The Truth about God

R ead the Bible and you’ll discover that you’ve been made in the image of God. Our ability to love and create and ponder life’s meaning all spring from this imago Dei that reflects God’s nature and character.

But too often we attempt to create God in our own image. We work to construct a version of God that is palatable and tame. We long for a God who doesn’t cross us but stays within the confines of how we insist He behave.

C. S. Lewis reminds us that Aslan—the Christ figure in Narnia—is not safe but he’s good. And this goodness often confounds us since we want good on our terms not God’s. But God gets to define good. So, we’d much prefer safety to God’s uncomfortable and arbitrary goodness.

Yes, God is loving. And He’s working out His spectacular plans for our good and His glory. But there are many potentially offensive realities related to God—truths about God that can make us squirm a bit. Here are a few:

• Jesus is the only way to eternal life. 
• Real life (as God intends) is found only in relationship with Jesus 
• Jesus wants every part of your life. 
• He has the right to pry into your thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes
• God owns you. 
• You are alive to bring glory to Him. 
• He will sacrifice your reputation for His. 
• God will hurt you to help you. 
• God gets to define success for your life.
• God doesn’t want partial commitment; He wants complete and total devotion. 
• He is God; you are not.
• And by the way, He loves you completely and perfectly.