Something that has gripped my heart in the last while is our perception of God. I have wondered ever since I was a little boy exactly how far my perception of God is removed from reality. Even though some people like to think that we will “make sense of God one day when we meet Him”, my humble opinion is that God cannot be perceived. Not now, not one day, not ever.
I am however so far removed from reality that I need to address this question, to still this lingering concern that I do not perceive things “as they truly are”. As Jonathan Edwards puts it, "A truly humble man is sensible of his natural distance from God; of his dependence on Him; of the insufficiency of his own power and wisdom; and that it is by God's power that he is upheld and provided for, and that he needs God's wisdom to lead and guide him, and His might to enable him to do what he ought to do for Him."
What evidence is there that I am far removed from the truth? I sometimes find myself marveling at quotes like, “You are the captain of your own destiny”, and still wake up in the morning thinking, “What do I want from this day?”
I proclaim to have a burning desire to know the truth, yet the truth is readily available to me in God’s word and I fail to apply its simple instructions because somehow I am still holding on to the “I deserve” mentality.
The good news is there is truth. “…And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:32. So why am I neglecting this truth that’s right in front of me? It’s like Bob Dylan sang, “How many times must a man look up, before he can see the sky?”
My guess is that my perception of God is the problem. It’s like John Piper puts it, “I’ve been grazing on the ‘green grass’ of existentialism”, trying to light a match to create my own light. Trying to create truth and joy, when those treasures are to be found.
So what is the truth? The Bible is quite clear as to what a good point of departure is in discovering this truth: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” - Psalm 111:10
If I want to know the truth, my point of departure should be the fear of God. If I do this, I will gladly sacrifice all my egocentric desires and die completely to all earthly desires to be resurrected with Christ and join Him in His passion: the advance of His kingdom. According to Jonathan Edwards, "Truth is the agreement of our ideas with the ideas of God."
So in pursuing the truth, my basis should be a holy fear of God, wherein I constantly and progressively shape my ideas in such a way that they echo the ideas of God and nothing else.
As the heading of this article implies, I grew up in a spiritual environment that restricted our view of Jesus to that of an Easter bunny-like idol called “Liewe Jesus”, who puts shiny cars in our garages and protects us when we drive around in them. This is when “Liewe Jesus” and “Liewe Heksie” receive similar titles. A far-fetched idea compared to the reality of the power, might, fieriness and glory of the Lion of Judah.
The very basis of my spiritual discernment is rotten if I find a way to say “No God”. There is no saying no to God. May we joyfully sacrifice all we have, right now, so that His kingdom can come in our lives at this very moment.
Oh, that my heart would know the value of this scripture: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” - Matthew 13:44