WHAT IS GOD?

I Kings 8:46  “If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?......”

      Whether or not we know we sin depends on our view of God.  I suspect that for the most part we have a distorted understanding of our God.  I read through the Scriptures often and I am struck with how God reveals himself.  He is far more than what we often think of Him as being.

     Our relationship with Jesus has caused us to think less about God as being holy and all that means as we relate to Him.  In the Old Testament the holiness of God is His primary revelation about Himself.  Because God is holy, man could not approach God without first protecting himself with the many sacrifices and offerings God demanded.  No one could escape his sinfulness in the presence of holiness.

      We also see God revealed as merciful in His holiness.  God did provide a way for man to approach Him, albeit it was through great fear and trembling.  God prescribed in great detail how man could avoid being condemned for his sins.  It was a rigorous way of life, but necessary until Jesus came. 

      We now say that Jesus is our holiness from God (and He is) so we no longer dwell on it, think about its rigorous demands on us, and see ourselves in light of it.  Jesus has it covered for us so we no longer consider sinning against God that big of a deal.  We tolerate our own sin and sin in others instead of dealing with it. Yet, God has not changed.  He is holy.   He always has been and always will be sin intolerant.

      We can never make the claim that we don’t have sin issues to deal with.  All of us fall short of God’s holy demands.  All of us need to be aware of our sins, take them to Jesus, confess them, and ask for His forgiveness.  Let us never forget our continuous need for our Savior and Lord.