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Will Rogers wryly noted,
“God created man in His image, and man returned the favor.”

How do you see God?
Has it ever occurred to you that you and I maintain "Criminal Concepts of God" that are not accurate?

Here are some examples of “Criminal Concepts of God”:

“Grandpa God” - will spoil you and let you do your own thing. After all, boys will be boys. “Grandpa God” winks at sin, would like to do something about the evil in the world, but he’s too tired and worn out to deal with it day in and day out. Besides, it’s all going to end soon anyway.

“Judge God” - God is watching from a distance, peering over the clouds and taking notes as to what good or bad you have done and are doing. If what you have done is “really bad” (whatever that means), then “Judge God” will have to punish you in some way or another.

“Waiter God” - God’s real mission is to wait on us and our needs. If we need more money, “Waiter God” is supposed to provide. If we need more material possessions to improve our quality of life, “Waiter God” will see to it. We just need to ask, however infrequently. We do not have a relationship with “Waiter God” any more than we have with the waiter or waitress that we visit from time to time.

“Quick Help God” - This criminal concept of God is one of the most frequently used. It’s when we are in an pit of some kind - emotional, financial, or otherwise. It’s when we think we are about to have an accident. It’s when we believe that a promotion will really help us. We throw up a sky letter real fast to “Quick Help God” and He is supposed to answer instantly and in our favor.

“Loving God” - This concept of God is close to reality, but just enough off the mark to be dangerously criminal. While Scripture does say that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), that needs to be balanced with the fact that He is also holy, righteous, angry at sin, compassionate, forgiving, correcting our lack of obedience, etc. Just as our personalities are multi-faceted because we are made in His image, God’s personhood is even more complex because He is three in one.

Our view of God must be biblical, whole, and embrace all of His characteristics simultaneously and in perfect harmony.

Some would think that it’s untrue, even unkind to say God is responsible for such things as a child with cancer. My question, then, would be what to do with other verses, like

Exodus 4:11:

"The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?"

You mean, God takes full and final responsibility for people’s handicaps?
For hurricanes and accidents and wars and crimes and - that you are stuck in traffic?
For even less significant disappointments that pale in comparison to these - like someone saying unkind things to us?

These are challenging issues to consider. I have read literally scores of books claiming to have an answer. My conclusion from all the reading is that no one really knows, and it is foolish to say so. God’s sovereignty and human choice are both taught in Scripture. We are responsible for our actions and decisions, even though God ultimately knew they were going to happen. Like two pillars that run parallel and reach into the clouds, both free will and God’s sovereignty are taught in God’s Word. Somehow they meet together in God’s mind, but we will not understand either fully this side of heaven.

The best I have read on the subject is from C.S. Lewis, who says that our first two words in heaven will be “Of course!” Only in eternity will we ultimately understand why some things happened in our lives, and how God’s ultimate sovereignty fit into that plan.

• How do you see God?

Rejoicing, On the Victory Side!

Beau

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