The True Nature of God Part 1
The True Nature of G.o.d.
by Andrew Wommack.
Introduction.
Did you know that if a person really knew G.o.d and understood G.o.d as the wonderful Father He is, there would be no trouble believing Him and His Word?
There has been a great emphasis in the body of Christ in recent years on teaching faith and confessing His Word to bring faith. I believe in speaking what G.o.d's Word says, and believers need to have faith in G.o.d, but I also believe many of us have missed an important key.
Having faith in anyone means developing your relationship with them to the point where you know them so well, you just completely trust them.
A minister friend of mine once said that as he carries his little girl around, she never has to say, "I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that my dad will not drop me. And I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that my dad's going to feed me." For that daughter, there is no striving to believe her father is going to be good to her. She just rests and relaxes in her loving relationship with him. She knows he is going to take care of her, because she knows him and his character.
In the same way, Christians will find it is easy to have faith in G.o.d to provide their needs by simply getting to know Him better. And since everything we receive from G.o.d comes through faith in Him (including our salvation), knowing Him intimately becomes very important! Really, everything we receive from G.o.d comes out of knowing Him.
One of the reasons the Christian life has been so hard for a lot of people - and I'm including people who have heard teaching about faith and confession - is because they haven't really developed a personal relationship with G.o.d. They don't know Him intimately. When you really know a person is trustworthy, it's not hard to believe them. I personally believe that faith is a direct result of knowing G.o.d better.
It's not hard for a person who really knows G.o.d to believe Him and His Word. And when you believe G.o.d's Word, it's not hard to receive from G.o.d. But if a person doesn't know G.o.d very well, Satan can discredit G.o.d and say all kinds of false things about Him because that person doesn't know any better.
Before I get into more of this subject, I have to admit to you that I tend to minister by shock technique. One of the hardest things to get people to do is to pay attention, to really hear hear what you have to say. So to get their attention, I say things that paint me into such a corner that they're interested to find out how I'm going to get out of it. They start listening intently, and ultimately they get the point I am trying to make. what you have to say. So to get their attention, I say things that paint me into such a corner that they're interested to find out how I'm going to get out of it. They start listening intently, and ultimately they get the point I am trying to make.
The Word of G.o.d is simple. A minister I know says it's so simple you've got to have somebody help you to misunderstand it. There's nothing hard about the Word of G.o.d. The biggest problem is that people don't really hear it. People are thinking about what they had for breakfast, where they're going to eat lunch, or about this or that. So before I explain what I believe is the nature of G.o.d, I'm sharing with you first that some of my points may seem somewhat dramatic.
For example, once I was teaching that G.o.d is not the One Who puts problems on believers. There was a man at the meeting with his 12-year-old daughter, who was a paraplegic in diapers, paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. She was in such bad condition that she couldn't even relate to what was going on around her.
Because I had said G.o.d was not the One Who put that affliction on his daughter, this man got upset. The people who brought him to the meeting said to him, "You at least owe Rev. Wommack the courtesy to talk to him after the service and let him explain himself."
Afterwards, the gentleman came up to me and said, "G.o.d did this to my daughter. She was born this way. This is G.o.d's will for her and He's getting glory out of this."
I answered him, "No, G.o.d didn't do this. It is not G.o.d's will that a girl be in a wheelchair and not be able to function normally. That is not the way G.o.d made people." I started sharing scriptures with him, and he started sharing scriptures right back. I thought he was misusing his scriptures, and he thought I was misusing mine. It was getting to be a theological standoff, with n.o.body getting anywhere.
What finally broke the standoff was when I looked at him and said, "What's the matter? Don't you love your daughter? What kind of father are you? Don't you care if your daughter ever gets out of a wheelchair or not? Don't you care if she's ever normal and can run and play?"
Well, if he was mad at me before, he really really got mad at me after I said that! I think he was at the point of punching me in the nose. He shot back, "I love my daughter! I would do anything for her. I don't have much money, but I would sell anything, I would borrow, I would do whatever I had to do to come up with the money if it was within my power to produce healing in my daughter." got mad at me after I said that! I think he was at the point of punching me in the nose. He shot back, "I love my daughter! I would do anything for her. I don't have much money, but I would sell anything, I would borrow, I would do whatever I had to do to come up with the money if it was within my power to produce healing in my daughter."
At that point I said, "And you think G.o.d loves her less? You think G.o.d, with all His power, is going to just sit back and withhold His healing from her because He wants to afflict her to teach somebody something?"
You see, that man could argue with my doctrine, but when I presented G.o.d as a father to him, he saw G.o.d's will to heal his daughter. When I applied the concept of G.o.d as a loving, caring father, the man didn't have anything left to argue about. He saw that G.o.d is our good Heavenly Father Who doesn't want His daughter paralyzed. It just wiped out all of his anger.
Understanding that G.o.d is a good G.o.d and that He loves us takes away the effectiveness of Satan's weapons against our faith. You may have been believing and praying for healing, and you know that the Word says, ...by whose stripes ye were healed ...by whose stripes ye were healed (1 Peter 2:24). You probably know all about faith teaching, how to confess the Word, and all the related principles. Yet you've got this nagging doubt that you can't overcome. It is a fear inside that makes you wonder, "Is G.o.d really going to heal me?" (1 Peter 2:24). You probably know all about faith teaching, how to confess the Word, and all the related principles. Yet you've got this nagging doubt that you can't overcome. It is a fear inside that makes you wonder, "Is G.o.d really going to heal me?"
Did you know fear would be totally cast out of your thinking if you understood the perfect love of G.o.d for you? First John 4:18 says, Perfect love casteth out fear. Perfect love casteth out fear. If a person becomes fearful, wondering if G.o.d's will for their life is actually going to come to pa.s.s, then they don't really understand and know G.o.d and His immense love. If a person becomes fearful, wondering if G.o.d's will for their life is actually going to come to pa.s.s, then they don't really understand and know G.o.d and His immense love.
If G.o.d loves you enough to send His only Son to die for you, then doesn't He love you enough to bring about His will in your life if you are being obedient to Him? You may know some things about about G.o.d, but if you really G.o.d, but if you really knew knew G.o.d's love for you, you wouldn't doubt Him so easily or question His willingness to help you. He couldn't be discredited so easily if you really understood how much He cared for you. Can you see that? G.o.d's love for you, you wouldn't doubt Him so easily or question His willingness to help you. He couldn't be discredited so easily if you really understood how much He cared for you. Can you see that?
Our human relationships are imperfect, so they aren't a perfect parallel to your relationship with G.o.d. But I have good enough relationships with some people that if you came to me and told me they were criticizing me and saying negative things about me, I wouldn't believe it. That's because I know them. We've got such a good relationship established that, if they were upset with me, they would come talk to me about it. I know they would do that, so you just couldn't lie to me about them.
If somebody came and told me that my wife Jamie had been unfaithful to me while I was traveling in ministry, you would just be "barking up the wrong tree." I know my wife so well. I know my wife. I know my wife. Somebody may think, "Well brother, you just can't be sure; you never know." Well, if that's your reaction, it just shows the lack of relationship you have with your mate. It is possible to come into relationship with someone to the point that you know what they would be like and what they would do in any set of circ.u.mstances. Somebody may think, "Well brother, you just can't be sure; you never know." Well, if that's your reaction, it just shows the lack of relationship you have with your mate. It is possible to come into relationship with someone to the point that you know what they would be like and what they would do in any set of circ.u.mstances.
Our relationship with G.o.d is no different. He wants us to be a.s.sured that we can trust Him to act in our best interest no matter what the situation. And that is what this book is all about: getting to know G.o.d so well that no one can talk you out of His goodness towards you.
Chapter 1
Is G.o.d G.o.d Schizophrenic? Schizophrenic?
One reason G.o.d can be so easily discredited is because people don't really know Him by His Word. The only way you can truly know anything about G.o.d is through the Bible. Everybody on the earth has an opinion about what G.o.d is like and what He will do. But the only thing He gave us to know Him - and the only source that is truly reliable - is His written Word.
Most Christians don't read G.o.d's Word on a regular basis. They just get a little here and a little there - maybe some from a preacher on TV TV and then a little on Sunday morning from their church. But that is not going to be enough to make a real difference in their life, and specifically in their understanding of G.o.d and His nature. and then a little on Sunday morning from their church. But that is not going to be enough to make a real difference in their life, and specifically in their understanding of G.o.d and His nature.
Some people do read and study G.o.d's Word on a fairly regular basis. But even then, there are a lot of pa.s.sages in the Bible that appear to give a "schizophrenic" revelation of G.o.d. I'm just being honest with you! Of course, G.o.d is not schizophrenic, but that is the way it appears to some people from a casual reading of the Scriptures.
In one scripture, G.o.d commands you to be stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath day (see Numbers 15:32-35), and then in another He forgives and does not condemn a woman caught in the very act of adultery (see John 8:3-11). Examples like that have given people a rather strange impression of who G.o.d is.
The Old Testament Is Incomplete .
The Word of G.o.d does not contradict itself. There is a perfect harmony to it all. Much of what is in this book purposes to harmonize the Old and the New Testaments to reach a better, more complete understanding of the nature of G.o.d.
In the Old Testament, we see a picture of G.o.d that is incomplete. It is not incorrect; it is just incomplete. People who create their understanding of the nature of G.o.d only from the Old Testament usually do not end up with a fully accurate picture. The Old Testament is only a partial picture. It is not a perfect representation of G.o.d. Unless you understand the New Testament and are able to harmonize it with the Old Testament, you are going to end up with a misunderstanding of the love of G.o.d and the whole nature of G.o.d.
One night I had a dream that I was Joshua in the Old Testament. I was going into the Promised Land, and G.o.d had commanded me to kill everybody in all of the cities, just like He commanded Joshua. That was hard for me to do! No women, children, or anything that could breathe were to be left alive. But I couldn't justify it. I was nearly to the point of saying, "G.o.d, I just can't do it."
To make the situation worse, I discovered that one of my very best friends was in one of these cities, and I was supposed to kill him, his wife, and his kids. I woke up from the dream thinking, "G.o.d, I can't do it. G.o.d, there's no way I can do it." I thought about the dream all morning, meditating on it and praying about it. I was thinking, "G.o.d, how could these things have happened?"
My answer was found by looking at the Old Testament through the revelation of the New Testament. G.o.d began to show me that if Jesus had lived in His human form in the Old Testament, He would not have done things the way Joshua did. That is not to say that Joshua was wrong. He was obedient to G.o.d and G.o.d was operating in the manner He had to operate during that time period.
Still, all that G.o.d did through Joshua was not a true and complete representation of His nature. Nor was it Who G.o.d has revealed Himself to be to believers in the New Testament. And yet some people have the impression that G.o.d is a G.o.d of wrath Who will wipe out anyone who gets in His way.
Wanting to be a great man or woman of G.o.d, many Christians go back and begin to emulate some of the Old Testament examples. Any time you start talking about somebody being a prophet or say they have the anointing of a prophet, that person usually begins getting hard and cruel. They think they are acting like Elijah, an old bony-fingered prophet who would stick his finger right in your face and let you have it. People think of Elijah as someone who would rebuke you, lambaste you, starve you out with famine, or burn you out with fire to teach you something.
Now there are some examples of true prophets who were not hard and cruel, but when people think of the typical prophet, they usually have an impression of someone like Elijah. Young believers who think they are prophets believe they are G.o.d's lightning rod in the earth - they are going to attract all of the judgment and wrath of G.o.d and smite people if they get out of line. But that's not a total understanding of the ministry of the prophet - and certainly not of G.o.d's nature.
Under the Old Testament, you see some things being done in that manner, but that is not the whole nature of G.o.d. It is vital to know Who it is we are really dealing with. If you don't know G.o.d's nature or really understand Him, then you'll never effectively walk in the blessings and the power of G.o.d. I don't care what scriptures you learn or whose teaching you sit under. As I have said before and will say many times throughout this book, you have to come to a place where you really know G.o.d and have an intimate relationship with Him.
Religious ideas, arising from a misunderstanding of Scripture, block people from entering into a close relationship with G.o.d. Many of us are really afraid to come before G.o.d because we have been taught or have gotten the impression He is going to "hit" us with something. So many believers feel they have to bow and sc.r.a.pe and duck every time they come before G.o.d. That's not the relationship G.o.d desires or that His Word teaches.
Old Testament Judgment .
In 1 Kings 21:1-24, Ahab and Jezebel are probably two of the most wicked people in history, and certainly the most corrupt king and queen of Israel. They conspired together to kill an innocent man named Naboth in order to acquire his vineyard. They had Naboth stoned to death and his body thrown into a field, where the dogs came and licked up his blood. While Ahab was walking through his new vineyard, he saw Elijah the prophet and said, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?
Elijah replied, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.
Then Elijah began to rebuke Ahab and said, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
It took awhile for those prophecies to come to pa.s.s. Ahab was killed in in a battle and when he was brought home, the people went a battle and when he was brought home, the people went to to wash out his chariot. wash out his chariot. As they As they were were washing washing it, it, the dogs came the dogs came and licked up Ahab's blood. (See 1 Kings 22:38.) and licked up Ahab's blood. (See 1 Kings 22:38.) As for Jezebel, when a man named Jehu became king, she was thrown out of a tower and landed on the ground by the wall. Jehu rode his chariot back and forth across her, mutilating her body. Then he went into the palace, sat down, and began to eat. Right in the middle of his meal he said something like, "Well, she's a king's daughter, and even though she was a wicked woman, she ought to be buried."
So Jehu sent some people out to bury her, but all that was left was her head, hands, and feet. The rest of her had been eaten by dogs! (See 2 Kings 9:30-37.) Elijah's awesome prophecies came to pa.s.s exactly the way he had said - so you wouldn't want to mess with Elijah, right?
In 2 Kings, chapter 1, we move on to the story of Ahaziah, the son of Ahab. Ahab and Jezebel had sinned against G.o.d to such a degree that Elijah, who was a prophet of G.o.d, had declared the terrible way their lives would end. Ahaziah had seen those prophecies fulfilled, but he didn't like Elijah any more than his parents had.
Ahaziah was following right in the footsteps of his parents. He wasn't seeking the one true G.o.d; he was seeking after pagan G.o.ds. When he gets sick, instead of seeking G.o.d and inquiring of Him for his healing, Ahaziah sent messengers to Baalzebub, the G.o.d of Ekron.
According to 2 Kings 1:3-8, when Ahaziah's messengers were on their way to inquire of this pagan G.o.d, Elijah met them and said: Is it not because there is not a G.o.d in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the G.o.d of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a G.o.d in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the G.o.d of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.
And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. The king knew it was Elijah and he was seized with fear, so he sent his armies out to capture him. Verses 9 and 10 say, The king knew it was Elijah and he was seized with fear, so he sent his armies out to capture him. Verses 9 and 10 say, Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of G.o.d, the king hath said, Come down.
And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of G.o.d, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. That's pretty strong, isn't it? You just didn't "mess" with Elijah. Ahaziah sent out an army - fifty men and a captain over them - to take Elijah, but Elijah called fire down out of heaven and destroyed the king's men. Continuing in verses 11 and 12: That's pretty strong, isn't it? You just didn't "mess" with Elijah. Ahaziah sent out an army - fifty men and a captain over them - to take Elijah, but Elijah called fire down out of heaven and destroyed the king's men. Continuing in verses 11 and 12: Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of G.o.d, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of G.o.d, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of G.o.d came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
That's 102 men! Somebody might think, "Well, Satan must have done that." But it says in verse 12 that it was the fire of G.o.d G.o.d that came down from heaven. Elijah had access to the power of G.o.d to such a degree that he could consume people. He could kill people with the power and the anointing of G.o.d. This is similar to Revelation 11:5, where it says the two witnesses will have the power of fire coming out of their mouths, destroying anybody who stands against G.o.d. that came down from heaven. Elijah had access to the power of G.o.d to such a degree that he could consume people. He could kill people with the power and the anointing of G.o.d. This is similar to Revelation 11:5, where it says the two witnesses will have the power of fire coming out of their mouths, destroying anybody who stands against G.o.d.
G.o.d, in defense of Elijah, released fire from heaven and killed 102 men. Finally, the third captain and his fifty men came, but this captain was a G.o.d-fearing man. A paraphrase of what he said is, "Have mercy on me. All I'm doing is what the king told me to do." So G.o.d told Elijah to go down with him to Ahaziah.
G.o.d protected Elijah, and he wasn't touched by any of the king's men. He didn't have to call fire down out of heaven to strike anybody else. Did you know that's not the only way Elijah could have handled the problem? But this is an Old Testament example of the power, the anointing, and the wrath of G.o.d in defense of one of His prophets.
New Testament Grace Now let's compare this story of Elijah with Luke 9:51-53: And it came to pa.s.s, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And it came to pa.s.s, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. It had been commanded by G.o.d that Jerusalem be the center of worship for the Jews. (See 2 Chronicles 6:6.) That's where He put His temple and where the ark of the covenant was located. G.o.d had commanded His people to worship Him It had been commanded by G.o.d that Jerusalem be the center of worship for the Jews. (See 2 Chronicles 6:6.) That's where He put His temple and where the ark of the covenant was located. G.o.d had commanded His people to worship Him only only in Jerusalem. in Jerusalem.
There was a time when the children of Israel rebelled against G.o.d and He allowed the northern ten tribes to be taken into captivity by the a.s.syrians. The two southern tribes, Benjamin and Judah, remained undisturbed on the land because they had maintained worship in Jerusalem.
After the northern tribes were taken captive, the king of a.s.syria sent colonists from a.s.syria to inhabit the land of the northern ten tribes so the fields wouldn't go to waste. These colonists intermarried with the remnant of the ten tribes who had remained behind. The remnant of the northern tribes forsook their ident.i.ty as Jews and intermarried with the a.s.syrian pagans, in direct disobedience to G.o.d's commandment not to marry people who did not worship Him.
Because the a.s.syrians didn't know the ways of G.o.d, the beasts of the field began to multiply. The Bible says in 2 Kings, chapter 17, that G.o.d sent lions among them. The people were being killed and devoured. The Promised Land that was a blessing of abundance to the Jews now began to produce beasts which were devouring the a.s.syrians.
Word of this situation was sent to the King of a.s.syria. He released some of the Israelite priests to return to the Promised Land and teach the a.s.syrians the ways of the G.o.d of Israel. If they pleased G.o.d, they would not be consumed by the wild animals.
The a.s.syrian colonists began to learn the outward practices to please G.o.d, but they didn't change their hearts. They were still pagan worshipers and they incorporated their pagan practices into the Israelite rituals. They did the necessary things to appease G.o.d and get rid of the wild animals, but it was not pure worship of G.o.d.
As a result, the northern tribes became a mixed race of people called Samaritans, which led to racial problems in Israel. The devout Jews who were living in Jerusalem hated the Samaritans who had corrupted worship. This is verified in John, chapter 4, where Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. There was a tremendous hatred involving religious and racial prejudice between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Jews would have no dealings with the Samaritans at all.
By Luke, chapter 9, Jesus had already ministered to the Samaritans. He had seen the entire city of Samaria respond to Him. They had accepted Him as Messiah. But now, when He came through their town, they would not receive Him because it looked like He was going to Jerusalem to worship with "those hypocrites down there." The Samaritans rejected Jesus because of His a.s.sociation with the Jews, a rejection based upon religious and racial prejudice.
To reject Jesus under those conditions was pretty serious, and His disciples, James and John, had a knee-jerk, Old Testament reaction: And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?Luke 9:54 Certainly James and John were as justified in wanting to kill the Samaritans for their rejection of Jesus, as Elijah was justified in calling fire down out of heaven to kill the soldiers who had rejected the G.o.d of Israel in 2 Kings 1:10. This was a serious rejection of the Lord Jesus, and they were simply imitating Elijah, a great man of G.o.d.
The two disciples were taking a scriptural example, acting on the Word of G.o.d, and doing what Elijah did. Yet how did Jesus respond to His loyal, zealous disciples?
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.Luke 9:55,56 Jesus rebuked James and John for trying to do what was done under the Old Testament. He rebuked them for trying to be like Elijah, one of the most powerful men of G.o.d who ever lived under the Old Testament. Does that mean Elijah was sinning in 2 Kings, chapter 1? No, because at that time G.o.d was dealing with man in a different way, the only way He could at the time.
Harmonizing Old and New Testaments .
When people don't look at the whole Word of G.o.d, examining the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, they generally get an Old Testament picture of G.o.d as a G.o.d of wrath, judgment, and punishment. That is a a truth about G.o.d, and those who don't accept the love and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ will one day experience a terrible day of G.o.d's judgment. But wrath and judgment are not the essential truth about G.o.d, and those who don't accept the love and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ will one day experience a terrible day of G.o.d's judgment. But wrath and judgment are not the essential nature nature of G.o.d. of G.o.d.
G.o.d's nature is not judgment. You can't find that in the Word of G.o.d. He does judge, and He is just and holy, but Scripture reveals to us in 1 John 4:8 that G.o.d is love. G.o.d is love. Love is G.o.d's real nature. Love is G.o.d's real nature. He doesn't just He doesn't just have have love or love or operate operate in love. G.o.d in love. G.o.d is is love. Love is the true character of G.o.d. love. Love is the true character of G.o.d.
Elijah's actions in obedience to G.o.d were not the complete representation of the nature of G.o.d, and the Old Testament cannot give us a total revelation of G.o.d by itself. We need the New Testament to understand the fullness of G.o.d.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d.And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.John 1:1,14Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?John 14:9 Jesus is the walking, living Word, and when we see Him we see the Father. So the problem many Christians are facing in knowing G.o.d is that they are seeing G.o.d through the Old Testament instead of through Jesus. They misunderstand and are confused about who G.o.d really is and the relationship He wants with them because they see Him according to the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament, G.o.d had to deal with mankind and sin in a different manner. We will study the scriptures that tell us that in the following chapters. But when Jesus came, He brought the true revelation of the Father to mankind, and He operated very differently.
I personally believe if Jesus had come to earth in His human form in Old Testament times, He would have rebuked Elijah, Joshua never would have killed every man, woman, and child in those cities in the land of Canaan, and Moses would have been rebuked for a lot of the things he did.
You may be thinking, "Brother, how can you say such things?" I believe it's clear in the Word of G.o.d that it never was G.o.d's desire to have to deal with mankind so firmly. That never was His real nature and character. But because we haven't known this, we have a mixed impression of G.o.d. We haven't seen Him in His fullness.
Most of us don't really recognize or understand the depth of the love, mercy, and compa.s.sion G.o.d has towards us. And this mistaken impression of G.o.d keeps us at arm's length from Him. That's why it is so important to harmonize all of the Word of G.o.d. Only then can you get a firm understanding of His true nature.
G.o.d, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.Hebrews 1:1-4 In verse 3, it says Jesus is the brightness of G.o.d's glory and the express image of His person. In other words, Jesus is an exact representation of G.o.d, His true nature revealed.
In the following chapters, we are going to see that the love, mercy, and forgiveness G.o.d offers to us in the New Testament through Jesus Christ were always available to mankind, even in the Old Testament. But man's response to G.o.d's goodness in the Old Testament forced Him to deal with mankind more harshly than He desired. And, as we harmonize the Old and New Testaments, we are going to see clearly - G.o.d is not schizophrenic!
Chapter 2 2.G.o.d's Grace in in the Old Testament the Old Testament You are probably asking, "Well, if Jesus is the true nature of G.o.d, just exactly what what was G.o.d doing in the Old Testament?" The Word of G.o.d tells us clearly what G.o.d was doing. was G.o.d doing in the Old Testament?" The Word of G.o.d tells us clearly what G.o.d was doing.
For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.Romans 5:13 When we use the term "Law," we can be referring to all of the Old Testament, but the Law used in context of this scripture is more specific. When we say Law here, we are referring to the Mosaic Law, which includes the Ten Commandments, judgments, punishments, and all of the ordinances and ceremonial observances.
Romans 5:13 shows us that before the Law, or before the Law of Moses was introduced, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no Law. The word "impute" means to take what you have done and apply it to your account, or to hold transgressions against you. In other words, sin was not being held against people until G.o.d gave the Law to Moses.
Grace Extended After the Fall .
Most people's concept of G.o.d is that the moment sin entered the Garden of Eden, the wrath of G.o.d began to be released upon mankind. People believe that G.o.d was holy and man was unholy, so therefore G.o.d separated man from Himself and drove Adam and Eve from His presence because His holiness could not stand to look upon sinful flesh. But there was a period of time from Adam until Moses when G.o.d dealt with people out of love, mercy, and forgiveness instead of wrath and judgment.
Now, of course, I believe G.o.d is holy, and I know that man is sinful, but G.o.d's love is so great that He did not just expel man from His presence. As a whole G.o.d dealt in mercy towards man, and He did not impute their sins (hold those sins against them) until the days of Moses, when the Law was given.
Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve fell to the temptation of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Let's take a good look at how G.o.d dealt with them.
And the Lord G.o.d said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:Therefore the Lord G.o.d sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.Genesis 3:22,23 When you see the word "therefore," you're always supposed to look and see what it's there for. there for. So "therefore" means this verse is tying in with what was said previously. So "therefore" means this verse is tying in with what was said previously.
"Therefore" links the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden with what was just said. What would happen if G.o.d didn't send them out? The reason G.o.d sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden was because He didn't want them to eat of the Tree of Life, which would mean all of mankind would live forever in their sinfulness. It was not because G.o.d couldn't tolerate mankind.
Adam and Eve transgressed against G.o.d, but G.o.d did not expel them from His presence. The presence of G.o.d went with Adam and Eve went with Adam and Eve and their descendants outside the Garden of Eden. I'm going to show you that even after Adam and Eve sinned and left the Garden, G.o.d was still walking and talking with them in the cool of the evening. He was still fellowshipping with them. Contrary to what most people have thought, a holy G.o.d was still fellowshipping and present with sinful mankind. and their descendants outside the Garden of Eden. I'm going to show you that even after Adam and Eve sinned and left the Garden, G.o.d was still walking and talking with them in the cool of the evening. He was still fellowshipping with them. Contrary to what most people have thought, a holy G.o.d was still fellowshipping and present with sinful mankind.
The reason G.o.d sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden was because He loved them so much, He didn't want them to partake of the Tree of Life and live forever in a body that was corrupted by sin. Sin gave Satan the opportunity to put sickness, disease, and all kinds of curses on us. Can you imagine what it would be like to have cancer destroying your body, and yet because you've eaten of the Tree of Life, you couldn't die? Can you imagine what it would be like to live for all eternity with diseases destroying your body, yet you couldn't die from them? It was G.o.d's mercy that sent mankind out of the Garden and away from the Tree of Life.
For a person who knows G.o.d and accepts His provision, there is a glorious, glorified body coming that won't be subject to the things this earthly body is subject to now in this life. There's coming a body better than Adam and Eve had after they sinned. G.o.d sent them out of the Garden because He didn't want them to live forever in a corrupted body, subject to all of the things we are subject to because of sin.