"We are all Worshipping the same God" (Not exactly!)

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise      man glory in his wisdom, neither let the      mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: (24)But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.   Jeremiah 9:23-24 In the Bible, we find God urging us to know and understand Him.   Futhermore, we find Him describing Him- self using the three attributes mentioned in the opening verse: "lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness." Note that these three are NOT the well known "three omni's": Omniscience, all-knowing; Omnipotent, all- powerful; and Omnipresence, all-present. Most people who worship God would be quick to recognize God as being all-knowing, all- powerful, and all-present.   And if this was all there was to describing God, then perhaps, one could say that we are all worshipping the same God.   However, as we've already noted, there is more to God than just three omni's. One God, one description . . . God has a distinct personality, independent of anyone's personal conception.   Yet, often within each of our minds, resides the actual god we worship.   Our mental picture of what God is like

becomes our god.   So, to say that we all worship the same God, cannot be true, considering that each person pictures God differently. There is only one God; only one description of Him.   Thus, the only way we can all be worshipping the same God is if we all know and understand the one true and living God described in the Bible. So let's begin with the three things God mentions in our opening verse: "loving- kindness, judgment, and righteousness"--as it happens, these are the very same three attributes that are often misunderstood. Righteousness . . . God delights in righteousness. This may seem predictable to some, but think carefully what this fully implies. A love of doing right brings with it a hate of doing wrong, any wrong, no matter who commits it.   And since even ignoring a wrongful act is not right in itself, God's inherent desire to act righteously in every conceivable way forces Him to judge every sinful act (more about judgment later.) Therefore, you can't worship God expecting to please Him, if you are practicing wrongful acts--like so many, who claim they are worshipping God and yet they live like the devil.

"The only way we can all be worshipping the same God is if we all know and understand the one true and living God"

PEOPLE WILL OFTEN show up on Sunday      mornings, particularly Christmas and      Easter, because it's the right thing to do. And yet the rest of the time they get drunk, swear, tell dirty jokes, lust after the opposite sex, steal from work, and do many other wrong things. (Some in our society may argue whether the acts just mentioned are even wrong in the first place, but one can't deny the sense of guilt that normally accompanies them--our conscience gives us away, as described in Romans 2:14-15 and John 8:9). My friend, the Bible says, "God is not mocked" (Gal. 6:7).   God does not approve of acts of hypocrisy--to do so would be wrong, and God delights in doing right!   Referring to God, the Bible says, "HE LOVETH RIGHTEOUSNESS and judgment."   Psalm 33:5 God derives pleasure from doing right, thinking right, and even seeing us do right.   This means He derives displeasure from our acts of unrighteousness.   "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.   THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HATED INIQUITY [SIN]."   Heb. 1:9 If the God you are worshipping tolerates acts that are wrong, then you are not worshipping the God of the Bible.   "...But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he UNDERSTANDETH AND KNOWETH ME."   Jer. 9:24 Judgment . . . God says, "I am the LORD which exercise.... JUDGMENT."   Most people interpret the word

"judgment" ambiguously; it means different degrees of severity to different people.    Some assume that God's judgment is easygoing; they feel that since "God understands we are only human," He won't be too picky when judging us.   But just how strict is God's judgment?   What actions will He let slide? Jesus Christ told us how "picky" God will be: "But I say unto you, That EVERY IDLE WORD that men shall speak, they shall GIVE ACCOUNT thereof in the day of judgment."   Mat. 12:36    My friend, keep in mind that the driving force behind God's strict judgment is His intense desire to do right.   The Bible says, "And he shall JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, he shall minister judgment to the people IN UPRIGHTNESS."   Psalm 9:8 It is God's hatred of wrong-doing that guarantees complete judgment will be carried out.   In 2 Tim. 4:8, the Bible refers to God as "the Lord, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE."   Furthermore, "RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT are the habitation of his throne."   Psalm 97:2 "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, AND to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Pet. 2:9). This last verse you just read brings us to the third attribute found in our opening verse: Lovingkindness . . . After reading about God's judgment, some may find it contradictory to accredit Him with lovingkindness.   Many feel God can't be both: God is either loving or judgmental.   But again, we find that one attribute is the driving force behind the other.   God's judgment stems from His uncompromising desire to do right.   And His

desire for righteousness comes from His lovingkindness.   In fact, the Bible says that "God is love" (1 John 4:8).   Not that He merely displays love, or practices it, but HE IS LOVE! which was necessary in order to save us from eternity in Hell.   "Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HlS BLOOD, we shall be SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM."   Rom. 5:9 Righteousness and judgment are exactly what you would expect from someone who is love.   And, yet, most people can't understand how God can judge and love man at the same time. The Bible clearly resolves this so-called dilemma.   One merely has to read the most famous Bible verse of all, a verse many claiming to worship God are already familiar with: "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 writer(s) of the Psalms knew     and understood God.   Many     times in the Psalms we find God's righteousness, judgment and lovingkindness mentioned. In one such occasion, we read: "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.   Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant."   (Psalm 119:75-76). Do you view God as having the attributes the psalmist just mentioned? Do you know the same God the psalmist did?   Are you both worshipping the same God?   If not, then we are obviously not all worshipping the same God. You may have no problem seeing God's lovingkindness in sacrificing His only begotten Son on our behalf, but has it ever occurred to you why Christ had to die in the first place? In death, Christ took OUR DESERVED JUDGMENT! Jesus Christ "was wounded FOR OUR transgressions, he was bruised FOR OUR INIQUITIES: the chastise- ment of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5).    Thus, God's judgment is found in John 3:16, along with His love. You may have read John 3:16 many times and never noticed the fact that God's love AND judgment are demonstrated in the same verse. Let's begin with love. The Bible says: "But God commendeth [PROVED] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Rom. 5:8).   Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man LAY DOWN HIS LIFE for his friends" (John 15:13).   This is exactly what Christ did for you and me.   He died for us.   He died in our place.   He paid the debt of our sin, My friend, God could not simply forsake judgment in the name of love any more than He could ignore His love toward us, in the name of judgment.    God was confronted with the apparent "dilemma" of carrying out two actions that He greatly delights in, so He resolved it by doing the right thing: He paid the penalty for sin Himself, thus avoiding any compromise. In closing, ask yourself: Do I really know and understand God?   Am I worshipping the same God I've just read about?   If the answer is no, you can learn how by reading the back [below] . . .

IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE you would go to Heaven?   The Bible says YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13). BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you from going to Heaven are your sins, because: "...your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2. In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23. SECONDLY, you must realize that there is NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."   (Eph. 2:8-9)   Baptism, good deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are all examples of good works that cannot save you, because, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he [Christ] saved us," Titus 3:5. THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   (John 14:6)   THAT'S WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."   Romans 5:8-9 THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner and can't save yourself.   And call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.   "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   Romans 10:9 SEND THE LIGHT P.O. Box 815   Fargo, ND 58107

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