God In Our Image

In this post from last year, I commented that an infinite God uses a wide range of metaphors in Scripture to describe Himself to finite man. For example, sometimes He describes Himself as a Father, sometimes as a Bridegroom, sometimes as a Judge. But because every metaphor breaks down at some point, we need all of the metaphors to get a balanced understanding of the infinite nature of God. If we get too fixated on one or two of the metaphors, our picture of God will become warped.

By the same token, our picture of God will almost always be shaped and informed by our background. For example, if we grew up with an abusive father, it can be difficult to embrace God as “Father”, because we figure if God is anything like our natural father, we don’t want anything to do with Him. In this way, the metaphor gets messed with even before we learn about it. (Is it any wonder that discipleship is a lifetime process?)

I think we all retain some sort of internal picture of God, a set of assumptions about who He is and what He is like. I think this is natural. I also believe the Scriptures are entirely trustworthy when it comes to what God has revealed of Himself through them. But I also think it’s important that we realize that God is infinite, and unfathomable by our finite minds. That means our internal picture could never do Him justice, neither can we rely on it.

Someone might say, “But we don’t trust our own picture of God. God reveals Himself through His Word, the Bible, and that’s how we know Him.” This is true–but it is also not the whole story.

In the first place…as much as I believe in the sanctity of Scripture–to suggest that the Bible as a collection of books gives us the full revelation of God is actually to deny His infinite nature. (Can you, a finite being, be completely defined by words on a page? How much less an infinite God?) I think it’s right to say the Scripture is all we need to know of God in this life; but I think it’s incorrect to assume that it is all there is to God.

Secondly…two people can read the same passage of Scripture and come to very different conclusions. The reason for this, I believe, is that we cannot read the Bible without interpreting it. That is, we bring our own existing biases, presumptions, and background to the table when we read, whether we intend to do so or not. So when most people describe God by the Scripture, they are actually leaning on their interpretation of Scripture rather than Scripture itself. It isn’t that we can’t trust Scripture. It’s that we can’t fully trust ourselves as we decipher it. In other words–it’s not the infallibility of Scripture I’m challenging here, but the infallibility of the humans who are reading it.

When people allow their internal picture of God to crystallize so that they determine conclusively that this is what God is like; or when they determine their interpretation of Scripture is the only right way to look at it; this is what I refer to as forming God in our own image. This type of thing has probably caused more division in the church than anything else–when we decide conclusively that we know better than the other guy what God is like. The funny (or not-so-funny) thing is…we are all finite people trying to figure out an infinite God, and arguing about our conclusions as though anyone could know all there is to know.

There’s a guy that’s visited my blog a few times, and from remarks left in the comments, I can tell His picture of God is skewed. He apparently sees God as a confrontational, angry Judge looking to expose sin and eradicate it wherever He can find it. This is not a God you can have a loving relationship with; it’s a God you must bow to and fear. And anyone who doesn’t had just better watch out.

The thing is…he can back his legalist zeal with Scripture. God is, in fact, a Judge of sin. It’s not that this guy is all wrong–it’s that he’s only partly right. He has formed God in his own image, possibly because of his own anger over sin. He understands God as Judge, but seems to have no concept of God’s amazing love and mercy. Those things might exist in his view, but subject only to conditions of judgment.

On the other hand…there are people I know who are so into the mercy of God that they do not have a concept of His judgment at all. These folks will often embrace and even enjoy a measure of carnality in their lives because they see God as a tolerant, forbearing loving Father who by the grace of Jesus will look the other way. Again–not all wrong, only partly right. God’s mercy and grace and love are mind-blowing. But love without a measure of discipline is not real love–only enablement. Some people don’t easily grasp that a loving God loves us too much to leave us as we are, or that learning to love God back means that we will begin to share His likes and dislikes. And He does hate sin. So again…it is an example forming God in our own image, allowing our own perspectives and desires to warp the picture.

So where does that leave us? Have I totally messed up your theology? 🙂

In saying these things, I’m not saying we can’t know God, or that we can’t know to some extent what God is like. Like any of you, there are certain things I believe very strongly about who God is and what He is like–opinions shaped by many years of Bible study, prayer and experience. There are certain things I will argue with you about when it comes to God. But what I’m saying is…despite my beliefs, I know I am finite. Once I begin to think I’ve got God figured out, I have formed Him in my own image, rather than letting Him form me into His. I realize my interpretations of Scripture contain many flaws, even if I don’t know what they are. I realize I don’t have all the answers, and that every one of us has a bit of error or heresy floating around in our theology somewhere.

I realize that for all I think I know about God, I do not see the big picture. And that I should allow my picture of God to be shaped not once through indoctrination–but many times over as I learn to know Him as a Person.

And that’s what this is really all about. It isn’t about who has the right or best interpretation of Scripture, and it isn’t just about knowing about God–it’s about having a living, growing relationship with Him. Knowing Him by experience as we follow Jesus in this life.

I have lived with my wife for 20 years; I know her well, but I still don’t have her figured out. Why in the world would I even begin to think a lifetime would be enough for me to figure God out?

And why would any of us?