“Do You Really Know God the Father?”

What we know about God is what He has revealed to us through His Word.

Let’s talk for a few minutes about the importance of getting to know God, the Father, for who He is.  This writer in no way purports to know everything that there is to know about the true and living God, but hopefully, this post and the Scriptures that are presented will help us to know Him a little better. First, we have to realize that what we do know about God is what He has chosen to reveal to us about Himself.  What we know is what He wants us to know and we have to accept what He tells us about Himself through His Word.

There are some people who decide what they want their God to be like and that is who they want to serve.  For example, some may see Him as a benevolent grandfather who does nothing but hand out whatever they want, when they want it, and how they want it.  But what that person has done is to create an idol god of their own making.  The god that they create in their minds is certainly not the true and living God.

Why do we even need to know God?

Some people may ask the question, “Why do we even need to know God?” Good question. We need to know Him for a number of reasons, but the main one is, because He controls our ultimate destiny. The unsaved are going to meet Him one day in judgment concerning everything that they have ever done while on planet earth.  A judgment day is really coming.  Heb. 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”  Since that day is coming, doesn’t it just make sense to know as much about God as possible before you die?  You might need to change some things before it is too late.

We can either spend eternity in Heaven with God or in Hell separated from God.

Life, as we know it now, is simply a preparation place for eternity.  The few seventy or so years we have been given are just a “dressing up” or a “getting-ready room” for what is to come.  What you do with your seventy years will determine where you will spend eternity.  You can either spend eternity in Heaven with God or in eternal damnation, separated from God.

What if I don’t believe in God?

Another question some may raise is, “What if I don’t believe in God?”  The answer to your question is, “So what?”  You are a free moral agent and God will allow you as an independent agent to reject Him if you choose.  But that will not change your ultimate destination.  You’re still going to stand in the line at Judgment Day and be responsible for whatever you’ve done in the body.  Romans 3:3 says “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?”

Think about the high-schoolers who didn’t believe that a high school diploma was important, so they flunked out.  Today, as adults, some of them may have wished a thousand times over that they had applied themselves and received that diploma.

Next, let’s look at some facts about God and some of His Characteristics:

Facts about God and some of His characteristics:

God is the first member of the Holy Trinity

The Trinity is composed of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.  God the Father is the creator of all things.  He is sovereign and has the final say on any and everything.

Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, is the second member of the Godhead.  He is the one who gave His life for our salvation.  Because of His submission to the will of His father, He is now King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead.  His main role is to draw us to Christ.  Then, once we have received Christ, He comforts, teaches, guides and encourages us throughout our lives.  It is because of Him that we are properly prepared and fit to live in Heaven after we die.

Back to God the Father.

He was here before our beginning.  He is the creator of all things.

The Bible, in the first four words, tells us much about our God.  Those words are:  “In the beginning God”.  Then the Bible goes on to tell us what He did…” created the heaven and the earth.”   It is important to realize that if the Bible had not spoken about our beginnings we wouldn’t even know who we are or the fact that we are created human beings.  Thank God for His Word.

God is love.

1 John 4:8 says He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God’s love is not that wimpy kind of love that might allow you to get away with sin without repentance and still get into heaven.  His love is the kind that your Mother or  Father showed when they disciplined you for your wrongdoing.  God loved us so much that in John 3: 16 we are told: “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”. 

God is sovereign; whatever He says goes.

What does the word sovereign mean?  It means chief, ultimate, supreme, greatest, highest and principal. He is the ultimate authority on everything.

Heb. 6:13 says For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself.  There is none greater.

God is to be feared.

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.  Deut. 6:13

This is not to say that we are to be so afraid of God that we cannot approach Him.  He loves us so much, but we must honor him.  We can’t come to Him with a bunch of foolishness about what we think or how we want things to go.  He’s not our “homey” or our “bro”, Bro.  His name should not have any of those “expletives” that some people so freely attach to it.  He’s going to hold anyone accountable that does that.  Matt. 12: 36 says, But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  

By fearing God in the right way we seek His Holy Will for everything that we do.  And when He makes His will clear, then that becomes our will.  Our will should always be to please HIm.  I want to make Him happy with me, don’t you?  After all, we were created to worship, honor and glorify Him.

BTW, what pleases Him most is when we receive His gift for our salvation, His precious son, Jesus Christ.  Have you received Jesus yet?  Remember, He’s God’s gift and our only hope of salvation.

He is to be obeyed.

1 Samuel 15: 22 says…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

We are told in Hebrews 5:8 that even Jesus, God’s Son learned obedience to the Father.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

If this be so, how much more must we obey Him?

He is a jealous God

Deut 6:15 says For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.  He will not allow His people to put anything before Him.  You know how a jealous man or woman can act.  We don’t want to even think about making God jealous.  We only want to please Him.

When He says a thing, we must line up with His rules, not the other way around.

Let’s focus on an incident in the Bible that illustrates the importance of doing things God’s way.  Let’s review 1 Chronicles 13-15 in the Old Testament when King David decided to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

Background:  About a year after the Israelites were delivered from the land of Egypt on their journey to the Promised Land, God gave Moses specific directions about how a gold-plated chest should be built to house the most sacred Tablets on which were written God’s commandments.  It was the holiest item that the children of Israel had and it was highly consecrated and anointed by God.  It represented God’s Presence among His people.  That Holy chest is known as the Ark of the Covenant.

During the time of Samuel the prophet’s apprenticeship, the ark was stored in Shiloh which was cared for by Hophni and Phineas, two evil sons of Eli.  (Read about them in 1 Samuel 2:12-4:21.) During one of the wars, they took the Ark of the Covenant into the battle, both got killed, (God-ordained due to their ugly sins in His Temple) and the Ark of the Covenant was stolen by the Philistines.

David’s desire to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem

When David became King he wanted to return the Ark of the Covenant to its rightful place.  David gathered some of his people, built a nice little cart and he chose two drivers of the cart with Uzza being one of them.  The people were very happy that the Ark was coming home but they failed to honor the Ark in the way that they should have. Apparently, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and, to steady the Ark, Uzzah put his hand on it.  Uzza died right on the spot!  God killed him!  Uzzah was not a Levite and he was not authorized to touch it.  That tragedy let David and his men know that there was something wrong with the way that they were doing things.

1 Chron. 13:10 lets us know that David was confused and he was displeased about Uzzah’s death.  But David feared God.  So, what did David do?  Did he curse God and die?  Did he hold a secret grudge against God?  No, apparently David made the Ark of the Covenant secure in the home of Obed-edom (a member of the Levites) where it stayed for three months.  Obed-edom’s house was greatly blessed because of the presence of the Ark.

David finally understood the importance of doing things God’s way.

Finally, David got the message that he had to do things God’s way.  In the 15^thchapter of 1 Chronicles, we learn that David prepared a special tent for the Ark, just like Moses did.  He selected the chief fathers of the Levites who were in the same position of the Levites back in Moses’ day.  He had them sanctify themselves and appointed them to carry the Ark of the Covenant just as in Moses’ day.  David had the people honor the Ark and respect the Ark and they were able to bring it home with much pomp and splendor.  They pleased God by following His rules.

So, what is the lesson that we learn from this story?  You’ve heard the expression, “It’s my way or the highway?”  Well, it’s God’s way or the Highway.  David was successful only after He found out what God required, then completed his plans according to God’s rules.

Practical application of the lesson to our lives.

Just as David had to re-evaluate His plans and do things the way God wanted them done, so should we periodically re-assess our lives to assure that we are aligned with the Will of God.  Then, if our ways are not pleasing Him or if our plans are not working, then we should just give everything over to God. He knows how to make all things work together for our good.  That’s what the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) had to do. That’s what Jonah (Book of Jonah) had to do.  Cain’s way didn’t work for him either.  His way caused him to kill his own brother simply because he was mad at God. (Genesis 4:1-18).  (Click on Backslider You Can Come Home Again or Jonah and our God of Mercy to see earlier related posts in this blog.)

Soul searching and self-examination.

Circumstances may happen in our lives that force us or shock us into deep soul-searching and self-examination.  Examples of such circumstances might include serious downturns such as the death of a loved one, severe illness or devastating financial problems.  We have to examine our lives to see if there is a correctable problem.  Sometimes the problems are not related to anything that we have done wrong, but they just happened.  They may just be a part of life.  In those instances, we should never get angry at God.  Why get angry at your only source of help?   Instead, we should lean on Him and trust that He will bring us through.

Jesus is there for us in times such as these and He will never let us fall.  Cry out to Jesus and cast all your cares on Him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7-9).  Thank God for the love, care, support and intercession of Jesus, our Advocate.

If it turns out that the cause of the negative circumstances is due to our being out of the Will of God, be grateful for His Grace, fall upon His Mercy and get things right.  We should never try to resist God’s ways because that won’t work. Resisting God is like rowing a boat with only one oar.  You’ll only find yourself spinning in a tight little circle and getting nowhere fast.

We don’t disobey God, we line up with His Will and His Way.  We humble ourselves and repent, realizing that if there is a fixable problem it must be found within us and not with God.

We must seek God with our whole hearts.

I strongly admonish everyone today to seek to know God in a deeper way.  He loves us but He won’t change for anyone.  Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  And if we really want to know God better, the answer is found in Jeremiah 29:13.  He said:  “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”  Finally, study (not just read, study) the Word of God.  Remember, He reveals Himself through His Word.  May God bless you all.