What is God like?

What is God like? We know from 1 John 4:8 that "God is love." God is Trinity, that means He is a Triune Being. God is only One God ...Not three. However He is Three in One. We get a hint of what's going on in The first book of The Bible called Genesis.

"Ge 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Ge 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them." NIV

Theologians toss around that phrase "in His image." They have many definitions but the main one is given in context! Notice it says let "us" make man (singular) in "our" image and "our" likeness. God doesn't say in "my" image. He is Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit therefore He says "us." Read again - "let US make man (singular)"....and then He says " let them rule over the fish of the sea..." So finally God says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

In the image of God is being male & female. The two becoming one and then creating another life thru child bearing is reflective of The Trinity. The image of God is being a "self" for "other." Think about it. God The Father lives to exalt His Son Jesus. Jesus always points back to The Father. All Thru The Gospels it says that Father wants to glorify Jesus and that Jesus lives to serve His Father. In John's Gospel (chapters 14-16) it says that The Holy Spirit will point to Jesus rather than Himself. He also glorifies The Father. But this is only part of it.

Before time and before all creation - God lived as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He had no need for anything or anyone else. He was completely loved in relationship with Each Member of The Trinity. There was eternal joy and love in relationship. Then God created the galaxies, angels, creatures, and finally men in order to bless One Another (to bless the Other Two Members of The Trinity). So Father lives to bless Jesus and The Spirit, Jesus to bless Father & Spirit, and The Spirit to bless Father and Son (Jesus).

He then decided to share that love with mankind. He created us to love and to be loved by Him, as well as love one another. We were created to worship Him, to love Him (which really is the most loving thing He could do for us- for to worship Him is to "see" Him and experience Him)
We praise God because we experience such Glory such pure Holy Presence in a Holy Person. The Psalms say "Taste and see that The Lord is good." John Piper calls this Christian Hedonism. We become gluttonous on God's glory.

God lives to bless God and to bless and save man. Man was created male AND female so that male could bless and love female, and so that female could love man. God is love and the Greek word used for love (when it speaks of God's love) is "agape." Agape means a "giving an unselfish love that focuses on the well being of someone else."

No other religion is the world describes God as this. Look at The Cross - Jesus is dying for people who sinned against Him. He even is praying "God forgive them for they know not what they do" as they mock Him. Jesus loves us NOT because of how we are but because of Who HE IS. He IS love and can love Mother Theresa and Adolph Hitler the same.

How can this be just.....the justice comes thru His cross where He takes the guilt of rapists, drug addicts and prostitutes and absorbs it on that cross. God punishes all sin in Christ's death on the cross....BUT HERE'S THE KEY. We have to accept that Atonement by faith. We have to trust in His death and resurrection in order to receive forgiveness and be reconciled. But how could God accept a criminal.

Well God literally punished their sin in Christ's crucifixion. The penalty was paid and justice was done. BUT each person has to trust in Christ and let Christ forgive, save, and then change them .
When this happens they become a brand new person. Jesus called it being born again. I have seen criminals changed to loving honest people, alchoholics become sober, and selfish people become the most unselfish and giving (& loving) people. Why because they are no longer who they used to be....they are literally a different person a "Brand New Creature" 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Friends this is "good news" which is what "Gospel " means!

More later - 10/3-/8