How do You As A Born-Again Believer, View God? - Poll

[Angelina]

I have come across a number of Christians whose perception of God tends to be influenced by their own personal world-view and/or external factors including upbringing, cultural/tradition, environmental socio/economic etc. This is then carried over into their personal relationship with him as their Lord and Savior. How do you, as a born-again believer, view God?

 

[DanielTheSmith]

I think hes a lot funnier than people usually think. Righteous laughter breeds Love. God is Love. I'm pretty sure he invented humor, right?

Of course humans pervert everything devine, by nature. But, I guess it's all about taking the good and leaving the bad.

 

[aspen]

I have come across a number of Christians whose perception of God tends to be influenced by their own personal world-view and/or external factors including upbringing, cultural/tradition, environmental socio/economic etc. This is then carried over into their personal relationship with him as their Lord and Savior. How do you, as a born-again believer, view God?

I believe it is impossible to view God without the influence of our worldview. And that is a blessing. Without it, We could not relate to God at all - instead, are relationship with Him would be like our relationship with insects. Thankfully, God speaks human and we can relate to his desire to love. God is not an equation - without His willingness to make full use of our culture to relate to us - he would have not been capable of relating with sinners or the disciples. Jesus is like the best grain ever grown - unable to be used by us without a mill.

 

[Angelina]

As born-again believer's, I think we need to be viewing God from out of the heart of our new man and not our old man.
This may take some time [ie: sanctification] but it's well worth it in the end.

I have a friend who is saved but thinks that God is this distant unknowable deity that he prays to and tries to understand using his world-view but he has also been raised in a single parent household without any form of male influence in his life. I also have Christian friends whose perception of God is based on their strict religious upbringing, ergo; they think that God is this hard task master who gets angry if they fail to observe all that their doctrine requires....and it goes on... :unsure:

 

[aspen]

As born-again believer's, I think we need to be viewing God from out of the heart of our new man and not our old man.
This may take some time [ie: sanctification] but it's well worth it in the end.

I have a friend who is saved but thinks that God is this distant unknowable deity that he prays to and tries to understand using his world-view but he has also been raised in a single parent household without any form of male influence in his life. I also have Christian friends whose perception of God is based on their strict religious upbringing, ergo; they think that God is this hard task master who gets angry if they fail to observe all that their doctrine requires....and it goes on... :unsure:

Good points - looks like we need to define new man and old man. I believe the old man is our drive to be selfish - the world caters to this drive - 'bread and circuses' mentality. The new man - and I agree, sanctification takes a long time - is loving God and others and it takes lots of practice. The perspective and heart change that occurs during this transformation is others before ourselves - this has nothing to do with individual experience or culture or language. The paradigm shift is monumental and cannot be down without Christ, but it is not a denial of who we are. Denial of self, not personhood.

 

[Angelina]

The paradigm shift is monumental and cannot be down without Christ, but it is not a denial of who we are. Denial of self, not personhood.

You misunderstand my O/P. The onus is not necessarily on the person but rather the mindset influenced by their world view. Something that must be renewed which may take time to process and develop in their personal relationship with Christ. Romans 12: 2

 

[aspen]

so you are asking people who they used to believe God was like before justification? or perhaps nonchristions what the believe about God from th outside looking in? if i am close to what you mean i am insterested in the responses.
ok forget what i just said - i get it.

 

[justaname]

I will limit my response as this is a question that could be answered in a series of books that would fill libraries.

God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. God is imminent and transcendent. God is the only good. God is marvelous light in whom there is no shifting shadow. God is merciful and just. God is forgiving and is the bringer of wrath. God is triune and one. God is relational and personal. God is sovereign and immutable. God is holy and pure. God is Spirit and embodied in Jesus the Christ. God incomprehensible yet knowable. God is truth in whom no lie can be found. God is perfect and unstained. God is the greatest conceivable being that exhausts human imagination, observation, and reason. God is kind. God is love.