Learning the Characteristics of God
This got me thinking about how when we get close to someone or a group of people we tend to take on their characteristics consciously or not. This is why we as believers in Christ should be careful what we say and do. Just as this is important it also works the other way around be careful what you're putting into your own mind. I truly believe when God places people in our lives it gives us the opportunity if taken to impact their lives. They may not look the way you have imagined and without judging them you take that moment to put love and care into them you can watch as they feel the love of God through you. They will start changing before your eyes. I know this is true as I experienced it first-hand. I wasn't consistently raised in a specific church growing up. I often walked to the nearest church near me or got on the Sunday School Bus that came to the housing projects where I lived every Saturday on what I would later learn was bus ministry. It wasn't until I was over 18 years old that I actually became part of any specific church. No one told me I had to look a certain way or had to stop doing anything specific. It was a personal conviction God put in my spirit that made me feel uncomfortable. In the worlds eyes they don't understand how or why we are different or set apart from the things they know and understand to be good to them. Why we would choose to come out from among them and take on new and sometimes unusual characteristics of the heavenly Father. We don't think it's being better than them, but we become part of a different kingdom. One not of this world this is why it's difficult for them to try and comprehend these ways. God's word says in Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. Is this just for us? Why no! The word of God says it's for all in 2 Peter 3:9.
In James 4:7 it says, "Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. You are here because you have felt the drawing of God in your life. He wants you to get to know Him on a personal level. He is not a fairy-tale or a made up god. He is God Almighty the Great I Am, who wrapped himself in flesh lowering himself from the heavens to be an example for you, to redeem you, and to save you. When I gave my life to Jesus, I had never felt as loved as I did in that moment, it was pure and holy. I wanted to know more of Him. I began studying the scriptures, sure I knew what I used to call the basic stories that we all learn in Sunday School or in Vacation Bible School, but I would later find that I really only had the basic knowledge of these stories. However, there was a whole lot more to these stories than what we can see with our natural earthy person. You see in John 4:23-24 Jesus is talking with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus told her that the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. 24) God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. God being a spirit he is invisible to man's natural eyes. In Exodus 33:20 God was speaking to Moses; "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. From the foundation of the world, God had a plan to reconcile himself and man back together by a Lamb slain, Revelation 13:8. Who is the Lamb? Well let us look at 1 Peter 1:19-20 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you. Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection set forth the New Covenant between God and man through the birth of the church where you were naturally born in the flesh now Jesus describes us being born of the Spirit.
The 2nd chapter of Acts of the Apostles describes the first occurrence of 120 who had obeyed the last command of Jesus Christ before he ascended up into heaven. They had been waiting, praying, and fasting for the promise to come. 2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing might wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. This is exactly what Jesus was telling the woman at Samaria was going to happen. Acts 2:39 lets us know this wasn't just for these 120 people as it says for this promise is unto you and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. This means that this new birth experience of Acts 2:38 is for everyone. Once you have received the Spirit you are now also to walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5:16. Walking in the Spirit to me is like the opportunity that Adam lost back at the Garden of Eden when God would come at the cool of the day to walk with him before sin entered into the world. As you walk with Him and talk with Him you will begin to learn who He is and He will reveal Himself to you just as he revealed himself to Moses.
We can find descriptions of God's character all throughout the Word of God. We find a very good description of God when Moses went back upon mount Sinai and had to hue out the two stones himself to replace the Ten Commandments after throwing the ones God made down when he returned to find the children of Israel worshipping a graven image made of gold. Exodus 34:6-7 6) And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation. After 430 years of bondage to Egypt the people fall right back into the sin they were brought out of forgetting their God. I can't help but think of Psalms 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? God made a covenant with a chosen people that he called out and even though they change, the I AM YHWH is unchanging as stated in Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. God does not change just because the people change. It is here in this Old Testament scripture that wrath and mercy meet. God reveals himself to Moses on mount Sinai in the same way that Jesus will on the cross in the New Testament where wrath and mercy will meet again. The two scriptures in Exodus 34:6-7 is quoted again in other places by Moses, Jonah, the Psalms, and Nahum reminding the people of God's grace and mercy but also the wrath to those who do not keep his covenant. This scripture is also fulfilled through Jesus Christ as in verse 14 of John ; 14)And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. vs. 16) And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life, John 3:16. The God in the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament who provided the final redemption story to save all that will keep his covenant with our blessed Creator, Lord and Savior and his name is Jesus. In all the glory that Moses saw, he wasn't able to look upon the face of God as God told him that no man could look upon him and live. You see God's glory was not revealed in the law of the Old Testament as the law was incomplete which is why Jesus Christ fulfills that incompleteness as now we know in John 1:14, "we have seen his glory."
Galatians 3:10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for , The just shall live by faith. 12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15) Brethern, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to they seed, which is Christ. 17) And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18) For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19) Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20) Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21) Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25) But after that faith is come, we no longer under a schoolmaster. 26) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is nether bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Now that Jesus has fulfilled the law and through his death, burial, and resurrection we now have a New Covenant where ALL can be re-born into the kingdom of God through Acts 2:38. Once you have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and fire you are also to continue to walk in the Spirit daily. This puts us in the Dispensation of Grace, who's grace, God's grace. So as you begin to walk with God daily you will start to take on his characteristics by putting off the old man you are now able to receive the Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Jesus told his disciples two commandments he gives; Matthew 22:37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38) This is the first and great commandment. 39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. 40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. In 1 John 4: 6) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. In 1 John 4:14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. 1 John 4:19) We love him, because he first loved us. Love is the greatest characteristic of God at his very core that makes all other characteristics in harmony. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 that even though he speaks in tongues and he did not have charity (love) then he would just be a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Vs. 2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. There is a song that comes to mind when I see a new believer truly feel God's overwhelming love for the first time that says, "It makes me love everybody" You can see it all over their face and the joy that floods over them as they want to hug everyone after God fills them with his Spirit. God's love transforms us and it truly a life changing experience. What a wonderful covenant that we today have a chance to be a part of. We have seen his glory through our Lord Jesus Christ something that Moses prayed and seeked for.
My prayer for you is that you walk in the Spirit daily with God that is his desire. Kept studying the word to get to know him deeper.
God's Blessings on You.
Sylvia Clemons
Other scriptures quoted from Exodus 34:6-7: Numbers 14:18, Nehemiah 9:17,31; Psalms 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; and Nahum 1:3
Next step of study: The Flesh Vs. Spirit Part 1
Flesh vs. Spirit Part I (sylviasjournalandthouhts.blogspot.com)
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