Since Adam sinned in The Garden, man has had a distorted understanding of who our Father is, thinking Him to be a harsh Judge instead of a loving Father. But sin didn't change God. It changed man. Jesus came to set the record straight and help us get our minds right about the Father. He didn't come to change what God the Father thinks about us, but came to change what we think about Him.Hebrews 1:3 says, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory. The word "radiance" is the Greek word apaugasma and literally means "out-raying" as in the way the rays of the sun shine out from its surface. The word "glory" is the Greek word doxa and means "opinion." (For example, when we sing "The Doxology," we are singing a word (Logos) about our opinion (doxa) of God.)
So the Bible tells us that Jesus is the out-raying of God's opinion. Opinion about what or whom? About us and what He thinks of us! Jesus came to be the exact expression of the Father's opinion of you. Everything we claim to know about God our Father needs to be Christological - centered in Christ Jesus and what He has revealed to us about the Father.
Don't let anything other than Jesus Himself be your source for understanding who the Father is. "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Jesus came to show us the Father and what He has shown us perfectly and clearly is that our Father is Love. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Every other doctrine or viewpoint we may develop must be grounded in that reality. Whether it's His justice or His mercy, His wrath or His patience, His strong sovereignty or His still small voice . . . you name it. It all must be understood in the light of the fact that He is Love or we will inadvertently stray away from a biblical theology into the smog of a human wisdom polluted by religion.
Thanks Steve a very thoughtful post!
ReplyDeleteI agree that our foundational theology needs to resonate from Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who is LOVE.
Religion invokes you to believe, belong, behave while God’s love has embraced us all with belong, believe, behave.
It is the God/Man Jesus who has given us belonging, faith, and behavior. Do we want to trust in this relationship? jg
Great post. I believe that every since Adam chose to go his own way in the garden, God has longed for the day when He would reconcile all things to Himself and walk with His children again in the cool of the evening.
ReplyDeleteI have always also longed to see everything about God in relation to His love. He initiates and we respond amen. Our Father loves us so much He took on bodily form to show provision and righteousness. Everything Jesus said or did can be shown to prove in one way or another God's love edifies. I'm blessed to have the priveledge to share that love with others and to walk with Father God in the cool of the evening with a perfect heart. Thanks for bravely showing human wisdom and religion of none effect by your great explanation of "God is love." Excellent blog Steve.
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