quizzed, "So, do you believe in a pre-millennial or a post-millennial dispensation?"
You don't get to Heaven based on correct theology, but it does matter, because our beliefs affect...
A. Our actions
What we believe about God, and His character, and His values - it shapes how we respond to Him and how we live our lives; how we treat others. The woman I referenced at the beginning had a 'poor theology' - an incorrect view of God - and therefore stopped her son from learning about God. Her mistaken beliefs led to her actions.
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this in James 3:11-13 (NIV)...
Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? (12) My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (13) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
What you believe, your wisdom about the things of God, will be reflected in your actions. If you mistakenly believe that God's just waiting to zap you for your sin - you're probably going to avoid God. Or - if you believe that God is solely a loving God, if He's just a nice grandfatherly guy like in many movies and He doesn't really care what you do - you won't give a second thought to His righteousness or His perfection or His unapproachable Holiness; which are all very real things. He is a loving God, but He's also so much more!
If you rely on a mistaken theology of God, a mistaken belief of who He is - your actions won't match up to what God really wants from you. And incorrect beliefs about God lead to us rejecting...
B. God's authority
If we don't seek to understand who God really is, we rely on our own assumptions - and those assumptions about God change as cultural understandings change - very much apart from scripture. And when we change our mental image of God to match what we personally believe without a basis in truth - we ignore God as the authority. Jesus said in Luke 6:46-49 (NIV)...
Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? (47) I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. (48) He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
(49) But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.
I kind of expect those outside of the Church to have faulty ideas about God. If they haven't been taught, how could they have a solid foundation? What really concerns me is when Christians, those who claim Jesus as their Lord, those who do know what the Bible says - when they simply ignore or reject God's Word because it doesn't fit their personal beliefs or values.
None of us are perfect - we are all sinners, every one of us, myself included. But there's a big difference between sinning and then repenting and asking for forgiveness and then trying like mad to avoid that sin in the future - a big difference between that and openly, proudly living in direct opposition to what God has clearly revealed in His Word.
If your theology is based more on what feels 'open minded', easier, more comfortable, or even fair - you are rejecting who God really is; you're rejecting His authority. Bottom line - if we want to actually line up our lives, our morals, our values with God - we need to know God, not somebody's idea of who God is but really know God.
But there are those who would ask, "God, if He even exists, He's all the way up in Heaven. Is it even possible to...
II. Know God?
Fortunately for us, God isn't hiding. He wants to be known. Even for those who haven't been to a Church - they can know something about God and His character from His creation. We've read this before from Romans 1:20 (NIV)...
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
We can know a lot about God from what He has made - but we don't learn everything about Him that way. You've maybe heard someone who chooses not to be a part of the Church say something like, "I can be closer to God alone in nature than I can with a bunch of other people in a building".
While we can have very spiritual moments out in nature - that isn't God's design. If God wanted us to get to know Him solely in nature He wouldn't have established His Church - and the Church is people! And here's an honest observation - nature is easy, the Church is hard! Frankly, some of us may even sometimes be hard to like. We're called to treat each other in love - but working things out in community is hard. I guarantee, that for some, being in nature is a breeze compared to spending time with me!
But God established the Church, His Church, so that we could learn more about God with each other. We learn about God through His creation, but we also learn about God in the Church - and we can know God through His Word. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)...
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (17) so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
That's why I've talked repeatedly about biblegateway.com. It's a site where you can print out a daily Bible reading plan, or have them email you your readings every day (my preference), or you can even listen to the daily reading on your phone or computer. I've heard many say, "But I'm not really a reader". In a sense, neither am I. I can't tell you the last book I read cover to cover - I'm not a real reader - but I read the Bible!
It is your responsibility to read God's Word, to read what He has revealed about Himself to us. Learn to read it, get it on CD or have someone else read it to you! But if you are not personally learning God's Word for yourself - you're building your foundation on sand - and your morals, your values and your life will reflect that.
Your theology, what you believe about God, must be based on God's Word - otherwise you'll just stick your finger in the air, see what's a popular belief today and then act accordingly. - But I promise you that God won't bless a life like that.
And I know I may be 'being a bit confrontational' this morning, but I am speaking to those who've made a choice to hear God's Word preached. But it's probably not a bad time to remind us that theology is...
A. Not arguing
No one has ever been argued into the Kingdom of Heaven by a theological dispute. We are called to preach, to teach, to persuade, to lovingly win others for Jesus - but we aren't called to beat people up over theological differences. (2 Timothy 2:23-26 NIV)
Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. (24) And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (25) Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, (26) and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
It's not my intent to 'brow beat' anyone - but to speak God's truth clearly. At times, everyone one of us finds ourselves, many times because of a false understanding about God, we find ourselves living in opposition to God. But it's how we deal with that situation that matters. When Jesus confronted the woman 'caught in the very act of adultery' - He didn't condemn her, but He did expect her to change - to go and 'sin no more'.
We can know God by spending time in His Church, by reading His Word, by spending time with Him in prayer. But admittedly there is also...
B. The mystery of God
I don't fully understand everything about God. There may even be things revealed about Him in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, with which I'm not... completely comfortable. But if there are things about God or about His Word where I don't exactly find myself matching up - I can't just pick and choose what I accept about God and ignore the rest. That's making a false image of God. In order to know God and bring myself into submission to His Will, I need to draw closer to Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:2-3 (NIV)...
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In order to have a fuller understanding of God, a more correct theology - and then change myself to match the Will of our Holy, loving, righteous God - I need to submit myself completely to Jesus.
So What?
Everyone needs to know God, not to just know about God - but personally to know God! Otherwise, your life will be based on a faulty foundation because of a misunderstanding of who God is.
There was man who'd had too much to drink walking down the street. He started talking to a stranger because he mistook him for a buddy of his. As he kept staggering down the street, he saw a nun. He ran up to her and immediately knocked her down. She was extremely confused by the man especially when he shouted, "Not so tough now, are you, Batman!?"
A mistaken identity can lead to trouble. A mistaken idea of who God is, poor theology can lead to tragedy. (Matthew 7:21 NIV)...
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
How can you do God's will if you don't really know God? Please, read God's Word - get to know His truth, His character, His values and then do something about it! Change your life to reflect the love and the truth of Jesus Christ. And then share that truth with someone else!