Your Assumptions about God’s Character

What do you think about God? Have you ever thought about that? Even those of us who are totally committed, will forever be God’s own children, love Him and love to serve Him — are we limiting ourselves… and limiting God?

As I’d mentioned in another post, the Bible is loaded with verses describing some of God’s characteristics. Here are a few characteristics of God:

• Love
• Light
• Rich in Mercy
• Author of Peace
• God of the Living
• Faithful
• Good

As workmen of God’s Word, and to rightfully understand the Bible, we must acknowledge that God’s Word is Truth and that God is not the author of confusion and that the Bible cannot contradict itself.

Those points (just a few) may seem like a lot to swallow, but they are, and must be, very foundational to understanding God’s Word.

So, why do I say all of that? Well, because of God’s character. And… what we think (consciously or not) about God’s character.

Is what we think about God in line with what God says about Himself?

I’m sure we have some of the big things (or general concepts) about God understood. Things such as “God is love” and “God is light” — we hear those a lot already. Nothing new there.

But, maybe what I’m asking is more like this: To what degree do we allow ourselves to believe a characteristic about God? For example, this verse:

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
— 1 John 1:5

“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

How close have we come to understanding the depth of this verse? We could dwell on this one characteristic of God for days and weeks just to catch a glimpse of how deep this verse goes!

Like the Psalmist says:

I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
— Psalms 77:12

How much is the Truth about God’s characteristics a part of who you are? How much have you made this Truths the reality in your own life?

How do your assumptions about God match up to God’s True character?

It’s easy in the world in which we live to attribute characteristics to God that aren’t right and are contrary to what God says about Himself in the Bible.

And it’s not obvious.

The perfect, pure, holy, righteous goodness of God and His characteristics are constantly under attack. It’s subtle, like the serpent in the garden at the beginning. Yet, the dust settling on our assumptions eventually builds into something: first a mound, then a hill, then a wall and eventually (if not checked) a stronghold.

After thinking to yourself for so long — God is not light, how can He be because of this and that? — you begin to believe this is true and your assumptions of God are louder than the Truth that can set you free.

And it’s not obvious.

It takes time to build a stronghold in your life. But, through Jesus Christ, we can find a way out — a way to cast that stronghold — our false ideas of God — to the ground:

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
— 2 Corinthians 10:5

Notice, it’s all in the mind. Sound familiar?

Take some time to dwell on the Truth about God. Take some time to also seek out those strongholds built up in your mind that are contrary to God’s Word… and cast them down.

Assume the Truth about God.