Where Did You Get That Idea?

There is no doubt about it. If you choose to proclaim a good God, a God who who is full of love, grace, and mercy, you're going to upset some people. I'm not sure why. I haven't figured out why Good News isn't good news to so many people. Especially those who speak of loving God. You talk to some people about the God who was revealed in Jesus and they stare back at you like a calf staring at a new gate. They are trying to reconcile this good God that you are sharing with the schizophrenic god that they have grown up with. You know...the one that they can't really trust. The one that they have to appease and satisfy. The one who seems to be blessing you one day and taking it all away the next. Where did we get this kind of idea about God?

Here's a thought: Why don't we lay aside any ideas we have about God and look for Him in the revelation of Jesus?
According to the writer of Hebrews, Jesus is the EXACT REPRESENTATION of the Father. It seems only right that we would get our understanding of God through Him. If I wanted to know a father in those days I would rather hear from a son rather than a servant. I would rather learn from the one who has been in relationship from the beginning rather than the one who is trying to box the father into their own understanding. Think about it! We have all met someone after hearing about them from a person who didn't have a good opinion of them. It taints our view. After we have a conversation or spend some time with them we walk away saying "That was a much better experience than I expected." I really do believe that the more we get to know Jesus' Father the more we will walk away from our misunderstandings. Amazed at just how good He is.

I was thinking along these lines the other day when I was considering the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. For the first time in my life, after 25 years of walking with the Lord - 23 of those invested in ministry, I discovered something in the fruit of the Spirit that I had never seen before. I saw the nature of our Heavenly Father. I realized that what His Spirit produces in us when we walk in Him is nothing short of the very things that our Father possesses in Himself. We are not supposed to read about the fruit of the Spirit and separate it from the character of the Spirit. However, I think that is what we often do. We read through this list and begin to ask ourselves how much we can check off. We have made them things that we must fulfill rather than things that we get to enjoy. We have placed it all on our shoulders rather than allow the Spirit to produce them. And we have completely kept the Father out of the equation.

God does not ask us to walk in anything that He is not already. He's not saying to walk in love while He walks in the contrary. He's not telling us to be joyful while He is perpetually upset. He's not requiring us to be good while He is evil. Where did we get that idea? It comes from the god of our own imagination. The god that we grew up with. The god that was fashioned in our darkness rather than the Abba of Jesus. If this is what the Spirit produces in us then it is fair to say that these things are in the Father as well.

Love - AGAPE - We have Scripture to verify this one: "GOD IS LOVE."
Joy - cheerfulness - aka calm delight. Who speaks of God in these terms? I remember reading that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Peace - prosperity of soul - quietness - rest.
Patience - steadfastness and/or endurance. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise...but is patient towards you."
Kindness - carries the idea of peacemaking. God was in Christ reconciling the world. Oh...and why are the peacemakers blessed?
Goodness - uprightness of heart and life. "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
Faithfulness - "God IS faithful."
Gentleness - meekness - strength under control. Sounds like our Heavenly Father.
Self-Control - ability to master desires and passions. Our Heavenly Father isn't controlled by His emotions. He's driven by what He has predetermined in His heart.

This is more than God simply revealing truths about Himself. He is revealing Himself. This is a relational encounter with the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of our Heavenly Father. This is not a list of the attribute of a Christian but a manifestation of the Spirit of God in our lives. WOW!!! What a difference.

I'm not saying that God is a teddy bear. I'm not saying that He cannot speak to us sternly, discipline us, or not be pleased with some of the boneheaded decisions we make. What I am saying is that the Father is predisposed in His affection towards us. He speaks to us as His children. Any discipline is for our good - not His. He is always working in us, conforming us into the image of His Son, reminding us of the life that He has placed within and before us. He's not for you because you are behaving correctly. He was for you before you were ever born. He loved the world and gave His Son. That love has not failed, has not been extinguished, and will not fade away. It's His choice. You may be able to choose to experience this love personally, but you will not deter what He has already chosen to do in your life or change Him from who He has decided to be for you.

Take some time to look through this for yourself. Ask Jesus to reveal His Father to you. I'm not saying that this is an exhaustive list. What I am saying is that it is a good place to start. When we walk in the Spirit we will encounter His nature, and His nature will be revealed in us. Enjoy the journey!