Re: What Does God Look Like?

 

Why is this question important?

A clear conception of what God is, and what he requires us to be, will give us humble views of self. He who studies aright the sacred word, will learn that human intellect is not omnipotent; that, without the help which none but God can give, human strength and wisdom are but weakness and ignorance. {CE 37.2}

Sharp spiritual eyesight will be given every true seeker. The Lord bids us, "Seek ye My face." And individually we should respond, "Thy face, Lord, will I seek." This is the call of God, and this the appropriate answer to that call. The Lord wishes us to know Him as a kind, tender Father, who has our interest and happiness in mind. {ST, March 17, 1898 par. 5}

Will you not ask, as Moses did, for a revelation of God's character? "Show me Thy glory," he pleaded. And God granted his request, and made all His goodness pass before him. When you catch a glimpse of the goodness of God, you will have a tongue of wisdom.

We cannot present any correct representation in words of God's glory and majesty. It is beyond expression. But we can enjoy the contemplation of God, and the sense of His presence. We can know of Him all that human beings can bear. We can talk with Him in prayer. {UL 347.6}

At times, when our faith goes out to Him completely, we converse with Him, and by faith endure the seeing of the Invisible. Faith revealed Him and we contemplate all that we can endure. When in times of trouble and perplexity we trust Him fully, we have a living sense of His cheering, all-pervading presence and power. We realize that the Lord is indeed our strength and our portion forever. We can be one with Christ in God. But let us never undertake to define God as an essence. Never, never venture one step into the way of putting God in the place of the things of His creation.--Manuscript 126, Nov. 29, 1905,

To know God as He is,--this is the science of all goodness and truth and righteousness. We must obey every expression of His character as revealed in His law. {SpTB07 7.1}

…Unless our faith shall pierce his hellish shadow, and we obtain a view of the holiness of God's character, we shall be divested of our strength, and become purposeless, helpless, weak, and inefficient…

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-11).

Call to mind each day what God is to you. Talk of His perfection, of His glory, and with this in mind, ask yourself what you can do for Him. Remember that He has intrusted you with His goods. Repeat over and over, "This God is my God forever and ever." Those who in this life give willingly and cheerfully to God are laying up treasure in heaven. They will at last come into possession of an eternal weight of glory. Battle Creek, April 2. {RH, May 28, 1901 par. 15}

My brethren, while God has entrusted us with talents for which we are responsible to Him alone,--while He requires us to preserve our individuality,--yet He desires every one of us to be so closely united with Christ that our personal identity will be hid with Him in God.

Q: How can you emulate someone you cannot see?

We need to have higher and more distinct views of the character of Christ, to lead us to copy his example. We need to better understand what constitutes a pure religious life. We must learn to be Christ-like in disposition and character. We need an increase of faith in the promises of God. He has shown us great and precious favors; he has revealed to us his glory, all loving, holy. These attributes are blended with justice and mercy. We are not to think of God only as a judge, and to forget him as our loving Father. Nothing can do our souls greater harm than this; for our whole spiritual life will be molded by our conceptions of God's character. We have lessons to learn of Jesus' love. He has been ever solicitous for our welfare.

We are to know God as He is revealed in His marvelous works. Who by searching can find out God? This is not part of our work. . . . God's character is expressed in the Ten Commandments. To know God as He is--this is the science of all goodness and truth and righteousness. We must obey every expression of His character as revealed in His law. {UL 347.4}

The contemplation and study of God's character as revealed in His created works will open a field of thought that will draw the mind away from low, debasing, enervating amusements. The knowledge of God's works and ways we can only begin to obtain in this world; the study will be continued throughout eternity. God has provided for man subjects of thought which will bring into activity every faculty of the mind. We may read the character of the Creator in the heavens above and the earth beneath, filling the heart with gratitude and thanksgiving. Every nerve and sense will respond to the expressions of God's love in His marvelous works. {CG 50.1}

Let the thought, the aptitude, the keen exercise of brain power, be given to the study of the thoughts of God.

Jesus Christ is everything to us,--the first, the last, the best in everything. Jesus Christ, His Spirit, His character, colors everything; it is the warp and woof, the very texture of our entire being. The words of Christ are spirit and life. We cannot, then, center our thoughts upon self; it is no more we that live, but Christ that liveth in us, and He is the hope of glory. Self is dead, but Christ is a living Saviour. Continuing to look unto Jesus, we reflect His image to all around us. We cannot stop to consider our disappointments, or even to talk of them; for a more pleasant picture attracts our sight,--the precious love of Jesus. He dwells in us by the word of truth.--"Testimonies to Ministers," pp. 387-390.

The form in which we view God will affect the way in which we see and treat other people.

What are some things that we all believe that He is?

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. ⁶ And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ⁷ Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Psalm 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

His voice is heard, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love" (Jer. 31:3). "With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee" (Isa. 54:8).

All through the Scriptures, God is represented as one who calls, woos by His tender love, the hearts of His erring children. No earthly parent could be as patient with the faults and mistakes of their children as is God with those He seeks to save. No one could plead more tenderly with the transgressor. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Ps. 97:1, 2. {TMK 366.1} The law of love is the foundation of God's government, and the service of love the only service acceptable to Heaven. God has granted freedom of will to all, endowed men with capacity to appreciate His character, and therefore with ability to love Him and to choose His service. So long as created beings worshiped God they were in harmony throughout the universe. While love to God was supreme, love to others abounded. As there was no transgression of the law, which is the transcript of God's character, no note of discord jarred the celestial harmonies. {TMK 366.2} But known unto God are all His works, and from eternal ages the covenant of grace (unmerited favor) existed in the mind of God . . .{TMK 366.3}

We are not to think of God only as a judge and to forget Him as our loving Father. Nothing can do our souls greater harm than this, for our whole spiritual life will be molded by our conceptions of God's character. . . . {TMK 262.2}

God is love, and He cares for us. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him."

Through Jesus, God's mercy was manifested to men; but mercy does not set aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of God's character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man's redemption. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19). . . . {AG 74.2}

God is the Fountain of life and power. . . . {AG 75.2}

The precepts of the Decalogue are adapted to all mankind, and they were given for the instruction and government of all. Ten precepts, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, cover the duty of man to God and to his fellow man; and all based upon the great fundamental principle of love. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Luke 10:27. {FLB 86.2} God's law is not a new thing. It is not holiness created, but holiness made known. It is a code of principles expressing mercy, goodness, and love. It presents to fallen humanity the character of God, and states plainly the whole duty of man. {FLB 86.3}

God is a lover of the beautiful. He has given us unmistakable evidence of this in the work of His hands. He planted for our first parents a beautiful garden in Eden…

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Acts 10:34 f a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

1 Corinthians 10:13 God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.