Who is Jesus? What was He like? Are you able to describe Him or articulate what He was passionate about? What about the Father, what is He like? What is He passionate about? We hear people who are passionate about social reform present Christ as the social justice warrior, overturning cultural norms among the socio-political landscape of His day. Others, who wish to be affirming of differing lifestyles may present God as love to the overshadowing of His holiness.
This is the exact argument that I heard from a “Methodist minister” in a video posted by a street evangelist. The evangelist was preaching the gospel on the street when a debate between two Christians ensued on the topic of homosexuality.
By the way, I hate this… just sit down and open the word and discuss the matter like Christians instead of challenging someone while they’re attempting to reach the lost. One would think that a leader in the body of Christ would rejoice at, and assist if able, any opportunity to win souls on the street.
Instead, the “minister” challenged the evangelist on a doctrinal issue. After, the evangelist made a perfectly solid biblical case for their views, the minister responded with “But you’re forgetting the most important thing. God is love” For the minister, this was the proverbial mic drop moment. The clear implication here being because God is love, He wouldn’t judge two people simply because they love each other; even if they are same sex attracted. The issues here are overwhelming, but the main focus for today is that her view of God was in error. This sin doesn’t bother her, so it must not bother Him. Since God is love, and He loves everyone than He wouldn’t judge them. That would be unloving.
This unfortunate issue is not this “minister’s” alone, but plenty of people create a god in their own image. Their view of God is a slightly more moral presentation of themself. Their god loves what they love, hates what they hate, is indifferent if they are indifferent on an issue. For some, their god loves every single person to the same degree and in the same way, and they would never judge anyone. For others, their god hates immigrants and line-danced through Jerusalem streets wearing cowboy boots and a red ball-cap with a political slogan inscribed across the front.
One’s beliefs about God will influence a great many other things about their beliefs, so this is not a minor issue. The doctrine of God is a major doctrine. Wayne Grudem, in his prolific work Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine states that a doctrine is “what the whole Bible teaches us today about some particular topic; and that a major doctrine “has a significant impact on our thinking about other doctrines, or has a significant impact on how we live the Christian life.” With this in mind, we must have a doctrine of God that is accurate to His self-revelation in the scriptures.
No Other Gods
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23, ESV)
The Lord is calling us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. What we believe about God should accurately represent Him. How can we say that we know Him, that we love Him, if what we love doesn’t accurately represent Him. It would be insane for me to say that I love my wife, but every time I spoke about my wife, I described someone else. When people asked me to see my wife, I showed a photo of a completely different woman. That would prove that either I don’t really love my wife, or that I’m extremely confused. I wouldn’t be married much longer either, I assure you.
Equally important is the first of the big ten. Even unbelievers will paraphrase the big ten when speaking about morality, and what we are talking about flirts much too close with breaking the first of the list. The Ten Commandments are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus and it reads
“shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Exodus 20:3–4, ESV)
We can worship the one true and living God so inaccurately that it is akin to worshipping a false god. When we decide that we don’t like how God has presented himself in the scriptures and attempt to cast Him in our image, or in a differing light, we are erecting an idol. We are distorting our view of God, and in exchange, putting something we’re more comfortable with in His place.
Takeaways
Ensure that your doctrine of God is biblically accurate
God has chosen to reveal Himself to His creation. This is an immensely gracious act on His part, and we need to treat it as such. How can we say that we love God if we don’t truly know Him. Our worship of God, and our leading others to right worship of Him should be rooted in truth, and our only source of revelation about Him comes from the scriptures. We only know as much about God as we know about His word.
Earlier, I quoted from a systematic theology. A reference work like this will do wonders for your biblical literacy on this and other such immensely important topics. Some in the body of Christ take an issue with the use of systematic theologies, but I don’t understand this. One must come to this resource as with all others, with the recognition that although this presents biblical information, it in itself is not inspired. Therefore, one can feel free to utilize the information to the same level as one’s favorite biblical commentary; one can simply “eat the meat and leave the bones”. I intend to handle this topic in a much more full view in the future, but for now, a solid thorough resource such as this will aid in your study of such a vast doctrine.
Also, If you are uncomfortable with an aspect of God’s character, the problem is with you and not with Him. Due to the fall, our hearts are twisted and only the spirit of God can incline our hearts aright. This then leads to the next point.
Spend more time in the word.
This naturally flows from the previous thought. If we only know about God what we know about His word, then in order to know God accurately, we must spend time in His word and in prayer. It is in these times that your intimacy with Him will grow; you will grow in both head and heart knowledge of God. This also leads to my final point of focus, and this is more pointed toward the apologetic interaction from the introduction.
Challenge incorrect views on God
When engaging with believers and unbelievers alike who make inaccurate assumptions or beliefs about God, please challenge them. We must be accurate in our presentations of the gospel, and that includes how we present God. The evangelist from the video had every right to correct the “minister’s” incorrect doctrine of God. This is a necessity to get to the heart of the gospel. I have heard others say, and I find it to be true that “what you win them with is what you win them to”. We must not feel the need to incorrectly represent God in an effort to persuade someone to accept Him. Our job is to trust the Holy Spirit to change hearts, and to offer an accurate account of what Christ has done.
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