My dear brothers and sisters! Greetings! Being a human, the belief system has always captured our minds, whether it is taught by our parents or by our teachers or by our inspirational leaders or by our own experiences. But still there lies the inquisition and persistence in the human soul to know and find about the things that is motivating and governing our belief systems. Yet humanity falls short to know that and the soul still dies with hungry and thirsty before finishing the complete learning of our belief system. Still there is no satisfaction to the soul.
The reason is the human mind is always hooks up to belief system in which he or she grew. And in most cases do not even dare to question and reason the belief systems. This is still a disgrace and curse to the human soul. But the human soul that rises, questions and reasons and finds the answer is the soul that dies or lives in satisfaction. Yes, my point here is the one that has the quest to know, who God is and what the character of God is will always be satisfied with the answer. An open minded diligent inquiry will lead him to the right path. Finally I believe God lead you here to know and understand the character of God.
There is one book where the character of God is completely illustrated and described to the fullest. This book itself tells us that we cannot understand that which LORD had prepared for our eternal happiness.
“But it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9
Don’t feel offensive to find the God’s character out of that book. It is the Holy Bible. Yes, the Bible gives the absolute exhaustive depiction of the character of God.
First of all the Bible tells us that God is love.
1 John 4:8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him”
LOVE IS THE FOUNDATION OF GOD AND HIS CREATION. HE CREATED YOU TO LOVE YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE.
You may ask the question, why then there is lot of pain and suffering in the world. What is the reason of all this suffering? And who is responsible for this?
The answer is plain. It is SIN. The person responsible for all this suffering is Satan, a fallen angel of God.
Then Why did God allow Satan to continue when man is suffering? Why did not God destroy Satan to save humanity?
First of all, He did not create to destroy. Destruction is not His purpose and it is His strange act. He created everything to love them and delight with them but not to destroy them. That’s where FORGIVENESS is revealed in the character of God.
Psalms 86:5 “For thou, Lord, art good, and READY TO FORGIVE; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
Luke 6:35 “But LOVE ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for HE is KIND unto the unthankful and to the evil”
He wants His creation to change and turn back to Him. That is why His grace abounds everything.
If God starts destroying everything that He created, then what is the purpose of His creation?
And now if He destroys Satan, then another angel of like-minded will rise up against Him and again He needs to destroy him. This process of destruction goes forever and ever. Then what is the purpose of His creation? That is why God did not destroy Satan. Instead of that He wants to show His everlasting love to all His creation and wants to restore the lost humanity.
When a problem comes we need to solve it, but we should not erase the problem. God wants to provide an eternal solution to this problem. That solution is based on His foundation LOVE. For instance, you have a child whom you loved so much, and he cherished always in your arms. You loved him so much even a thought of his death makes you sick. He starts to grow and see your care and love. But because of the compulsion of the circumstances, he started lying to you. What will you do to him? Will you kill him for that lie? No! You will warn him of the dangers of the lies for the first time. Then he repeats again, what will you do this time? Your warning will be a bit harsh. And next time he beats his fellow innocent pupil. What will you do this time? Still you will not destroy him but you will be forced to make harsh corrections. But at the same time you will start to find a solution to change him. To show more love to him. In all this you never think to kill him why because you love him. Just imagine if your own hands needs to destroy him, how much sorrowful will you be? This is the same thing revealed in God’s character. You can just say to God to destroy Satan or wicked people. But how much His heart cries for His creation to be destroyed. That is why He says
Isaiah 55:7-9 “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God. for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. ”
We can never put an infinite God in a box of our finite minds and imagine about Him. We need to know that He is omnipotent and His thoughts and ways are beyond what our human minds can even think and comprehend.
The character of God is holy, pure, perfect and righteous. The one that reside with God must also be sinless because sin or sinner cannot withstand the holiness of God. He will be consumed before God’s holiness.
1 Peter 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy”
Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”
The only way to end this great controversy of good and evil, light and darkness is to prove Himself as loving Father to His creation but not as destroying or punishing cruel God.
So God let the craftiness and works of Satan to continue so that in the end God will be proved in front of all His creation who is good and who is evil? Who is right and who is wrong?
This is the same reason why we see in this world many forms of belief systems. Many religions, many forms of worship are verity that our God do not force but only warns. It is the choice of men to be on the side of God and be saved or follow his own path and perish. The choice has been left into your hands.
That is the same reason why we see so much pain in this world. But there is no gift of salvation in any of the belief systems which is so much easy to obtain which is in Christianity. Yes! That’s true.
God created every thing to live forever. He never created to destroy any thing. He loves His creation so much and proved His love to this world through His sacrifice.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Why does He need to sacrifice His Son?
That is because of sin.
What is sin?
1 John 3:4 “——sin is the transgression of the law”
What is wages of sin?
Romans 6:23 “wages of sin is death”
Sin separated His people from God. So God planned a way to reconcile His creation back to Him. The only way is through the shedding of blood and the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ.
That is the reason why Jesus Christ said like this during His life of the Earth
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me”
Yes Jesus Christ is the only way. If you cannot love and understand the love of Jesus Christ, which made Him to die for your sins, how much more you will love the God, or your neighbor. That’s quite apparent and obvious.
This is the love of God who loved you with an everlasting love. Even before when you hated him, He died for all of your sins.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
He don’t like ANY to perish. But you choose your path for your self destruction by hating the God who loved you much, without any reason. It is just because He commanded you not to sin.
Neither He will tempt any human being to do sins.
James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man”
There is an ENEMY who hates you so much to destroy you. This fallen angel’s name is Satan. The meaning of Satan is A Rebel. Yes, the name signifies a rebellion against God’s good and just laws. He is the one that tempts you to sin and at last destroys you.
James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
So sinner’s life ends with death. But still God looks on everything. He waits for you to call upon Him to deliver you from the temptations.
1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
LORD JESUS CHRIST showed His unselfish saving love by becoming a punishment for your sins. Jesus Christ’s life on this Earth reflects the perfect character of our Father God in the heaven. He lived a perfect and sinless life.
1 Peter 2:21-23 “For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”
1 John 3:5 “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”
I beseech you O dear reader, this is the LOVE of God manifested in human flesh to show the way of salvation. We are sinners, we are in darkness. We don’t know the love of God and that is why we cannot come to the light of God. For it is written
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”
He is same God and He will not change. There is a reason which we don’t dare to come to Jesus Christ.
John 1:4-9 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
Yes the Lord Jesus Christ lights us that we come out of darkness, in which sin enshadowed us. It is our love towards God to come into light and lit by him to shine for ever or to perish under darkness.
John 3:19-20 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
This is the reason why many souls like to perish because they love evil. They don’t bother lying to everyone, hurting others, bad cursing mouths, envying others, lusting after others and even having a heart of revenge.
Let us see some sins in scriptures which are utterly hated by God.
Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight”
Proverbs 6:16-18 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
Psalms 11:5 “The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth”
Jeremiah 22:3 “Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.”
Proverbs 11:1 “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.”
Proverbs 20:23 “Divers weights are an abominations unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.”
Proverbs 16:5 “Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
Proverbs 21:4 “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Let us think about the idolaters. Why couldn’t the idolaters enter into the kingdom of God?
It is because the idol worship is not true. It is only a lie.
Psalms 115:4-7 “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.“
Isaiah 44:9-10 “They that make graven image are all of vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?”
Isaiah 44:11-13 “Behold all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen: they are men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of the arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he maketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he market it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.”
Isaiah 44:14-20 “He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: and the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge, nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
So it is clear that idolaters are not worth to enter into the kingdom of God and the idolatry itself is a sin. Even if they have never seen the God, they draw their own image of imagination and form a graven image for it, and worship the lie claiming it as true. Once you compare the two idols of same god and see. Do both the idols look exactly same in size, shape and figure? No way. In one idol, the mouth is bigger and in the other idol the nose is bigger. And they will not be exactly same. But you worship both the idols with the same name. And now which is the original image of the god in both of them? Are they really the images of god? We don’t know because no one had seen it. Even then you worship those idols.
But the real God is the truth. He is holy. There is no mark or blemish in Him. When God was forming you with His own hands in your mother’s womb, He made you even without little pain. But when they make the idol, they hit hit hit the wood or the stones with a hammer to form a shape. So, are you comparing god to a stone? and also are you comparing the character of your god to a stone which cannot move or respond to anything? Just think! Can we make the holy living God with the sinful, corruptible and mortal hands? If you command the living God to live in a lifeless image, will He live there? All this creation belongs to Him. All the heavens and earth are created by His hands. God is present even before you have even formed those idols. Then, why do you want to limit the infinite God to the four walls as a finite idol? Please rethink O precious soul.
You can see the character of the living creator God in the following verses
Exodus 20:1-17 “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
Please read the testimony of witnesses, who have not seen God but have seen the glory of God.
Exodus 34:5-6 “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”
Psalms 86:15 “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
These are only few characteristics of the God of the Bible. If we study the Bible, then we will understand that He is the great and Highest righteous just God and we will know about His infinite sacrificing love without any partiality. It is not the books written by some human beings, but the history and the prophecies written in the Bible proves that He is the God from the beginning.
To know know in detail about idolatry, please click here
God loves you individually. Salvation of God is given based on every individual’s decision. You are responsible for your own decision. If you trust in God with all of your heart to be saved, you will not even think to make excuses irrespective of who you are in this world. We pray for you as an individual with heart full of love that God Bless you with the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, peace and harmony and bless your eyes to see, bless your ears to hear and bless your heart to understand the great love of God which was manifested in sacrifice of His Son Lord Jesus Christ FOR YOU!
Peace be unto you!
God Bless you!