How we view God is
the single most important aspect of our walk of faith, for no religion will
ever be greater than its idea of God. In this respect wrong perspectives about
God can limit or twist our expectations creating havoc with our faith. And, it
is not enough to “follow God” for if we don’t view Him correctly we will have
created an idol in our own mind to follow.
We cannot dissect
God's nature, embracing some attributes while ignoring others, for it is the
total of the sum that defines Him as our God. He is Loving, Holy, Gracious,
Just, Good, Merciful, Longsuffering, Truthful, Faithful, Immutable, Wise,
Self-existent, Self-sufficient, Eternal, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent,
Sovereign. And, God is infinite in all of His perfections, holy in all His
ways: Knowing no boundaries He is without measure. This attribute by definition
impacts all of the others. Since God is infinite, everything else about Him
must also be infinite, and thus He is holy in all His ways.
Our view of God must
capture all He is and not just favorite attributes like love or grace. For
example, God is loving and just and abounding in grace: “For whom the Lord
loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure
chastening, God deals with you as with sons … But if you are without chastening
… then you are illegitimate and not sons.” God chastens us “for our profit,
that we may be partakers of His holiness.” His discipline – chastening and
scourging and rebuking -- is grace to us, dispensed in love, a tool of
discipleship encouraging us to walk justly before Him along the pathway of
transformation. “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but
painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb. 12:5-11) We must study to understand all of God’s
attributes and how they interrelate and apply to our life, to view God through
the eyes of the Spirit... to mature our view of God. Then we can begin to
praise Him in prayer... for who He is! Our God is an awesome God!
HOLY
IN ALL HIS WAYS...
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