God is God and I will always owe him my worship
Evil Drives Most of World Culture
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
- God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions. (Moralistic)
- The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself (Therapeutic ) Religion should help people feel good about themselves
- God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when he is needed to resolve a problem. (Deism)
- Good people (probably all people) go to heaven when they die
- God is love/ Love is God
God is more than love.
God is Holy
Holy = set apart, separate, unique (qadesh)
What makes God Holy is his perfection
Exodus 33:20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
God’s Perfect Holiness is Weighty
Exodus 19:10-12 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.
Exodus 19:16-19 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Exodus 20:18-21 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
Glory is the splendor of God revealed
Exodus 40:35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped
God’s glory reassurance to some, terror to others, an equal part of both to most
Matt. 17:2,5, 6 [Jesus] was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light… While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
God is more than Love
God is Holy – set apart and perfect
The glory of God is a consuming fire
It is a grace to call God our Father and Friend
God is Holy and I will always owe him my worship