Is your God the same as mine?

[jimmyjimmy]

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:6-9)

 

[Radrook]

As long as we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and as the one God sent to die for our sins we are worshiping the same God, the creator.

John 8:29(NIV)
29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

 

[pdudgeon]

I believe Jesus "is the way the truth and the Life".
All I'm questioning is our concept/image of God/Jesus.
And our concept of God is going to affect how we evangelise. Whether people are going to be drawn to Him or not.

true, but at the same time God is not defined by nor is He limited to our understanding of Him.
It's very true that we know God only in part.
But the parts that we do know are awesome!

and honestly, wouldn't it be boring if there were nothing left to discover about God?

 

[Colter]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

You are right, we all have concept frames in which we think. Man is finite God is infinite, we can only partially glimpse his awesome reality. Unity not uniformity.

In the original gospel Jesus taught each of us to have our own personal relationship with God.

 

[Received]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

More compassionate than judgmental is still working within the false dichotomy. God's judgment is based in his love and his love allows him to act in perfect judgment. For one we know that God's essence is only defined in one place as one thing: love (1 John 4:8). We also have this hidden gem of a Psalm: "to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work" (Psalm 62:12, ESV).

To "render to a man according to his work" is precisely the longhand form of justice. That is, to God belongs love because he judges. So there is no dichotomy scripturally between love and justice; the latter is subsumed within love.

Which is a crazy idea to our society which speaks of "mercy" as "not getting what you deserve," which would be madness if we didn't have too-harsh understandings of justice most times. If justice really meant perfectly "rendering a man according to his work," then to give him "mercy" in the above sense would be to ruin justice! If we understand the Psalm at its word, this means that any lack in justice we have is based in our lack of love (also our lack of knowledge, but that's another discussion). Imagine how different our society would look if we judged from compassion! Rather than the typical anti-Christian tendency of revenge or pure litigious coldness.

Everything, absolutely everything, has to be understood in light of God's only defined essence as love. Including fear and his killing of others.

 

[bcbsr]

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

Doesn't God define himself in the Scriptures? Do you disagree with how the Scriptures characterize God?

How can you call yourself "Christian" if you don't agree with Jesus. He spoke of hell fire more than anyone else. Do you believe Jesus?

 

[James4.7]

My definition of God is the one of classical theism he is:
Ominbenevolent, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. God is also triune, father, son and holy spirit. God is eternal and infinite, the absolute.

 

[rhawk]

So your God is not the same as mine.

Just because your views or beliefs of the attributes differ does not make Him different. Humans are fallible and imperfect and our experiences cause us to see everything differently.
Many people find broccoli bitter, many do not. Many like it, many do not. If you had each person describe how it tastes you are likely to get many different and often countering opinions and flavors. Does that mean that the broccoli you bought at the same store I bought mine at is not broccoli, or mine is a faux broccoli? No, it means that we are imperfect humans who perceive the world differently, register tastes in a different way, sound and hear different as well. I believe this is what He did that made us unique and different, yet we all have a mind granted to us that allows us to realize this and to give us free will. It is this free will and choice that allows you to believe that we created our own God and also allows me to not agree with you.

 

[AlexDTX]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

I think your question is an excellent one. And, frankly, I think we all misunderstand God in some way. Paul Simon wrote, A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest. I believe we are all guilty of this tendency.

Throughout the last 30 years of my walk with Christ I found myself believing things about God because it was the common doctrine of the fellowships I joined. However, after reflecting on how Jesus treated me in the reality of my life and sins, I realized that the doctrines rarely matched my personal experiences with God.

The lesson of the book of Job that I get from reading the end, is that we are in no capacity able to judge God. We may argue with one another about what God does, but we do not have his perspective. And God is a God of discretion. He does not tell us everything.

 

[Tinyarch]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

Sounds to me like you are your god and you imagine that you are the creator.
No, your god is not my God.

My God is revealed in nature, has spoke in scripture and walked in Palestine before dying to atone for my sin.
My God is the Sovereign King who made all things and holds his creation in the palm of his hand. He is all knowing, all powerful, all goodness. He is holy and righteous. He knows no beginning and no end. All creation is subject under his authority and nothing escapes his gaze. He shows compassion to rebels by not utterly destroying us when we set up ourselves as greater than him. He chooses to have mercy upon whom he wills.
This is no "notion." This is spoken to us, by God, in his holy word.
So, no, your god is not my God at all. Your god is you and I do not worship you.

 

[singpraise]

I feel that it's always a mistake to put God in a box. In other words, He's more complex than we can even begin to imagine. Having a relationship with Him is what's important. It doesn't really matter if your relationship with Him differs from His relationship to anyone else.

Don't you think most parents have individual and special relationships, differing in some ways, with each of their children? It doesn't mean they are not the parents and it doesn't mean they love one child more than another. Each child is their own individual self, and a good parent relates to each child at their own level and based on their own needs.

I'm not concerned in the least if anyone else on earth believes in God exactly as I do. In fact, I'm sure nobody else exactly does. The only Person I'm concerned with is God Himself, as far as that goes, because in the end it's only His opinion that matters.

 

[Goodbook]

Proverbs 19:2

God in a box... ark of covenant, the holy of holies
God in a manger...baby Jesus
God outside the box...He is risen!

 

[Goodbook]

Seems like your God OP is the one you made up in your head.
Or it could be brahma, or vishnu, the new age ones. Why are you on a christian forum? Does your god ever say to you, read my book, eg The Bible. Cos if you did read His word, you might find out your concept of God changes as you get to know HIm better since he sent his one and only son to die for us. We christians forgive because we have been forgiven.

Christians are under the new covenant, not the old one. Which is paid for by Jesus blood, he gave his life for us.if you doubting, take a plane ride to Israel and tell me where Jesus is buried. If hes still there, and you find his bones then you can doubt and claim the bible is a lie.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

"If human beings had really tried to invent a god, we would never have invented the God of Christianity. He's just too terrifying. Our God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-holy, and omnipresent. There's no place to run and hide from Him, no place where we might secretly indulge a favorite vice. We can't even retreat into the dark corners of our minds to fantasize about that vice without God knowing it right away.

"Such a God makes any violation of the natural law a very uncomfortable business. If determined sinners could find a way to dispel such a notion of God, imagine their feeling of liberation. If your imagination fails you, then try reading the history of the wars and genocides of the atheist regimes of the twentieth century: Nazi Germany, Communist China and Cambodia, and the Soviet Union."

— Scott Hahn, Reasons to Believe, p. 48

 

[2 know him]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

The question is: is your God the same as Jesus' God? I don't believe that most professing Christians God is.

 

[Cyprezz]

Awh geez Paul, look what you've gotten yourself into I just think some others here may not necessarily get the first post.

I think it depends on each persons own personal relationship with God, and where they are within their walk. After all, we can only think on a finite scale; it's like trying to think about "eternity", man that does my head in.

To me, He's a loving, compassionate Father, with a wiiiicked sense of humor. Some days though, He's the strict parent telling me I really shouldn't have eaten that 10th donut. For others, He'll be something else. That doesn't mean that He's not the same God for us, just that humans perceive things differently based on their own experiences, and we all have a different walk in life through Christ.

I haven't posted in like, 2-3 years so kudos on breaking the silence .-.

 

[enigmadi]

Well, I do think it is limited anyway.
None of us know God fully. None of us have a clear and accurate picture of who He really is. We all have varying concepts due to different Christian educations.
God remains a mystery and maybe that is how it is supposed to be.

Men (attempt) to change GOD to their image...but GOD does NOT change to please man....

 

[Jim Langston]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

It sounds like you found God through Love, so that's the God you know.

Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

 

[BobRyan]

I would say that as long as we all accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are worshipping the same God, the creator of the universe who sent him to die for our sins.

John 8:29(NIV)
29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

Agreed but that gets to our common "intent" .

I think the OP is more about "description of God" - depiction of God. Are mutually exclusive descriptions - compatible? - do they describe the same God?

Consider this scenario
1. Two conflicting-contradicting descriptions of God.
2. One is entirely wrong.

So then are they both accurate descriptions of God? no - by definition.

If both were true - then they must be describing different gods.

 

[Radrook]

Agreed but that gets to our common "intent" .

I think the OP is more about "description of God" - depiction of God. Are mutually exclusive descriptions - compatible - do the describe the same God?

Consider this scenario
1. Two descriptions of God.
2. One is entirely wrong.

So then are they both accurate descriptions of God? no - by definition.

If both were true - then they must be describing different gods.

I understand that the are different descriptions of the Creator and that such descriptions might or might not be describing the actually existing God. However, if the describer accepts Jesus' as his Lord and Savior, then I believe that the biblically described God will extend to that person the benefits of the Ransom sacrifice regardless of that person's unintentional misconceptions.

Luke 23:34King James Version (KJV)
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.....