God Is Indeed Love!

A reader, with an inquisitive, mind speaks!

I have finally figured out precisely what troubles me is the way the scripture is presented.  The notion of the angry God from the Old Testament shifting gears to try something different -  to the God of Love of New Testament is that GOD changed.  NOPE.  God doesn’t change (as James 1:17 points out).  God is light.  Light could never be shifting shadows of change and then ‘decide’ to be Love.

So when you describe in your lessons about how God was angry or frustrated with humans and had to try a new way, that introduces an imperfect God  ;).  

Perhaps a way to get to the day's lesson is to make clear the Jewish NOTION of God needed correcting - and that’s where the inspiration and stories of Jesus come in. 

The big lesson is that God could not be other than love, light, the Unity - EVER.  Even before Jesus.   The overriding impression I’ve received is that GOD CHANGED.  This can’t possibly be so if today's description of God as Light or the Unity is the truth (which I think it is). If God is that, God has always been that.  

The passage you referenced from James:  Is true, in my understanding!  A precious truth!  

17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Then you write: 

Perhaps a way to get to the day's lesson is to make clear the Jewish NOTION of God needed correcting - and that’s where the inspiration and stories of Jesus come in. 

Bingo!  Right on!

Now I want you to go back to the Gospel to the account in Matthew 1:18ff. Where you will find, that at Jesus birth he was called, "Emmanuel"  which means, "God is with us." (Matt. 1:23)

God did not change!  In my simple mind, God got fed-up with the game, of sinfulness and punishment, that thoughout the centuries, was recorded in the Old Testament. So God decided to changed his approach to his mis-lead human creatures.  

So, on that first Christmas night, God came to earth in Jesus' skin.  God in human flesh could relate to his human creatures eyeball to eyeball.  Not high above in some lofty heavenly space.  

In Jesus' skin his mission was to reintroduce himself to the world.  Jesus was the manifestation of true God.  The God who was a God of love, from the very beginning.  A God who, in his brief few years among us, attempted to help people to understand his true character.  But this time God didn't rule from above with fire and brimstone, thunder and lighting.  God just presented himself as the original, from the beginning, God of love.  Then hung nailed to a cross arms out stretched and silently said:  Believe it or not!

In Jesus' skin there was no more forcing of belief. No more demanding total worship!  There were no more threats of famine or total destruction.  There was simply God with them as true God pure and simple.

And God was crucified for his loving efforts!

If you want to know when I finally understood this amazing truth read the Gospel of John.  Especially chapter 1:1-18. It became so absolutely clear to me.  

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things come into being though him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shine i the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it....  Read on to verse 18!

Then in chapters 14-21, you will find the indwelling verses, where Jesus explains
this intimate relationship of God in Jesus and Jesus in God.  You will be introduced to the Holy Spirit that Jesus left us with to "guide us into all truth."

In chapter 13 we are told of this true God's only request, other than faith, when Jesus give the commandment to love as he loves. 

The chapter that cinched my understanding comes in Chapter 15.  I invite you to read it slowly.  It describes the indwelling-ness of God, in us, through the ever present Spirit of God flowing and growing us. 

I am the vine you are the branches! (Jn.15:5)  

Then lets talk more!