View of God

So....I was listening to Klove this morning and they were talking about a new article in the USA Today titled "How America Views God." In this article, researchers surveyed over 2,000 people on what their view of God was and how that view affected their life choices. They found that America put God in 1 of 4 categories: Authoritative, Benevolent, Distant, and Critical. We are a country where 94% say they believe in God and yet we are still trying to research the face of God, the name of God, and the character of God when He has already given us the answers to every single one of these questions: Jesus Christ.

We live in a world where we want to separate the two, Jesus in one corner and God in the other corner. We want to write articles and talk on TV about God, but without the name of Jesus. I had the amazing opportunity to give the opining prayer at the Thunder/Lakers game last season and in my "rules" of the prayer I could say anything about God, but not mention the name of Jesus.
Growing up, I had very different views about God vs. Jesus. My view of God looked like a billboard I see around town. You know the one with the black background and the white "quotes" from God. This particular one says, "Don't make me come down there. -God"
That is exactly how I viewed God. He was the all-powerful, all-knowing, authoritative, disciplinarian, distant, critical God that obviously everyone else thought He was too. Then there was Jesus, the "Jesus loves the Little Children" guy, the "dining with sinners" guy, the "make you feel all warm and fuzzy" guy. As I got older and my passion became God, the two started to merge into ONE GOD.

We have been asking these questions (name, face, character) about God from the beginning of time and God came down on this earth and answered them. God's name is Jesus. God's face is Jesus. God's character is Jesus. God showed us everything we needed to know about Him through His Son Jesus. We don't have to ask anymore "Is God a critical, judgemental God?"-the Bible says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
As followers of Jesus Christ, we don't have to wonder what our view of God is anymore. There is no "view" of God, only do you know God. There is no believe in God, only do you believe God. Our view of God should be KNOWING God. Knowing that when God sees the adulteress, he sees a woman who needs love and forgiveness and freely gives it (John 8). Knowing that when God sees sisters who have lost their brother, he cries with them because He is compassionate (John 11). Knowing that when Jesus meets the woman at the well who has searched for love in all the wrong places, he says let me have your heart and He changed her with His love (John 4). Knowing that when our view of God is skewed, His view of us is not. (John 15:12-13).

How do I KNOW all this? Not because I just read it in the Bible, but because I have lived it. I was the woman who needed love and forgiveness. I was the woman who needed God to show compassion and cry with me. I was the woman who needed love and have God change me. I know it must break the heart of God to see His children so confused about who He is. I don't just have a view of God, I KNOW God. Do you?

"I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me....I and the Father are one." -John 10:25-27, 30