Why We Must Think Rightly About God
What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.
The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. — A. W. Tozer
Christians are to be God’s people. Yet, what does that mean? Who’s people? What God? This question is the heart of every true believer and the place where every heresy finds its foundation. Either God is perfect and good and sovereign and holy and loving and defined in the terms given to us in revelation or god is something else. Often these other gods are kind of like God, but some virtue gets over-emphasized. A heretic may love a god of love but avoids the god of wrath whereas another worships a god of justice who is not a god of mercy. Yet, God is who He is and not what we want Him to be.
Always this God will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind, according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges.
The other gods are idols. Whether they are carved or molded or simply gods of the mind, they are still idols. “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21) The idols available are legion, but the God of heaven is One. Tozer reminds us of Psalm 50:21, “you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.” God does not suffer idolators and is quite jealous of the worship of himself.
“Perverted notions about God soon rot the religion in which they appear.” Tozer rightly points us to history. The church and the ancient chronicles of Israel provide us with ample evidence. If you start to take God for granted, if you forget who He is, if you aren’t careful enough in making sure your leadership knows and loves God, corruption and destruction will follow.
The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him - and of her. In all her prayers and labors this should have first place.
The very purpose of the church is first to glorify God and to do that we must know intimately the One we worship.
Cheers.
