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God/Father of Those Who Fear Him.
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Lesson Seven: by turtle
Last week we talk about God being all power and almighty. We understand God is in
control and He created everything. This week once we understand God authority we need
to understand God is a God of love. Many critics do not see God of the old testament as a
God of love. In Sunday school this is one of the first things they teach you about God, as
a child. Now what is the truth and why do people seem to question God's love. First I
think people confuse love for the emotion they feel inside them when they adore someone.
Love is really a choice. A choice whether to show love or receive love. God is love the
Bible says.
1 John 4:8 KJV
(8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
God is love. If you do not know God you do not know love. Love in the world since in an
emotion that is given to whoever for however long. Love seems to be conditional to the
world. God's love is unconditional. He loves us whether we are good or bad. Love
meaning He gives us a choice to believe or to recognize Him or not.
1 John 4:9-12 KJV
(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins.
(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
(12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and
his love is perfected in us.
God love us so much He sent His Son. He gave us free choice whether to accept is gift or
not. It is a choice whether to accept Christ or not. It is a choice whether to accept love. I
was thinking as I wrote about this old saying. If you love something let it go and if it
comes back it was yours to begin with. In a since that is what God does with us. He let us
go and live a life without Him. He then gives us a choice whether we will come to Him or
not. Whether we will believe Him or not. He gives us a choice whether to love Him back.
Often we try to pigeon hole God. Make God into what we want Him to be. Instead of
giving God free will to do what He thinks is best. Despite this God still does what He
thinks is best for us, despite how we respond.
Romans 8:39 KJV
(39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What about Old Testament? Did God give man a choice. It often seem God commanded
love? No, God always gave man a choice. A choice whether to follow and obey Him or to
go about their own merry way.
I thought God was a a God of judgment in the old testament. Yes God is a God of
judgment, but one must put it into context of what is happening. God says follow me, or
you will be left to your own devises and this is what will happen. We must remember God
knows everything. Which is also another topic on who God is. In the Bible it sounds like if
you do not obey then I will destroy you. Many none believers look at God being
controlling and failing to see the choice God is giving man.
Two years after I was married I went through a period in my life that I had to make a
choice of who I really believed God was. God was existence was not a problem for me, but
who did I truly believe God was. So I picked up my Bible and began reading. I knew the
answer was in God's word. That was not a stumbling block for me either. Main reasons
these were not problems for me, was because of the miracles I had seen in my own life.
But I realized I really did not know God in the way I truly needed to know Him. I did not
want to just repeat what I learned all these years in church or even out of church. I wanted
to know why I believed what I did. One of the first things I remember learning as I read,
was God was a God of love. And though I did not understand love as being a choice that
is exactly what God explained to me. In other words I never put it in those words before.
Exodus 20:5-6 KJV
(5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me;
(6) And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my
commandments.
Choosing God also means we receive mercy. God does not like anything to become
between us and Him. Adam and Eve found this out when they disobeyed God. God gave
them a choice to obey or not to obey. Just like He gave the children of Israel the choice to
follow Him and He in return would show them mercy. God knew from the beginning we
were only created in His image but we were not equal to Him. He knew we were imperfect.
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