False Views Of God

  1. INTRODUCTION:

    1. THAT WHICH PRODUCES FALSE IDEAS, OR VIEWS, ABOUT GOD ARE MAINLY DUE TO IGNORANCE.

      2. Acts 17:22-23 = "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill and said, ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you".

    2. GOD AT ONE TIME WINKED AT IGNORANCE, BUT NO LONGER.

      3. Acts 17:29-30 = "Forasmuch then was we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.."

    3. FOR A FEW MINUTES LET US LOOK AT SOME OF THE FALSE IDEAS, OR VIEWS OF GOD THAT ARE HELD BY SOME PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY.

  2. DISCUSSION:

    1. THAT GOD’S POWER IS LIMITED TO EVOLUTION.

      2. Comment: This shows one is inconsistent in his thinking, for the same God who could create anything, could create everything.

      Genesis 1:1 = "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

    2. THAT GOD IS ONLY AN AMERICAN GOD.

      3. Comment: Some people in foreign countries look upon God as an American God and Americans as God’s chosen people, and yet the Bible says:

      1. The nations of the world are all of one blood. Acts 17:26 = "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;"
      2. God loves the whole world. John 3:16 = "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
      3. Jesus tasted of death for every man. Hebrews 2:9 = "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
      4. God will judge the whole world. Acts 17:31 = "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
    3. THAT GOD IS A PHYSICAL AND NOT A SPIRITUAL GOD:

      4. Comment: God is not the material creation as many have thought.

      1. God is a spirit. John 4:23-24 = "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
      2. Spirits do not have flesh and bones. Luke 24:39 = "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."
      3. The fact that you cannot see a spirit does not mean that it does not exist. For you can neither see electricity, or pain.
    4. THAT GOD IS ONLY A LOCAL GOD TO PEOPLE IN SPECIFIC PLACES.
      1. This is what the King of Assyria believed.

        2. 2 Kings 17:23-27 = "…. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land."

      2. God cannot be confined:
        1. To a temple. Acts 17:24 = "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;"
        2. To a locality. Psalms 139:7-10 = "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."
    5. THAT GOD CREATED MAN AND THEN LEFT HIM ON EARTH WITHOUT ANY INSTRUCTIONS.
      1. This would be unreasonable.
      2. The Bible is the most reasonable thing in the world. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 = "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
    6. THAT GOD IS A FAR OFF GOD -- THAT IS FAR OFF IN SPACE.
      1. Yet He is not far from any of us. Acts 17:27-28 = "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."
      2. God is so little He can dwell in my heart, and so big that He can be every place. 
        Matthew 18:20         = "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
    7. THAT GOD IS A GOD OF CONFUSION.

      8. Comment: He has called one man to deny what he has called another man to affirm.

      1. God is not the author of confusion. 1 Corinthians 14:33 = "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
      2. There is but one God. Ephesians 4:6 = "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
        1. This one God has given to the world: one body; one faith; and one baptism. 
          Ephesians 4:4-5           = "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,"
        2. This one God wants man to follow one rule and mind the same thing. 
          Philippians 3:16           = "Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." I Corinthians 1:10 = "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
    8. THAT GOD IS RELUCTANT TO SAVE.
      1. This misconception gave rise to the mourner’s bench system of religion.
      2. Man does not have to plead with God to save him.

        3. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 = "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

        2 Peter 3:9 = "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

      3. Man has to plead with man to be saved.

      Acts 2:40 = "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation."

    9. THAT GOD IS TO GOOD TO CONDEMN:
      1. God is good and wants all men to be good, and in doing so must condemn all that in sinful.

        2. Isaiah 59:2 = "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

        John 8:21 = "Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come."

      2. God knows that no good can come from a mixed relationship of good and evil.

        3. I Corinthians 6:14-18 = "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body."

        I Corinthians 5:6 = "Your glorying is not good, know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?"

      3. God has done his part to save us and to given us His instructions that man may be perfect in doing "all good works".

        4. John 3:16 = "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

        Romans 5:8 = "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

        II Timothy 3:16-17 = "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

      4. Man condemns himself. Acts 13:46 = "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."
    10. THAT GOD IS LIKE MAN.
      1. The psalmist David wrote, Psalms 50:21 = "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes."
      2. Adam and Eve thought they could hide from God like just another man. Genesis 3:8 = "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."
      3. Ananias and Sapphira thought they could get away with lying to God as you would man. 
        Acts 5:1-10         = "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband."
      4. Man thinks one religion is as good as another; so he thinks God feels the same way, but He does not. Matthew 15:9 = "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."   Matthew 15:13-14 = "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
      5. The way man sees things is not the way that the Lord sees them. 1 Samuel 16:7 = "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

  3. CONCLUSION:

    1. WE HAVE LOOKED AT ONLY A SAMPLE OF THE MANY FALSE CONCEPTIONS ABOUT GOD:
      1. That God only has limited power.
      2. That God is only an American God.
      3. That God is physical in nature and not spiritual.
      4. That God is only a local God to people in specific places.
      5. That God created man and left him without any instructions.
      6. That God is a far off God.
      7. That God is a God of confusion.
      8. That God is reluctant to save.
      9. That God is too good to condemn anyone.
      10. That God is like man.
    2. IT IS MY EARNEST HOPE AND PRAYER THAT THIS STUDY MAY STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH IN GOD SO AS NOT TO BE CARRIED AWAY INTO BELIEVING STRANGE IDEAS AND VIEWS ABOUT GOD.

Ephesians 4:14 = "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

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