August 22, 2017 – Devotions: Your G-d Is Too Small — What Is the Nature of G-d?

What is the nature of G-d? Jesus called G-d “Abba, Father” – G-d told Moses to tell the people “I AM” sent you. From one image, that of “Father” we at least can form an image in our minds – the other simply tells us that G-d……Is. One allows a mental image and from that image comes something we can form a relationship – the other exists in time and space. In my mind, if we simply limit our G-d to just a “figure”, then we make G-d “Too small”. But when we realize that G-d exists everywhere all at once, perhaps we make G-d too much to fathom in our limited ability as humans. People of the church have struggled to define G-d for millennia. In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Melanchthon writes:

The First Article of our Confession our adversaries approve, in which we declare that we believe and teach that there is one divine essence, undivided, etc., and yet, that there are three distinct persons, of the same divine essence, and coeternal, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

The Church Fathers sought to make sense of G-d for three hundred years following the death and resurrection of Jesus. Finally at the Council of Nicaea (325) and confirmed at the Council of Constantinople (381) the Trinitarian formula was worked out into Creeds. It is through the Nicene Creed where we confess our understanding of G-d as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are, as the Apology of the Augsburg Confession states, three distinct persons, co-existent, co-eternal – of the same divine essence. But they also can make G-d seem………….unapproachable.

But when we see G-d as “Parent” or “Familial”, then we can suddenly see how a relationship can form between G-d and us. If we can accept that the whole power of the created universe comes to us as someone Jesus called “Father”, then we can begin to see the creator as someone with which we can relate. The Christian perspective is to be one where “things” do not matter – but “relationships” are everything. We may not be able to relate to the concept of “eternity” – but we can begin to form a relationship with Jesus who lived, breathed, taught, loved, healed, died, and was resurrected for all people. (Themes come from the book “Your God Is Too Small” by J. B. Phillips)

Pastor Dave