Have you ever heard people say, “I can’t imagine a God who would send people to hell.” or “I can’t imagine a God who would allow so much evil in the world.” or “I can’t imagine a God who would be so vengeful as the God of the Bible.” And many other “I can’t imagine a God who would …” statements. I have heard such statements. And I am sure they cannot imagine a God like that.
That is because a god of your own imagination, or a god who fits within your mental parameters, is simply that, an imaginary god. A god you can imagine and control is no god at all. I am reminded of the statement in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye hath hath seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” God is so much bigger and wiser and greater than man can imagine. If the things He has made (prepared) are beyond our imagination, God himself must be multiple times beyond our imagination.
If you look into the Bible you will find a proper picture of God. God is love. God is just. God is righteous. God is gracious. God is merciful. God is of purer eyes than to behold evil. God punishes sin but also provides a way of salvation. There is no injustice with God. God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable, longsuffering, peace, joy, gentle, good, kind, true, and holy. As a matter of fact the # 1 characteristic of God is His holiness. Which means He is separate from, above, over, apart from us, His creation.
The gods which we imagine, are just that, imaginary. They are not God. It is only logical that the Creator is greater than His creation. God is beyond our comprehension. The only way we can know anything about God is for Him to reveal it to us.
There is natural revelation as found in Creation. We know God is a Designer from the design we see in Creation. The world cannot be the result of a random chaotic explosion, Everything around us points to a Designer and Creator. Psalm 19:1-6, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” From the snowflake to the molecule, from heights of the mountains to the depths of the seas, from the giant blue whale that lives in the ocean but is a mammal to the smallest living thing, all of it shouts Creator.
There is also the revelation of the human Conscience. Every human has an innate understanding that God exists and even that we are to obey God, (Romans 2:14-15). Consider that even the self proclaimed atheist curses using God’s name. There is in every one of us an understanding that God exists and I ought to obey Him.
There is also the revelation of the Word of God. This has come to us in two forms: The written Word of God which we call the Bible, and the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, (John 1:1-12). Consider also that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
I want you to know God for Who He really is, not the god of someone’s imagination. God created this world for us to enjoy and recognize His awesome creative power. He placed within each of us a conscience that tells us there is a God and I need to obey Him. And He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to become our substitute, that we, God’s fallen creation, could have everlasting life, that is: spend eternity in Heaven with Him instead of eternity in hell without Him.
If you cannot imagine the God of the Bible, that is perfectly understandable. But He has revealed Himself to you in the Bible. All you need to do is believe God’s testimony about yourself (“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23), and His testimony about Himself (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (Creation, Conscience and Christ). Then trust Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin.
I find that man’s biggest hang up is his difficulty in admitting his own sinfulness and Christ’s righteousness. And believing God has already paid the penalty of sin and made a way for us to have fellowship with Him eternally.
Admit you are a sinner in need of a Savior – Romans 3:23
Believe that Christ is God’s Son and that His death on the cross paid the penalty for your sin account – Romans 6:23
Confess Christ as your Savior – Romans 10:9-10
My prayer is that you will accept God’s revelation about Himself and that you will trust Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin.
Don’t try to imagine God. Find Him in the pages of Creation, Conscience and Scripture and believe Him!
In Christian love,
Pastor Rob Green
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