R.C. Sproul is known for saying that everyone is a theologian because every person has a view of God. The question, then, is not do you have a view of God? But rather, is your view of God, right? All people have one of four views of God.
1. No view.
These are the people that claim God is non-existent—that He isn’t real. People that have no view of God believe that He is a made-up celestial being that, frankly, seems ridiculous to believe in.
2. Wrong view.
These are the people that believe a variety of things about God: He’s not loving, He is simply the Creator—not Lord, He is one with His creation, and on and on we can go. Friends, let me remind you that it is through His Word that we learn the truth about who God is. The quickest way to avoid error is by embracing truth. So, let me encourage you: read the Bible. Memorize the Bible. Meditate on the Bible. Talk about the Bible. Sing the Bible. Study the Bible. Because it is through the Bible that we learn about who God truly is.
Many of us often view God as being just a bigger version of ourselves.
3. Small view.
These are the people that believe God does exist, but that He isn’t sovereign or all-powerful. I seem to encounter more and more people who view God as nothing more than the man upstairs, ready to help you (if He can) whenever you *might* need Him to. And, let’s be honest, the reason why many of us often view God in this way is because we tend to think of God as being just a bigger version of ourselves. In his book, Radical, David Platt expounds on this when he writes the following:
“We Americans tend to mold God into our own image. He’s beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is who we are most comfortable with. The danger now is when we gather in our church buildings to sing, and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshipping the God of the Bible. Instead, we may be worshipping ourselves.”
If God is just a slightly bigger version of us we have no hope for freedom from our sin, justice in the age to come, or eradication of all wickedness because we have no power to do such things. And this is why we must seek to have the fourth view of God.
4. Biblical view.
We need to know and teach others that God is a holy, powerful, sovereign God. He stretches the heavens like a curtain and is seated enthroned above the heavens. He does all He pleases, as He pleases, as He pleases. He takes no counsel from man because He is, in and of Himself all-wise. He is sustaining all things, orchestrates all things, and knows all things. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. The King of all kings, the owner of all things. Our God is a consuming fire. That is who God is.
This article is an excerpt from a sermon I preached at College Park Church. You can view the sermon here:
Unseen God Now Made Known from College Park Church on Vimeo.