How Do You Perceive God?

The following post is taken from a video Bible study that I watched, and then typed out things that were said.  Here is the link for that video if anyone wants to watch it for themselves:

https://www.facebook.com/CharisBibleCollege/videos/3461675257201992

How Do You Perceive God?

Often times how we perceive God will determine how we relate to Him, and how we relate the world.

On one end of the spectrum there’s the perception of God that Job had.  Job said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.”  It is important to understand that God didn’t say that, Job said it based on his limited knowledge of God.  But often people that perceive God as Job did, also see Him as mysterious, judgmental, angry, cranky, etc. 

 Jesus on opposite end of the spectrum said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

 So those are the opposite ends of how people may perceive God, but of course there is everything in between these two viewpoints or perceptions.

Barry (The person conducting the Bible study in the video) says, “I often times find that it’s hard to get people to believe that God really wants them to have an abundant life, that He really is good, and that He wants to bless them.” 

Typically how we view or perceive God is shaped by our culture, our family, our religion, or any kind of church background we may or not have had.  In our culture there seems to be a mixed perception amongst many Christians.  Most believe He is somewhat mysterious and controlling, believing that we can lay at His feet all of the tragedies and suffering, and things that go on in the world.  We have accumulated these perceptions through our circles of influence. 

Because of our perceptions, people often feel unworthy and unaccepted by God.  They feel the need to earn His acceptance or get in good with God.  But what does Scripture tell us?

John 14:9 says, “…He who has seen Me [Jesus] has seen the Father…” So the idea of God being mysterious should evaporate.   If we want to know what God is like, we need to look at Jesus.  Jesus revealed God as being our Father.  In other words, He is a God that is intimate and personal.  We can relate to God in terms of a child with his father. 

Whatever we see Jesus saying or doing is going to be a direct reflection on the Father and what He would say or do.  So if we look at Jesus, we can begin to build a correct perception of God and who He really is. 

In Luke 9:56 Jesus said, “For the Son of man [Jesus] did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them…”  So the heart of God our Father, is to save us. 

Why do we need to be saved?  If you go back to the book of Genesis and the story how mankind was created, the first man Adam chose independence from God.  And because Adam chose independence, there was a separation from God.  God still communicated with mankind, but Adam separated himself from being one spirit with God, and the human race became lost.  So Jesus came to save us from our lost spiritual state. 

We can see by looking at Jesus, and His purpose in coming what God’s heart is towards us.  John 10:10 says, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  If we look at Jesus and believe His words, we will have the correct perception of God.  That He wants good things for us. 

(Excerpts taken from a Bible study by Barry Bennett)