Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

This is not at all what you hear in most churches today! That said, it was central to the sermon that triggered the revival, called The Great Awakening, that prepared Americans for the Revolutionary War. When we forget this face of God we lose sight of the magnificence of His grace. Very few people grasp what it means that God is perfectly holy. We imagine Him as being like we are, only better and stronger. That’s how the Greeks and others came up with the gods of their pantheons. Atheists regularly accuse religious people of “creating God in their own image,” and far too often they have a real point. None of us grasps God in His fullness, because He is literally infinite and we aren’t. However, if we approach Him in genuine humility and reverence, He reveals Himself to us. As He told Jeremiah, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) What is written here must be balanced with the fact that He is a personal God, that He cares about and relates to us individually. That is something that is missing from most religions, and sadly, from the awareness of many cultural Christians. That the infinite, omnipotent Creator of the universe would care about individual human beings defies all human logic and understanding, but it is a vital part of the Gospel we proclaim. That He would abound in love and grace on top of that is positively miraculous, but then, that’s part of the definition of God, isn’t it? We need to press beyond the various caricatures of God that have been presented to us, from Santa Claus to a bearded old man in the clouds to whatever, to offer God the worship, obedience, and love that He is due.

Once again I am aware of how very blessed I am to have been raised by parents who knew, loved, and served God with their whole lives. My image of God was always incomplete, even as it is right now, but I don’t think it was ever badly distorted. The issue is how obedient I have been to the God I know. As a pastor, and particularly one in Japan, my major challenge is in fostering an accurate image of God in those to whom I minister. I love to speak of His love and grace, but the danger is in creating an image of a “sugar daddy,” a Santa who just gives us things. At the same time, I don’t want to create an image of a stern old man with a stick, just waiting to whack us when we step out of line. In God’s holiness He cannot excuse sin, but in His love He has made repentance possible through the blood of His Son. That is the very core of the Gospel, and I must never forget it.

Father, thank You for the privilege of proclaiming Your Gospel. Help me be both bold and accurate in doing so, so that the lies of the devil may be exposed and refuted and people be set free to repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!