What is God Like? – How can we know for Sure? – Part 3
By Richard Allen – September 16, 2024
In the first two Blogs of this series, we introduced mankind’s dilemma: Since the Fall of our first parents, as Adam and Eve’s children we have continuously run away from God! Our “Reprobate Minds” have prevented us from seeing His glory or desiring to know Him. Yet even in our blind depravity, we’re at least partially aware of our disconnectedness and alienation to Him – who is the only source of good. Our darkened minds and hearts lead us to repeatedly try and fill the “cross-shaped hole” in our hearts with all manner of worthless idols, while desperately trying to quiet the voice of our accusing consciences.
As the early “post-garden” chapters of the Genesis chronicle, man’s total depravity was immediately evidenced by his failure to worship in a way which God would approve – leading to jealousy and murder. Cain, offering produce from his “own hands” was rejected -but his brother Abel’s offering, a bloody lamb, was accepted by God. He was so jealous he committed the first murder. How ironic, the first murder committed by one of Adam’s descendants was perpetrated by a man seeking to be justified before God by offering “the works of his own hands.” Whereas his brother Abel, had offered the life of an innocent substitute to the Lord, “by Faith!” (Hebrews 11:4). Abel’s offering by faith cost him his own life! And while mankind quickly distorted any understanding of God that Adam and Mother Eve may have passed down to them, these two models of worship are the two categories into which all human worship still falls: 1). Being accepted by the Deity through Human works and Effort. Or 2.) Faithfully trusting in the substitutionary life-offering of another. No doubt, over the years men with “Reprobate Minds” have blurred these categories. Human history is filled with fallen men sacrificing the imperfect life of other fallen men and women (Virgins, Innocent Children) thinking to somehow atone an angry deity that withheld bountiful rain, fertility or other physical blessings because of their sinfulness. The history of “human religions” reveal man’s own guilty conscience before God:
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28-32).
This verse reveals a sobering reality: Men know that our sin is worthy of death, and yet we love our sin so much we won’t stop, and encourage others to participate! In every way possible, men have “suppressed the truth about the one true God,” yet at the same time, at our core – we are very religious, seeking to justify ourselves before an offended deity that we all know has a right to be angry with us! Romans Chapter 1 gives a detailed understanding of what happened to Adam and his posterity after the Fall – “they sunk deeper into sin and misery!” Paul, writing to the Church in Rome gives us insight into God’s silent witness, always there to protest our continued disobedience and flight from God, bringing us condemnation and guilt! Here’s how Paul describes our predicament and the functions of conscience:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20).
The verdict is in, God’s “general revelation in nature” – that is His invisible attributes, power and His divine nature – “have been clearly perceived” from the beginning. We are all Condemned and Guilty before God, there is “No Excuse!” Recently I watched a YouTube video from so-called Christian thinkers, interviewing a stately old British pastor and Theologian, and the question was: “If someone hasn’t heard – and therefore never rejected the Gospel, are they still under condemnation?” I was shocked to watch several of these so-called theologians falling all over themselves to say: “No way, God would never condemn someone who had never heard nor rejected the Gospel!” Sadly, they have it all wrong. Jesus’ Life, Death and Resurrection were not accomplished to “make men condemnable!” Romans 1:18-20 clearly teaches that we are condemned because of Adam and our own Sin! Part of this confusion came as a result of the “shallow theology” of Arminian influences three centuries ago. In order to proclaim the “God Loves Everybody Gospel,” they needed to claim that Jesus died for all the sins of the whole human race – except one: Unbelief! Be aware, this “false doctrine” is not taught anywhere in Scripture!
What’s ironic is that “unbelief” is not in a separate category of lesser sins – In fact, unbelief is at the core of all Human Sin! Genesis 3:1 shows that from the start, Satan questioned God’s veracity, promoting unbelief: “Yes, but did God really say. . . .” Unbelief is the foundation of All Sin! The, “God loves everyone and Jesus died for everyone, just come and make Him your personal Savior” Gospel – is not the Biblical Gospel! Jesus laid His life down for the “Sheep,” not the “Goats!” And there aren’t Billions in Hell awaiting the Final Judgment for whom Jesus died – that’s offensive just to say it. The presenters of Today’s Gospel have enshrined “personal choice” as a foundational Human Right! I’m not saying that we aren’t held accountable for our choices, but I am decrying that “Choice” has the power attributed to it. There is a wonderful passage in John’s Gospel that explains what is behind our making the Choice to follow Jesus:
“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:10-13). [Bottom Line, those who believe are Born of God]
This passage clearly teaches that while the majority of the Jewish people rejected Jesus as Messiah, those few who did receive him had been granted authority to become Children of God! That’s the human side of this equation. But John doesn’t leave us there, he explains his own teaching regarding those who rejected Jesus and those who received Him: Those who received Him had been “Born of God!” So, the greatest reason that we should share and preach the Gospel is not because of Man’s Almighty Choice, but because “it is God who works in them, both to will and to do according to His purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13). Jesus calls upon us to “ask, seek, knock, repent, believe and follow Him! But ultimately, our response is not because of our fallen natures and Reprobate Minds -- it's because God is working in us! This is why Paul had such confidence to preach and persuade both Jews and Greeks the Gospel of Christ! Here’s a wonderful passage from the Book of Acts, with Paul speaking to the Athenians on Mars Hill:
“So, Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus (Mars Hill), said: ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To the unknown god. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, For we are indeed his offspring’ ” (Acts 17:22-28).
Paul, fully understanding that the Athenians were sinners with “Reprobate Minds” just like all humanity, still appeals to their consciences, persuading them of “truths about the one true God,” hoping that perhaps “they might feel their way toward Him and find Him!” Make no mistake, Paul was not confused about their spiritual status. He knew full well that for them to “feel their way toward God and find Him” – was totally dependent upon God the Spirit. God the Spirit alone can draw fallen men and women, regenerating them by the word of the Gospel that Paul proclaimed!
In closing, let me appeal to my readers to consider what we’ve learned from the Book of Genesis – and the history of God’s Salvation, as recounted by the writer of Hebrews. God, who is infinitely patient, works by His Spirit drawing fallen men and women with Reprobate Minds, awakening their consciences to bring them to Faith and Trust in Him! Even after centuries of unbelief and distorted knowledge of the “One True God,” by His Spirit He draws men, making them “willing in the day of His Power” (Psalm 110:3). So, when we ask “What is God Like?” Let me state that: He’s longsuffering, patient and the God who doesn’t wait for us to respond to Him, but rather, seeks us out to bring us to Faith and Repentance. To know Him, the “One True God and Jesus Christ whom He Sent,” is the most important pilgrimage any of us will ever be on!
Soli Deo Gloria!