Our Changing View Of God

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 hhand of the Majesty of high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a  more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 1: 3-4 NKJV

There was a movie not too long ago of a kid who claimed to have seen God.  Now, one can draw their own conclusions as to the validity of this claim, but  it  is a interesting story nonetheless.   It also begs the question one may take away from this, what does our Lord look like?  Well, we are told in the book of Genesis that we were created in Gods image.  So, can we assume that our Lord resembles our own appearance?  I wouldn't go that far.  For Genesis also describes the Lord in the story of creation as, "The spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters."  That being said, I believe that we do resemble our Lord, in spirit form.  It is little wonder, then, that our Lord has never been seen by His creation.  Yes, He's been heard, but nnot seen.  Now, I'm not so much concerned about Gods physical appearance as I am about how we see Him.  Do we see our Lord as a all controlling diciplinarian, or as a loving creator?  For  hoow we view God goes a long way towards defining our relationship with Him.  For a long time, my view of God was one of a stern Lord of the universe who was ready to dole out punishment on sinners.  This fire and brimstone view of God has damaged alot of christians over the years.  For instead of seeing a God of love, many a christian saw a vengeful creator who was quick to concemn His children for whatever sins they had commited.  This message has many occurances in the Old Testament.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that he world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17 NKJV

For those who would hold on to a view of  God as a God waiting in background just waiting for us to screw up so that He could dish out condemnation and punishment, I submit to you one of the most quoted scriptures in our history.  I think there are not too many people who have not heard the famous message of our Lords love found in John 3:16.  I challange anyone who reads this scripture to show me a vengeful God!   Would a vengeful God show the overwhelming Love needed to wipe away the sins of all that He had created?  No, for if our Lords desire was to hold us accountable for our own sins, He would have done so.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4: 7-11 NKJV

Despite the old testament message that God is a jealous God who is quick to punish those who sin, the fact remains that it is the LOVE of God that ultimately washed away each and every of our sins past, present and future.  For as the old testament law required blood sacrafice for the sins of the people, that has now been accomplished through the shed blood of Jesus.  Now, tell me, if Christ went to that cross for the forgivness of our sins, just what sins do we continue to ask our Lords forgiveness for?  Was there something Jesus missed?  No, EVERY one of our  sins has now been washed away in the blood of Jesus,  sent for our salvation through the love of our Lord.  The next time we have the urge to hold on to that outdated message that God is a vengeful God, we do well to remember that God so loved the world!

~Scott~