I've been re-reading Rob Bell's 'Velvet Elvis' lately and there is a point in it where he says:
If there is a divine being who made everything, including us, what would our experiences
with this being look like? The moment God is figured out with nice neat lines and definitions,
we are no longer dealing with God. We are dealing with somebody we made up.
And if we made him up, then we are in control. And so in passage after passage,
we find God reminding people that he is beyond and bigger and more.
Between Bible College and church services (which take up a fair portion of my time) I have quite a few people telling me about God; His character, His will and what He wants, and of course this is beneficial. But I wonder at what point do we become complacent by assuming we know all about God?
A while ago, I was part of a discussion with a few people about a very touchy subject, that of whether babies who die automatically go to heaven. As you would expect it was quite emotionally charged, and at one point a girl adamantly insisted: "Well the God I know would not send a baby to Hell." I like to think that through our prayer lives, through our worship, and through our study of the scriptures that we gain an understanding of God. The fact that He is a relational God implies that He wants us to know Him intimately and vica versa. But can we really base a conclusion which (as far as I'm aware) has no scriptural basis entirely on who we think God is? To me that seems dangerously close to moulding God that He might fit our needs and beliefs.
Try thinking about this...
God is a perfect being. He cannot be near sin, or even look upon it Habakkuk 1:13a. We, on the other hand, are gold medallists in screwing up. We defy the commands of God every day in a thousand different ways, and it is only by the power of Christ's sacrifice that we have any hope of being in unity with Him.
Now, given those two statements, ask this: When was the last time you felt challenged in church? It stands to reason that when we come before God, we are doing so having fallen far short of what He requires. We should be coming to Him, hat-in-hand, needing forgiveness and the strength to change our lives, the passion to become more like the example Christ sets in the gospels. And yet (and I don't think I'm the only one) I go to church ever week, sing the nice songs (all of which seem to revolve around forgiveness, unconditional love and the happy God...not the angst, desperation or the suffering that populates so many of the Psalms) and leave with the warm, fuzzy feeling of having been in God's presence. Surely if I was truly coming into the presence of God, I would be ashamed! I would struggle to stand His holiness in light of my own misgivings. I would leave church with the thirst to do better, not leave every week with 'it's all going to be okay' tattooed on my heart.
If I am honest, I am guilty of dumbing God down and ensuring that He fits comfortably around my own failings, rather than washing over them. I have made up a version of God who drives me, but not too hard. Who loves me, but not so much that He changes me. And this keeps me happy. But the thing I want to remind myself of is the belief that there is far more joy to be had when in total communion with God than when blissfully ignorant of His call.
A while ago, I was part of a discussion with a few people about a very touchy subject, that of whether babies who die automatically go to heaven. As you would expect it was quite emotionally charged, and at one point a girl adamantly insisted: "Well the God I know would not send a baby to Hell." I like to think that through our prayer lives, through our worship, and through our study of the scriptures that we gain an understanding of God. The fact that He is a relational God implies that He wants us to know Him intimately and vica versa. But can we really base a conclusion which (as far as I'm aware) has no scriptural basis entirely on who we think God is? To me that seems dangerously close to moulding God that He might fit our needs and beliefs.
Try thinking about this...
God is a perfect being. He cannot be near sin, or even look upon it Habakkuk 1:13a. We, on the other hand, are gold medallists in screwing up. We defy the commands of God every day in a thousand different ways, and it is only by the power of Christ's sacrifice that we have any hope of being in unity with Him.
Now, given those two statements, ask this: When was the last time you felt challenged in church? It stands to reason that when we come before God, we are doing so having fallen far short of what He requires. We should be coming to Him, hat-in-hand, needing forgiveness and the strength to change our lives, the passion to become more like the example Christ sets in the gospels. And yet (and I don't think I'm the only one) I go to church ever week, sing the nice songs (all of which seem to revolve around forgiveness, unconditional love and the happy God...not the angst, desperation or the suffering that populates so many of the Psalms) and leave with the warm, fuzzy feeling of having been in God's presence. Surely if I was truly coming into the presence of God, I would be ashamed! I would struggle to stand His holiness in light of my own misgivings. I would leave church with the thirst to do better, not leave every week with 'it's all going to be okay' tattooed on my heart.
If I am honest, I am guilty of dumbing God down and ensuring that He fits comfortably around my own failings, rather than washing over them. I have made up a version of God who drives me, but not too hard. Who loves me, but not so much that He changes me. And this keeps me happy. But the thing I want to remind myself of is the belief that there is far more joy to be had when in total communion with God than when blissfully ignorant of His call.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matt 7:13
Many of us find the happiness that comes with complacence and comfort, but I want to be one of the few striving for the greater joy of a life lived with God. The God who is beyond and bigger and more.
Lots to think about.. Personally I feel challenged almost every time I'm in church! I love that Scripture is alive with truth that hits our hearts, and that our spirits commune with God as we worship Him. Incredible. Though I do feel those 'nice' songs are every bit as valid as the laments in the Psalms. Life consists of both joy and struggle (both are littered throughout the Psalms), and I dare say people often need to feel like it's all going to be ok - not because they have excited their emotions or because they're looking for a quick-fix solution to all their problems, but because they have encountered the God who sustains them through the hard times - the God who inspires change. Joyous praise is every bit as important as realising our failures. God is worthy on every level of our praise for his forgiveness and His unconditional love - if we didn't recognise that it would be a poor thing. I feel we're all too good at 'measuring God's presence' depending on whether we feel good, bad - whatever - but our emotions don't affect the fact that we serve an unchanging God worthy of our praise. I don't feel that every time we come to God we should feel shame and come away with an attitude of striving to do better - that completely negates the grace of God and puts us dangerously close to 'earning' our faith. There is such a beauty in the grace of God.... Of course I do believe we should be reverently aware of the holiness of God, and challenged to change :) - often. I so agree on the note that we try to define God all too often... what a shame! :) Thought-provoking, thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought about trying to put God in a box so we can understand Him. I would say that we are made in His image, and with the knowledge of good & evil, as well as His Spirit (for those of us who are saved) to guide us, we can grow to know His character through His Word. It's when we try to tell God what he should do, or feel the need to explain situations to God in prayer that I feel we shrink Him to what we can handle.
ReplyDeletePS: The only relevant verse I know of regarding infant death is 2 Sam 12:23, in which David says he will join his son, but his son can't come back from the dead. (paraphrased)
I take that to imply his son is in heaven, but I wouldn't argue too dogmatically.