The God We Can All Understand. I’m going with the “Church Lady” on this one: “Well, isn’t that special?” Please, let’s NOT have a God we can all understand. For could you understand Him in His fullness, He would be too small, or you, would be God. Neither of those works for me.
Let’s have the omnipotent God whose ways are beyond understanding. The God who said, “Let there be…” then there was…galaxies, planets and stars by the trillions. Let’s have the God who created the earth and everything in it, planned the beginning to the end, pressed play and is now enjoying the show. Oh, and He consulted no one. No summit. No board of directors, no Congress or international counsel. Nothing! Just one colossal, unilateral, Theocratic decision. Let’s have that God.
Now this does not mean that we do not know His nature or how He works, in a general sense. And again, this must be said, because the day you think you have Him figured out, well, you are in for a surprise, usually big. For although there is one “for sure thing” about God, which is that He will never violate His Word, He still retains the right to do what He wills with anybody, anytime any place. And here is where we need some basic knowledge about Him. Let’s get some wisdom on this.
In so many people’s minds God is ALL mercy. That is very problematic because, if that were the case, everyone makes heaven anyway, why sacrifice Christ? JESUS’ coming to earth would have been unnecessary. That would also mean that at this moment Adolf Hitler is in the presence of God himself. God is not ALL mercy. Then we have those on the other end who believe that God is ALL justice. Also quite problematic since then heaven’s population will consist of The Trinity and the angels. For since all men are sinners and heaven is home for the righteous, God’s absolute justice would ban any human being from its sapphire sills.
And let me assure you, it is God’s will that none perish. In fact, He does everything necessary for every human on earth to make a conscious and willful commitm
ent, either for Him or against Him. And may I assure you that any decision other than that of acceptance, is rejection. Unbelievers will not blame God for hell. But they will spend eternity in unimaginable agony owning the fact that they alone chose to reject Him, thus failing the greatest test in life!
When Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of All Saint’s Church in Wittenberg, Germany around 1517, a new day had come for those who would seek God. The religious stranglehold which the Catholic Church had placed on both sinner and saint would begin to collapse. Soon the world would understand the mystery of the ages; that man is saved from sin and justified by faith alone, “Sola Fide!” That was it. The word was out. Martin Luther had heard God, and there it was, in the Bible, right where it had always been. Ephesians chapter two, verses eight and nine. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Justification by faith alone is the article on which the church stands or falls. Ignorance and religion want to keep Christianity in the dark ages, but to no avail. We’ve moved on. It is time to join the party. It’s the real thing now!
Religion requires an understandable God and universe. A god you can wrap your intellect around and either logically or scientifically quantify. It’s amazing that people talk about all their concerns and problems with Christianity then tell you that they have no problem believing the virgin birth or the physical resurrection of Christ. Well, you really cannot have it both ways.
Here is a very accepted viewpoint by many who want their kind of JESUS. It goes like this: “JESUS was a great man and a holy teacher and God flowed through Him, but He was not God.” Really? Have we thought this through to it’s logical conclusion? If JESUS was not God how then could he have been a great man or a holy teacher, much more, have God flow through Him? For He said He was God and that His Father, who is in heaven sent Him to be the Savior of the world. If He is not who He said He was then He was a liar at least or a decieved crackpot at best; but certainly not a holy man of God and holy teacher. Religion is still the problem alienating people from God today. Biblical Christianity is what JESUS lived, and it is what the world hungers for to this day.
JESUS forgave, prayed for, ate with, healed and loved sinners. The multitudes flocked to Him. It was the Pharisees and the Sadducees whom he railed against; those religious hypocrites who heaped impossible laws upon helpless humanity. And that hasn’t stopped either. And sure enough, according to God’s plan, it was those same religious leaders who led the revolt to the court of Pontius Pilate. You know the rest.
Since that day, it is Christ’s shed blood that has now made the way for us. It is our turn to go and touch our world with the same love and power which He demonstrated.
Pastor Ralph D. Gerard
Carly Simon still sounds great belting out this classic hit. And she’s singing a Biblical truth. Nobody, does it better. Get on this ride with me. Who doesn’t enjoy watching a real top-notch Elvis impersonator? I know I do. But here’s a comment you’ve never heard leaving the impersonator’s show. “Hey, I saw Elvis when he was alive. But this guy was better!” Right? C’mon. There was only one Elvis, and Elvis was the best Elvis there was! But wait. There is only one you. And nobody does you, better than you. You are the Elvis of your world! Let’s make two quality decisions right now, shall we?
This day, this moment you and I are yielding our lives to something which drives our thinking, our feelings and our decisions. And as the song says, “It may be the devil, or it may be the LORD, but you gotta serve somebody…” Life changes the moment truth is confronted and allowed entrance into our hearts. Truth is knocking. Open the door. Don’t miss RG Radio today. You believe that something radical must take place in your life. If not now, when? Catch you on or in the air.
nuine Serengeti safari can offer. Perhaps; for I never visited Kenya. But I certainly remember my first trip to Lagos, Nigeria (West Africa) in the late eighties. I promise you that the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel proved to be a kind of cosmopolitan safari which included more thrills than a herd of stampeding elephants!