To truly know and worship God, we must approach Him as He has revealed Himself in the Holy Bible, the inspired, inerrant Word of God. The Bible is not merely a collection of stories or moral teachings but the divine revelation of God’s character, will, and purpose for humanity. To worship God in truth, we cannot rely on subjective imaginations or cultural constructs of who we think God should be. Instead, we must anchor our understanding in the objective truth of Scripture, which declares who God is, who we are as His creation, the devastating effects of the Fall, and the glorious provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. This article explores these truths, emphasizing the necessity of knowing God as He is, the nature of humanity, the problem of sin, God’s redemptive plan, and how we ought to live in light of these realities.
The Necessity of Knowing God as He Has Revealed Himself
The Bible asserts that God is knowable, but only through His self-revelation. In John 4:24, Jesus declares, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” True worship requires an accurate understanding of God’s nature, for to worship a god of our own making is idolatry. The prophet Jeremiah warns against false conceptions of God: “Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!” (Jeremiah 16:20). To worship the one true God, we must know Him as He is, not as we imagine Him to be.
Scripture reveals that God is eternal, self-existent, and sovereign. In Exodus 3:14, God declares His name to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.” This profound statement reveals God’s self-existence and eternality—He is the uncaused cause, dependent on nothing and no one. Psalm 90:2 affirms, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” God is not bound by time or creation; He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1).
God is also holy, righteous, and just. Isaiah 6:3 records the seraphim crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” His holiness is His absolute moral purity and separation from sin. Habakkuk 1:13 states, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.” God’s justice demands that sin be punished, for He is “a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Yet, God is also merciful, loving, and gracious. Exodus 34:6-7 reveals God’s character to Moses: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.” This balance of mercy and justice is central to God’s nature, and any conception of God that diminishes either is incomplete.
To know God as He is requires diligent study of Scripture, prayer, and submission to the Holy Spirit, who “will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Without this, we risk crafting a god in our image, which is powerless to save and unworthy of worship.
Who We Are as God’s Creation
Scripture teaches that humanity is uniquely created in God’s image. Genesis 1:26-27 states, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Being made in God’s image means we reflect aspects of His character—such as rationality, creativity, moral awareness, and the capacity for relationship—though finitely and imperfectly. This distinguishes us from the rest of creation and gives us inherent dignity and purpose.
As image-bearers, we were created to glorify God and enjoy fellowship with Him. Psalm 8:4-5 marvels, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” Our purpose is to reflect God’s glory by living in obedience to His will, stewarding His creation, and loving Him and others (Matthew 22:37-39).
However, our identity as image-bearers does not mean we are divine or equal to God. We are finite, dependent creatures, sustained by God’s power (Acts 17:28). Our value comes not from ourselves but from the One whose image we bear.
The Fall and Our Sinful Nature
The tragedy of the Fall, recorded in Genesis 3, fundamentally altered humanity’s relationship with God. Adam and Eve’s disobedience introduced sin into the world, corrupting the image of God in humanity. Romans 5:12 explains, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” This original sin has tainted every human, so that we are born with a sinful nature, inclined toward rebellion against God.
Psalm 51:5 confesses, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Ephesians 2:3 describes us as “by nature children of wrath,” indicating that our natural state is one of enmity with God. The image of God in us is marred, though not destroyed, affecting our thoughts, desires, and actions. Romans 3:10-12 declares, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
This sinful state renders us unacceptable in God’s sight. His holiness cannot tolerate sin, and our rebellion separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:2). Left in this condition, we face eternal judgment, for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
God’s Plan of Salvation: Just and Justifier
Despite our sinfulness, God in His mercy provided a way of salvation that upholds His justice while offering forgiveness. Romans 3:23-26 explains, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
God’s justice required that sin be punished, but His love provided a substitute in Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. On the cross, Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sins, becoming “a propitiation by his blood.” This act satisfied God’s justice, as the penalty for sin was paid. Simultaneously, it demonstrated God’s grace, as salvation is offered freely to those who believe. John 3:16 proclaims, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Salvation is by grace through faith alone, not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Faith involves trusting in Christ’s finished work, repenting of sin, and submitting to Him as Lord.
How We Ought to Live in Light of God’s Holiness and Our Redemption
Understanding God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and the cost of our salvation transforms how we live. First, we are called to worship God in reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28-29 urges, “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” This worship is not merely external but flows from a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1-2).
Second, we are to pursue holiness. 1 Peter 1:15-16 commands, “As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” This involves fleeing from sin, renewing our minds with Scripture, and relying on the Spirit’s power to conform us to Christ’s image (Galatians 5:16).
Third, we are to live lives of gratitude and service. Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Our salvation is not an end but a beginning, leading to a life of obedience and love for others (John 13:34-35).
Finally, we are to proclaim the gospel. 2 Corinthians 5:20 calls us “ambassadors for Christ,” entrusted with the message of reconciliation. The great price of our salvation—Christ’s death—compels us to share this hope with a lost world.
Conclusion
To know and worship the one true God, we must anchor our understanding in His self-revelation in Scripture. He is the holy, just, merciful, and eternal Creator. We are His image-bearers, marred by sin but redeemed through Christ’s atoning work. This salvation, received by faith, upholds God’s justice while displaying His grace. In response, we are called to live holy, grateful, and purposeful lives, glorifying God and sharing His gospel. May we seek to know Him truly, as He is, and live in light of His glorious truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment