What God Is Like

ByJim Stephens

Reading: Romans 1; Psalm 59

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.  (Romans 1:21–23 NLT)

The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:26 and 27 that God made people in his own image. I’ve heard it said that people have been remaking gods in their own image ever since!  I think, to some extent that’s true. People (including people like us) have a strong tendency to project our own characteristics and idiosyncrasies on others. We even project our own characteristics on God, and he ends up taking the rap for a lot of things that we say and do “In God’s Name!”

The fact is, we can take verses of scripture and make a case for a God who is vengeful, selfish, and full of hate for anyone who doesn’t live up to his expectations. We can just as readily take verses of scripture and present a God who is generous, gracious, merciful, and forgiving! And in many cases we choose the verses and present the God who most closely matches our own prejudices.

To tell you the truth, friends, some of the ways Christians model and present God to our world make me not even want to be identified as a “Christian”, at least not that kind of Christian. Some of my non-Christian friends have said, “If God is like a lot of the Christians I see and hear, I don’t want anything to do with him!”

What is God like? John said, “The Word (Christ) was with God and was and is God!” Really, friends, what is God like? Paul said, “Jesus Christ is the best picture we have of the invisible God.” Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen my Father!”

So here’s my working answer to the “What is God like?” question: He’s like his son Jesus. If you want to find the answer to this question, start with the Gospels and get to know the Son of Man who is the Son of God. Be in Christ and let Christ be in you and see how he lives and loves and works in you and through you.

Prayer:

Father, Please help my friends and me to learn the truest answer to the question, “What is God like?” And help us to find that answer in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!