Who is God?

Whether you like it or not, there is always a "god" in your life, whether you're a Christian, religious, or not.

"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).

What was original sin? It was idolatry - replacing God with something else. What is your "god?" Is it doing well in school? Is it success? Is it sex? Drinking? Even what you would consider harmless things can be your idols - can you not get away from the gym? Ladies, from the shopping mall? Anything and everything in this world is by definition finite, and therefore, will ultimately fall short and will fail you.

Paul tells us in Romans 1:19: "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him or give thanks to him, but became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."

Everyone knows truly that there is a God, but they replace him with whatever idol they want - pride, greed, lust, etc.

But, if there is a God out there, who is he, and what is he like?

First, what is "God?" If man is finite, limited, and bounded by the tangible, God is the opposite. God is infinite, God is transcendent, and is not bound by anything, all by definition of being God.

Daniel 4:35 tells us: "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the people of this earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'"

God, by definition of being God, is sovereign - no one has authority over him because he has authority over all because he created all. The potter is able to do whatever he wants with the clay, and the clay has no say in how he is to be molded. That is God - sovereign over the created universe, over the world, over every single action that occurs.

God is also holy.
"I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King" (Isaiah 43:15).

"No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides you. Nor is there any Rock like our God" (1 Samuel 2:2).

What is holiness? Holiness is separation - an attribute that sets oneself apart from the normal, the finite, the imperfect. Holiness is purity and perfection.

How is God's holiness and perfection shows? By the law. The law of God represents the perfection of God.

You all have heard the 10 commandments. Did you know that breaking one of these commandments is breaking God's law?

"You shall not commit adultery." Sure, you may say you haven't, but Jesus said that any man who even lusts after a woman commits adultery in his heart. "You shall not murder." You may not have killed anyone, but Jesus said that even if you hate your brother, you have committed murder in your heart. False witness - have you ever lied? Covetedness - have you ever had jealousy or envy of another? That's four strikes, my friend, and that's just four out of ten, and by the standards of God, you are guilty of breaking the law, and the breaking of any law requires punishment.

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). From knowing the law, we understand sin. Sin, in its original terms, was an archery term that meant missing a bullseye - but not just that but a bullseye within a bullseye within a bullseye. It's missing absolute perfection.

This applies to us all - you, me, your mom, dad, a priest, the President, your professors - there is no limit, there is no distinction. All have sinned. Even our most righteous deeds are filthy rags before a holy God, the prophet Isaiah tells us. If God is perfect and we are not, how can we measure up to his perfection?

Now, I talked about the penalty of sin. If God is a perfect judge who is convicting a guilty murderer, if he declares him innocent, how then would he be just? If God's righteousness and holiness cannot dwell with the evil in this world and if God's justice is to destroy the evil, but if we're the cause of the evil and are all wicked, then God must deal just punishment to us.

"For the wages of sin is death," Romans tells us. This is why the Jews of the Old Testament sacrificed animals - because something had to die, blood had to be spilt to cover their sins. But, animals are also finite, so how could they appease a perfect God? There had to be death, and it was to be dealt upon us.

But, God is also perfect love. Because of this, he sent his Son, born as fully man and fully God, to live the perfect life we could never live. He performed miracles and changed the lives of many. But, what was the most important thing was His death. When Jesus was put on that cross, the holy wrath of the justice of God, the penalty we should have paid, was placed on Christ. Isaiah tells us that God was "pleased to crush Him" because it was of God's will to save.

Christ, on that cross, cried out, "My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?" That should have been our cry, our suffering, but Christ was the perfect sacrificial Lamb that was slain once and for all eternity.

After He died and was buried, He was resurrected in three days to prove His divinity and to show that He conquered even death. He died for the sins of many, and He, the perfect Shepherd, draws those who are of His flock from every tongue and nation to Him.

Christ, in the Gospel account of Mark, commands all men to "repent and believe in the Gospel" - the good news of Christ's redemptive work. Because we cannot reach to God since we are limited and finite, God reached down to us, and not only that, He died for us.

Repentance is to turn away from all that is evil, to hate what is sinful, including your own sinful nature, and then turning to Christ, the one who is perfection, who is good, who is Holy. But, repentance is impossible for us to do on our own because we are naturally sinful and wicked and hate God with all our hearts.

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44).

"Unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

If our sinful nature cannot come to Christ, it must be a radical change of nature for us to actually repent and believe.

Ezekiel 36:26 tells us: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my laws and obey my rules."

Jeremiah 31:33 tells us: "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

God must make you born again, a new creature, in order for you to truly believe and truly repent, to turn away from your little "god," your pride, and feeling of selfishness.

It is not of you to choose Christ or decide with a sinner's prayer or a point of your own decision - no, Ephesians tells us:
"By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so taht no one can boast" (2:8-9).

If you profess belief in Jesus Christ, you will know it is from God, a supernatural regeneration of the heart, if it lasts - not days or weeks, but for the rest of your life.

For "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

Romans tells us: "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called, he also justified, he also glorified."

If your profession and belief fade away, then it was not of God but of yourself, a work of the flesh, and you were thereby never known by God.

Matthew 7 shows us that many will cry out, "Lord Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?" And Jesus will reply, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." People will profess His name and say that they believed, but if there is not a change in their life that shows the fruit of a new creation, then there may have never been a true seed of God placed in your heart.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

If you are not walking the narrow road, following the footsteps of Jesus Christ on the tightrope of righteousness, but profess belief, then Christ may have not saved you.

How do you know if you are saved? Not by a decision, what a pastor told you, what your parents told you, or even if an evangelist declares you saved. No, the Word tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5:
"Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves!"

Don't compare to other so-called "Christians" - how do you know they are saved? No, turn to the Word and compare, see if there are fruits in your life, if you are following Christ's footsteps!

One cannot serve two masters, Jesus tells us. One cannot love the things of the world and also love God. One must love one and hate another. One can serve a single God. And what will that be? The assured failing of the world or the assured, unwavering perfection of God?

Realize your need, your desperation, and cling to Jesus! "Having faith" is not centered on you - no, cling to the faithfulness of the King of Glory, because His faithfulness will forever stand!

Who is God? This is God - sovereign, holy, righteous, gracious, perfect, unwavering, eternal, loving, patient - and he is not weakly tapping at the door of your heart - he is scareming at the top of His lungs, "repent and believe!"

If you truly see your fallenness and complete wickedness, you will be burdened. You will realize how weary you are in your worship of your "god" - school, parties, sex, drugs, etc. - and you will realize the utter hopelessness of faith in these things. But Jesus tells us:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."