What is God REALLY like?
Different answers and ideas - weird & wonderful. We should be getting our information from the Bible.
?????? The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Job - truly stated/recorded but not a statement of truth. It was satan doing the destroying and stealing.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Greek words Ortho/tomeo meaning: right to cut or to cut it straight.
What you believe and perceive about God will directly impact your life and the lives of those around you. How you relate to Him and others. You can get yourself into a real muddle using the bible if you are not interpreting the information correctly.
The Bible is a progressive revelation. The Old Testament contains a lot of types, shadows and symbolism. The Old Testament contains the new but the New testament explains the Old - The good, the bad and the ugly.
1 John 4:8 …………, for God is love.
Numbers 15:32-36 Penalty for Violating the Sabbath
Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.
35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.
Seems a bit harsh. What’s going on? You’ll never know what God is like until you understand His plan, His purpose and His ways – His true intent.
3 time periods of approx..2000 years: before the Law, the Mosaic Law and after the Law/ Church age.
These are three stages in a progressive revelation.
Different ways in which God had to deal with His creation to bring His plan to pass:
Pre Law - Conscience
The Law
The Age of Grace (Church Age)
A key to what God is really like is in understanding these different dispensations……… Jigsaw puzzle
1st. Pre- Law or age of conscience. Mercy
2nd The Law period. Wrath - Judgement
3rd Age of grace or Church age.
Adam committed high treason and sold out to the enemy of God, which plunged all mankind into sin and separated them from the life of God. Sin was like a festering sore that spread, e.g. bad apple in box of good apples contaminates all.
God had a plan to redeem us back to Himself and prophesied His purpose that He would send a Deliverer to redeem man back to Himself through the seed of woman.
Genesis 3:15. To Satan, God said, And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
This is a reference to the promise of a deliverer - the first Messianic prophecy. The expression “seed of woman” is a reference to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
When God says something, it will surely come to pass. Nothing can stop God’s ultimate plan and purpose.
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
At the fall of man, sin was unleashed in the earth and man was on a downward death spiral.
Cain killed Abel - first murder in Bible. God didn’t drop the hammer on Cain.
Cain was fearful when people found out what he’d done and he believed they’d kill him. Mercy - God sealed him with a mark of protection so nobody would kill him.
6 generations later.
Genesis 4:23-24
Then Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
Lamech - I’m not as bad as Cain. My actions were in self-defence.
Men began to compare themselves and their sins e.g. “I’m better than you. You tell filthy black lies, I’m nice. I only tell white lies”. Sin was rampant.
God had to do something - Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gomorrah.
To curb the rate of sin…………… God introduces the Law. Why the Law? Because there wouldn’t be any virgins left to give birth to Jesus the Saviour.
Question? The Purpose of the Law?
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 4:15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression……. Sin not imputed ….No Speed limit in Northern Territory when we lived there.
1 Peter 3:19-20 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
Man picking up sticks on the Sabbath was breaking the law. Wrath - Hammer drop.
Your perception of God will be twisted and skewed if you don’t understand the intent, plan and purpose of God.
The Law was not ‘the plan’, but a pathway to the fulfilment of God’s plan to bring forth the Redeemer Jesus. The purpose of the Law was to show mankind how sinful they were and their need for a Saviour.
True story - Ahaziah the son of Ahab and Jezebel was wicked like his parents. He fell through lattice from the upper story. He sent a servant to enquire from the god of Ekron whether he would live after his injury. They were intercepted by Elijah the prophet with the word of the Lord.
Why ??? Because Ahaziah did not inquire of the Lord. Elijah said to tell the King he will not recover but die.
2 Kings 1:9-15 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ”
10 So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 11 Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men.
And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ”12 So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. 14 Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.”
15 And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.
We must interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. A better covenant established on better promises - New Testament grace.
Luke 9:51-53 A Samaritan Village Rejects the Saviour
Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Elijah was a prophet of God with access to the power of God and if Jesus had been present there when he called down the fire, I believe Jesus would have rebuked Elijah as He did the disciples.
Example; Gulf war Saddam Hussein’s sons. Ezekiel 33:11 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
RBTCA e-Course ………….. Bible Interpretation rbtca.org.au/
There’s a difference between a pathway and the destination. The destination is the purpose itself.
The purpose is the main thing. You could focus on the journey instead of the destination or purpose. The real purpose of God was to bring Jesus into the earth to redeem mankind.
The Law was given to show what sin was, to curb the rate of sin. It brought about wrath. Also, it was a ministry of death and condemnation.
Question How long was the law given for? Temporary until the Seed should come.
Galatians 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Verse 16: Seed Who is Christ
Now that I’ve laid a foundation - What is God REALLY like?
Remember types and shadows and symbolism of the Old Testament.
Hebrews 1:1-3 God’s Supreme Revelation, His true self.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Jesus is the exact representation of Father God. - correct in every detail.
He is “God’s perfect will” in manifestation.
John 14:8-9 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
TPT for anyone who has looked at me has seen the Father.
Have you seen Jesus? Not with your physical eyes, but in the scriptures. What He said and what He did. Question? What have you been looking at?
Some say, “God is mysterious. You can never know God or what He’s going to do”. Really? You can’t hide behind that anymore.
God has been accused of many terrible things that are just not true. Are people speaking out of ignorance or parroting others? It’s terrible when Insurance Companies call disasters “Acts of God”.
God is Sovereign…. Dictionary definition: Sovereign — Highest in rank, Supreme, above all in character, importance, excellence.
Question? What do you mean? “God’s in control?” Really? Does he control how fast we drive? Does He make us pay a tithe? (3%-17% stats for tithing)
“God is making me sick or allowing sickness to teach me a lesson”. Really? Then why are you going to the Doctor to get rid of it?
“God is perfecting me, and teaching me through trials, tests and negative circumstances”. NO! NO! NO!
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Instruction Greek paideia chasten x 3, nurture x 1, instruction x 1, chastisement x 1.
God cleans us up with the Word.
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Notice Jesus doesn’t say you’re clean through, sickness, tests, trials, troubles.
What Jesus didn’t do: He didn’t make anyone sick. He didn’t cause a train wreck or car wreck. He didn’t give cancer as a love pat, a brain aneurism to teach a lesson or cause a divorce or kill your relative so people would get saved at the funeral.
Jesus helped all who came to him for help. He didn’t say, “It’s God’s will for you to be sick”. He doesn’t say, “You’re not worthy. You’re not sincere enough, You haven’t prayed & fasted enough, You’re ugly, You’re not a christian, It’s not God’s timing. Come back tomorrow, You don’t have enough faith, You’re too late. You’re too far gone. It’s God’s will for you to be sick. You don’t deserve to be healed. Have you been to the Doctor? You’ve got sin in your life. God is trying to teach you a lesson. Have you been tithing? I see unforgiveness and bitterness in your eyes”. The Lord is grieved with this kind of talk- living below what’s provided.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Luke 24:45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
What is God REALLY like? JESUS
First thing we need to do to know what God is really like is to receive Jesus, Who is an exact copy and perfect representation of God.
Prayer: Dear God, I want to know you in a more personal way. I now accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I believe that Jesus suffered the punishment for my sin and was raised from the dead so I could have newness of life, eternal life.
Thank You for saving me and showing me what You are really like, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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