God’s Most Surprising Attribute
Talk about a plot twist.
Because it sounds too good to be true it is often dismissed as irrational — and I’m talking about the dismissers as those who believe he exists.
To get into this subject as clearly as possible let’s start with this obvious observation that for a god or gods to be truly God he or they must be above man.
And because we know the attributes and limitations of man we can deduce what should constitute the attributes of a god, — that at least they should be above those of man. Beyond this speculation, we are unable to know anything except what God chooses to reveal.
Christians are those who believe God’s revelation of himself is the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.
The Old Testament shows God’s almighty attributes to include his eternality and omnipotence, but it is in the New Testament where his most surprising attribute is revealed. Jesus shares this with his disciples when they are asking for a praying lesson. They want to know how to communicate with the Almighty and Eternal One, and he tells them this — “When you pray, say: Father . . .”
That we can know God as our Father is beyond remarkable.
It’s mind blowing.
The universe is run by someone who wishes to be, not like a father, but my true Father.
I don’t know what this does to you — perhaps you can’t get over old father-inflicted wounds to see this profound reality — but for me, it means I have nothing to really worry about.
The one most to be feared turns out to actually be my loving dad who wants my best.
How do I know this? How does that most famous verse in the Bible go?
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (ESV)
And the one that follows
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:17 (ESV)
The Lord’s Prayer
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”