1. He is a good, good Father. Very good, full of grace and mercy. Steadfast love and faithfulness are the pillars of his throne. He is full of grace and truth. He is known for his love. He is a safe place, a strong tower. But he is also dangerous. He is untamed. He is God and does not owe an account of his ways to anyone. Not to the atheist, the sceptic, the mockers – not to you or me. The question is not if you understand everything he does, but if he is God. A god that you have figured out, is not really a god. It is an idol. The apostle Paul put it like this: “Who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?” (Rom.9:20). Who do we think we are that we can judge God Almighty?
2. He is a Father. He wants a close and intimate relationship with us. We are adopted – sons and daughters. We are family of God. But he cannot be manipulated. He is not weak. He is not biased. He cannot be bribed. He will not change his will and commands for anyone. Not even for you or me. He rules the universe from a throne where angels day and night say: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” From the “beginning” of eternity, the angels cannot get past these words: “Holy, holy, holy…” They cannot yet proceed to any of God’s other attributes. To have an intimate relationship with God, doesn’t mean you can be blasé with God. Walk softly and circumspectly in his presence. Be careful: he is God. He is called the Terror of Isaac. Do not ignore the reality of the severity and wrath of God. He doesn’t participate in sin or tolerate rebellion.
3. A god who is only a father and only good, but not holy, sovereign, omniscient, ever-present, holy and almighty, is harmless and weak. He has no strength in which I can find refuge. He is just as helpless as I am against the evil in, and brokenness of, the world. A weak father cannot punish me, can be manipulated and will not be able to enforce justice and righteousness. Such a father can listen to me, have compassion, but not help me. Such a father barely concerns me when I have to face “real life”. He cannot rule, bring justice, heal people, deliver from demons, raise people from death, forgive sins. The difference between him and me is merely the fact that he is older than I am, has more experience, knows some things that I do not know. But that is about it. To such a father, I cannot entrust my life or eternity.
For many decades a God and Father was preached who was stern, far away, not loving, just judging, not merciful, not easy to appease. But now we have tamed him. We have created for ourselves a religion that suits us. We make this god not too big, otherwise, we cannot control him. We brought him down to our level. We can argue with him and challenge him, and quite easily win an argument against him. We backchat, tell him how to change his ways and that his Book is not relevant anymore. We challenge his truths.
