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Authors: Joseph Prince
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who is always thinking of ways to put a smile on his boy’s face. He goes to the toy shop to look for a gift. He finds one and there is a smile on his face as he looks at the toy. He is imagining his son opening up the gift for the first time and looking at the toy with joy. And he is smiling.
He is the warm, friendly voice on the inside that lifts you up and strengthens you.
God is like that. He is a good Father. Matthew 7:11 tells us:
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Right now, He is thinking of you and He has a smile on His face because He has something wonderful prepared for you!
That is the kind of God you and I have. He is not out to catch you doing wrong so that He can knock you on the head! No, He always affirms His love for you. He is the warm, friendly voice on the inside that lifts you up and strengthens you.
Some people may not agree with this picture of God. Perhaps they didn’t grow up with fathers who were good to them. They may have had absentee fathers, fathers who were never there for them. Or worse, they may have had abusive fathers who beat them harshly. So their image of a father is already tainted. They automatically assume that God is like their own father. They find it hard to see God as a gracious, giving Father.
If you are like that, I want you to know that God is a Father of the fatherless. (Psalm 68:5) He is a loving Father who will never leave you nor forsake you!
Now, at times, you may “hear” a voice in your head that points out your shortcomings and sins, that condemns you and makes you feel dirty. That is not the voice of God, but the voice of the devil!
In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night” . This tells us that Satan comes to accuse us of having broken God’s laws. He comes to remind us of our sins, making us feel lousy about ourselves! God is not like that. He does not go about reminding us of our sins and what we have done wrong. John 16:8–11 says:
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged .
Notice that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. The word is singular — not sins, but sin. Why? Because the Holy Spirit only convicts us of one sin — not believing in Jesus.
But once you believe in Jesus, what does the Holy Spirit convict you of? Of righteousness. Have you ever heard that? Most people hear that the Holy Spirit is a nag, that he tells them what is wrong with them. But here, we are told that He convicts us of righteousness because Jesus has died to remove our sins and make us eternally righteous. And contrary to what we’ve always been hearing, He convicts us that it is not us He judges, but the devil!
How you see God will affect your faith and how you receive from Him.
Yet, there are people who see a God of the Old Testament, a God who judges His people, and who corrects and disciplines them. They think that God always wants to correct and discipline them. Let me tell you, the God of the Old Testament may have executed justice from time to time, but His heart is not in judgment.
Psalm 103:8–9 declares:
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever .
You see, God loves mercy. His heart is full of mercy, not judgment. The Bible doesn’t say that God is judgment. The Bible says that God is love. (1 John 4:8) It says that His mercy endures forever! (Psalm 136:1)
Some of you may stop me at this point and say, “Pastor Prince, does it really matter how I see God?” Well yes, it does! It is very important how you see God because
He is the warm, friendly voice on the inside that lifts you up and strengthens you.
God is like that. He is a good Father. Matthew 7:11 tells us:
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Right now, He is thinking of you and He has a smile on His face because He has something wonderful prepared for you!
That is the kind of God you and I have. He is not out to catch you doing wrong so that He can knock you on the head! No, He always affirms His love for you. He is the warm, friendly voice on the inside that lifts you up and strengthens you.
Some people may not agree with this picture of God. Perhaps they didn’t grow up with fathers who were good to them. They may have had absentee fathers, fathers who were never there for them. Or worse, they may have had abusive fathers who beat them harshly. So their image of a father is already tainted. They automatically assume that God is like their own father. They find it hard to see God as a gracious, giving Father.
If you are like that, I want you to know that God is a Father of the fatherless. (Psalm 68:5) He is a loving Father who will never leave you nor forsake you!
Now, at times, you may “hear” a voice in your head that points out your shortcomings and sins, that condemns you and makes you feel dirty. That is not the voice of God, but the voice of the devil!
In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night” . This tells us that Satan comes to accuse us of having broken God’s laws. He comes to remind us of our sins, making us feel lousy about ourselves! God is not like that. He does not go about reminding us of our sins and what we have done wrong. John 16:8–11 says:
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged .
Notice that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. The word is singular — not sins, but sin. Why? Because the Holy Spirit only convicts us of one sin — not believing in Jesus.
But once you believe in Jesus, what does the Holy Spirit convict you of? Of righteousness. Have you ever heard that? Most people hear that the Holy Spirit is a nag, that he tells them what is wrong with them. But here, we are told that He convicts us of righteousness because Jesus has died to remove our sins and make us eternally righteous. And contrary to what we’ve always been hearing, He convicts us that it is not us He judges, but the devil!
How you see God will affect your faith and how you receive from Him.
Yet, there are people who see a God of the Old Testament, a God who judges His people, and who corrects and disciplines them. They think that God always wants to correct and discipline them. Let me tell you, the God of the Old Testament may have executed justice from time to time, but His heart is not in judgment.
Psalm 103:8–9 declares:
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever .
You see, God loves mercy. His heart is full of mercy, not judgment. The Bible doesn’t say that God is judgment. The Bible says that God is love. (1 John 4:8) It says that His mercy endures forever! (Psalm 136:1)
Some of you may stop me at this point and say, “Pastor Prince, does it really matter how I see God?” Well yes, it does! It is very important how you see God because
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