The Power of God

People often have a faulty or inaccurate view of God. Some people don’t know Him at all. Others view Him as some sadistic monster with power and an ego that is out of control. Those are the extreme cases to be sure, but most people (at least in the western hemisphere) believe in a ‘god,’ but  simply have an incomplete or incorrect view of Who He is. I was one of those people.

For years I struggled with a personal image of God as Someone Who could not possibly love me. My past is rather – shall I say – colorful? He is holy, righteous and just; I was the exact opposite. I was sure God wanted nothing to do with me because He knew full well the things I had done. That was my understanding, but in fact I could not have been more wrong!

Even though my past was something to be ashamed of, I have learned that God has done more than I could have imagined to win over my heart and life. The key in changing my distorted perception was found in a constant refocusing of my thoughts, intentions and imaginations on the Word of God. I had heard all kinds of things about Him, but didn’t actually know the truth about Him. I didn’t know Him. The truth of Who He really is can be found in His Word, the Bible.

The only thing required in my in getting to know Him was (and continuously is) repentance from  my self-centeredness and errant thinking, and then by faith take Him at His Word. By constant exposure to His Word my mind was (and continuously is) finally renewed to the point that the Holy Spirit can bring me light and life. That process is an ongoing work, as it is with everyone who maintains their walk of faith with Christ.

The Apostle Paul, by that same Holy Spirit, wrote something that is truly life changing for anyone who believes it. By continually meditating on this truth I still get new insights to this day;

Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

This process isn’t new and it isn’t exclusive to me alone, or to anyone else for that matter. The process of salvation is available to anyone and everyone who will repent and believe the gospel – without exception. This is the love of God personified and perpetuated from the beginning of creation. Because God is the Master of time and space, and because He is love, He responds the same way all the time. My sincere hope is that you will gain a new or ever-deepening understanding of Who our Father is. The only way to get to know God is by learning His character as displayed in the Bible. By better understanding His character and attributes we can rest fully in all that He has provided for us – in love – through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and in the the continual work of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives.

God bless you as you seek Him in sincerity and truth!

Image retrieved from:  http://thecrackeddoor.com/Main/?p=3102