Who IS God?

 Who Is God?

Hello, welcome today. As we get ready to head into the Holiday season and get into a tradition here at TAG that is the "The Gift" Series, I thought perhaps it would be important to start out by going back to basics.

See, for many, Christmas, and Easter are the only times that they go to church. The only times during the year that they may even think about God or anything to do with Him. We all know, at least most in some way, that Christmas is all about "The Gift," Jesus, being born unto us for our salvation. But where does He come from? Who is God after all? Is He even real? Well?

"In the beginning, God"

To believe in anything greater than self, greater than what can be seen, heard, or touched, one must believe in God. To accept reality, one must believe in God. To believe in science and math, one must believe in God. To understand life itself, one must believe in God.

The truth is simple. There are two predominant theories of why we are here. One, evolution. The second, creationism. One is scientifically, and mathematically, impossible. The other, many say, it takes too much faith to believe in. I submit to you, that to believe in evolution, you would have to possess much more faith than to believe in God.

Evolution would have you believe that there was nothing. From nothing, came one single-cell organism, and that one single-cell organism formed into every life on the planet. Hot-blooded, cold-blooded, trees plants mosquitoes, man, etc. EVERYTHING.

Now science and mathematics both prove this false. Nothing from nothing is nothing. Nothing to nothing is nothing. You must first have something to be added. Second, DNA and other scientific breakthroughs prove that we are not all related. Hot, cold-blooded, trees, people, fish, ETC. We are all unique and can not have evolved from one cell. So to believe in evolution, you have to have faith that what science and mathematics prove false, actually happened.

So we have God. God said, BANG! There was life. God said, there is man. God created all that is, was, and ever will be. God IS. If God is, then we are nothing more than part of his creation and to truly be happy, must get to know who He is and what he wants for us. That age-old question. Why are we here? Who is God? What can we do, to get to know Him?

So let's look at God. God is not, some old man, sitting on a throne, demanding your respect, or he is ready to condemn you to everlasting damnation. Sorry. He's not. Let me introduce you to God. Not some form of God created by the traditions of man called religion, nor by the mind of some fiction writer weaving a story. No, I want to introduce you to the real God. The God who loves the world so, he gave his only begotten Son to die for all mankind.

God created us. We sinned and turned out backs on him. He wanted to wipe out all his creation for the second time, yet found ONE man faithful. Noah. Because of Noah, mankind was given a second chance.

"And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth." Genesis 6:13

Noah followed what God said, and we were all spared. Every time you look up in the sky and see a rainbow, know that this is God's Promise to Noah.

"and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." Genesis 9:10-15

So having established a new covenant with the one man on earth, that God found faithful and just, God could by no way destroy us all. Even though, again, being all of one accord, one language, one mindset, we turned our backs on God again. We fell into the same temptation as Lucifer and attempted to enter into Heaven itself. It was called the Tower of Babel.

"Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth." Genesis 11:1-9

Ever since this time, Racism and division have existed. But this was still not enough. Man's heart was continually evil and the imaginations of it were as well. God gave us the Ten Commandments not to make our lives more difficult, but to keep us safe and in good graces, with Him and the ways He established for us. We forgot these Laws. So he sent profits to warn us. Entire Races of people ignored His will and reaped the fruits of their disobedience. Then, he decided there was only one way. Jesus.

God laid down His Godhood and became flesh.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.." John 1:14

John 3:16?

"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."

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"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

See we see signs in sporting events. On TV. All over the place. John 3:16. But most of the time. That's where it stops. You see this is true. God loved the world so. Did many things to attempt to save us from ourselves. The only thing left for him to do is to pay the price for us. So he sent Jesus, God in the flesh, to suffer all sin and death, that we may live. However, in this very simplicity, mankind still finds a way to get lost. They seem, many, to think, it can't be this simple. But it is. Again?

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Notice it does not say, God said, believe in Jesus or be sent to hell. No. It says, believe in Jesus, and be saved. There is a big difference. You see, God does not say, believe, or else. He says believe or else there is nothing more for you to do. You are ALREADY condemned. You Condemn yourselves, by not accepting the gift.

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Let's say you are in debt. You are about to lose your home. I come in and say, I understand you are in debt. You are about to lose your home. You owe a price you can not pay. Here I am. I will pay it for you. Take this briefcase full of money. There is more than enough to pay your price and even make the rest of your life one of ease.

You have a choice to make now. Say yes. Take the gift. Save your home and live at ease. Or? Say no. Do not take the gift. You lose your home and suffer many things. Did I condemn you to this? No. You CHOSE it. By not accepting the gift I have for you. What was about to happen, happens. I do not hate you. I am not vengeful toward you. I'm not punishing you. You CHOSE to reject my gift.

Look at the hot stove. You are cooking. Your child comes up and goes to touch the stove. You tell your child, "No. Do not touch it. If you touch it, you will be burned." He touches it. He gets burned. Did you burn him? No. You simply told him what would happen because you wanted to spare him the pain.

God is the same. Look at Romans 8

"What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

So it is God who justifies who you are. It is God who sees your heart and knows your mind. He is the one that makes you whole, and pure. Able to accept the gift of salvation. Does it then mean it is God that also condemns? If you do not do what he says, he will throw you in the lake of fire? No. What does it say?

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

You see, God condemns no human. He created Hell for Lucifer and the third of the Angles that followed him.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:41

In Isaiah 14:11-13

"Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;"

Revelations 12:8-10

"but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God."

And in Revelations 20:9-10

"And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever"

Hell was never intended for man. It was created for and exists for the devil. However, we all have free will. We can choose to accept the gift of life, which is simply accepting Jesus, or we can choose not to. If we chose not to, then we go down the same road. We chose the same path. We reject God. He does not reject us. It is by our own actions that we are condemned, or it is by the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus, we are saved.

Continuing in Revelations 20:11-15

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Again, who is it that is written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Those that accept the Lamb. Those that accept his sacrifice for their lives. His death that they may live. God is a God of Love. He created you out of love. He will not condemn you, of which he loved so, he gave Jesus to suffer all that is. Did He do this just to justify sending you to everlasting condemnation? Everlasting torment? He has given you the simplest way out. He has even paid the price for you. All you have to do is accept it.

So the next time you hear that God is a God of hate, and vengeance, just waiting to condemn anyone that does not obey him to everlasting torment, know this. It is a lie. Understand who God really is. The only way to fully understand God is to get to know him. The only way to get to know him is to accept the gift that is the Christ Jesus and his sacrifice for you. Whereby you can then receive the Spirit of Adoption, and cry Abba Father.

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Romans 8:14-15

If you are hearing of these things for the first time, please, take a second. Say this prayer in your own words.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I believe that He came to earth to die for my sins. I believe that He raised from the dead. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. You have just become a new creature. You have just been adopted into the family of God. Get to know him. If you do not have a church, ask Him to lead you to the one HE wants you to be a part of. Get Baptized as an outward profession of your faith. Get to know His Word, and keep it. For it will keep you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, God Bless, and Jesus IS Lord!