Abide in the Vine Forums

We have a new forums set up at Abide in the Vine Forums. Come on by!

Common Misconceptions

We often get many misconceptions of who God is. Many think that God is a personal being somewhere in the distant universe, but that He is not eternal. Others think that He is some eternal omnipresent "force" that is not a personal being. The fact is that He is both personal and eternal. He is both near like a friend and yet so vast and incomprehensible that often I stand in awe realizing how little I know.

Our view and understanding of God will affect much about how we live. For example, some people believe that God is all loving to the point of turning a blind eye to sin and not really caring about our mistakes. Others believe that God is a distant Judge who writes down every single thing we do wrong and is "out to get us" and to find fault and punish us for every little mistake we do. Believe it or not, both of these views have a shade of what God is really like, but they distort His character terribly. For someone who believes that God is a strict Judge who doesn't show mercy, the person will most likely become legalistic and probably hypocritical. As for someone who believes that God is all loving and yet doesn't care about our sins, that person is also likely to not care about his/her own sins and think nothing of them. The fact is that God is a righteous Judge and that He is a merciful God who is full of grace. The Scriptures tell us that God is love. But true love and true righteousness go together. I do not think that you can have one without the other.