God's Ways & His Character (Job 22:21)

We can sit around all day – or a decade, or a lifetime – talking and thinking about God and how he works. Or... we can actually get to know him, and how he works. The former can be, as Bono puts it, ‘a long way down to nothing at all.’ (Stuck In A Moment, U2) The latter can be exhilarating, liberating, but a road of humility and regeneration.
 
So this is why, first and foremost, God has given us a written record of his communications, his histories of interacting with mankind, his promises and warnings and reminders – the Bible. He has given us the bible to give us a deep and wide overview and underview and cross-section view to who he is, and how he works. Otherwise, my friends, we would be left with simply my opinions, your opinions, etc. So what has God taught us about who he is and how he works? I set out 2 key points below:

1. God is Spirit, and he is Jesus Christ. This is the full and only story of the bible, Genesis to Revelation. This is undeniable theologically. This is very, very deniable according to lots of other criteria and terms – such as opinions, philosophies, mishandling of the bible, preferences, etc. But if you read the Scriptures to actually ‘see’ and ‘hear’, you will see and hear only this: God is Spirit, and this Spirit breathed itself into the person of Jesus Christ. Mysterious. Literally unfathomable. Beautiful. A door to eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and a new heart and new spirit. (Isaiah 7:14/Mt 1:23, John 1:1-5,9,14, John 4:24, John 8:58/Exodus 3:14, John 10:30,37-38, John 14:9, John 9:38, John 14:33, Rev 1:13-18, Col 1:15-20, Heb 1:3, Isaiah 9:6, etc, etc.) You will know God’s character by reading scripture, and you will know the ‘fullness of God in bodily form’ (Col 2:9) – his highest expression of his character, through the character of Jesus Christ.
   
2. God’s ways are inexplicable and powerful – and this is great news for you! Why is this good news? Let me jump to the very end point, so that you’ll let some of the mini-issues slide. Let’s consider how God deals with your – and my – sin! To actually deal with my sin, God did not just note it, ‘forgive’ it, and turn a blind eye to it. Why? Because in this manner, my sin would be ‘ever before me.’ (Ps 51:3) God might have forgiven and forgotten, but my sin would still be a blood stain on my heart and mind, now and forevermore. Is there a sin that scars your soul? Listen, look at how God works in this: God, becomes man, takes your sin into his own self – his own body and history – and dies with it in cruel form. In fact, God – Jesus Christ – dies with it at our own hands. He becomes our sin (2 Cor 5:21), and we kill him in it. Now this blood that flows, a holy blood, brings Christ back to life, and we are now told: ‘His blood speaks a better word than the blood of murder.’ (Heb 12:24) His blood covers our bloodshed, and turns our blood stains white as wool. (Isaiah 1:18) Here, through this door of Jesus Christ (John 10:9), he pours into us a ‘new heart and new spirit.’ (Ez 36:26) Here, we literally start to feel our ‘guilt’ disintegrate, disappear from our history (2 Cor 7:10), and freedom starts to seep over us now, and forevermore… This is God’s way! This a kingdom of ‘power’ not of words. (1 Cor 4:20) If God works like this, his ‘other’ ways in our life we may or may not understand this side of glory, but we can trust him. He will fight the enemy for you. He will redeem. As my brother from another mother says, ‘Let go, and let God!’

 
‘Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.’ (Job 22:21)
 
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