God’s Character and the Christian Life

The Most Important Thing About You

According to A.W. Tozer, 

This claim is not overstated. Our understanding and experience of God’s character shapes every area of our lives. It is not an isolated belief, but rather the central axiom on which our own character, our worship, our prayer, our decision making, our relationships, and every other area of our lives are built.

God has revealed his character to us. To differing extents, we learn about God through nature, through conscience, through Scripture, and ultimately in the person of Christ. In describing himself, God says, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…” (Exodus 34:6-7)

We are not in the dark. We can know God truly, and in ever-increasing depth, and this knowledge can bring continual growth and transformation to our Christian lives.

The meaning of humanity being created in God’s image is multi-faceted. In different contexts, attention is drawn to man’s authority over creation, to man’s intellectual, moral. or spiritual nature, and to the fact that like God we are social beings who belong in community.

The best way to understand the idea of God’s image is to see the way it is paralleled with Adam fathering Seth in Genesis 5, “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man and they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.” (Genesis 5:1-3) In both cases, the words ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ are used. It would be futile to attempt to pin down the one way in which Seth resembled Adam. As his son, he takes after his father in many ways and can truly be said to be his father’s image and likeness. In a similar way, Adam and all subsequent humans are in God’s image. This is not restricted to one area of similarity, but simply to say that the character and nature of God are reflected in many ways in humanity.

Adam and Eve’s problem was not in wanting to be like God. This is something that is encouraged and even commanded in the Bible (e.g. Ephesians 5:1). The problem was that they were misled about what being like God involved. They believed the serpent that having moral autonomy and knowledge of good and evil constituted God’s likeness more than holiness, humility and right relationships. They were wrong to do so, but they were not alone. The King of Babylon thought in his heart, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:14) Instead, he was brought to ruin. When King Herod revelled in being thought of as a god in Acts 12, he too was cut down to size.

Being like God is not about seizing power and pridefully attempting to take on God’s role, but about truly reflecting the character of God that we were created to image and that is seen perfectly in Christ, who is the “exact imprint of his nature.” (Hebrews 1:3)

Instead, our worship must be grounded in God as he truly is. On one occasion, Jesus was asked what the correct location for worship is. His response indicated that the heart of the issue was not about the location of worship but the type. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) Because God is Spirit, our worship must be in spirit. Knowing his character informs the way we worship God. Moreover, we must worship in truth; accurately understanding who God is and what he is like fills us with truth, which we then turn back to him in praise.

Worship is about more than singing. Every aspect of our life can and should be an expression of our worship to God. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Worship is not less than singing though. Throughout history, God’s people have celebrated the character and deeds of their God through song. Many of these songs are recorded in the Bible. The Old Testament is packed with songs and psalms. We are told that at the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples sang to God together. The church is commanded to sing, and Revelation records the songs of praise that will be sung for eternity.

Just as our worship is characterised by God’s character, so too is our prayer. For instance, the omnipresence of God means that we can pray anywhere and God will hear. Jesus teaches that instead of praying to draw the attention of people, we should do so secretly, because, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

Moreover, Jesus goes on to explain that because God is omniscient, it is unnecessary to pray long prayers full of meaningless words. The objective is not to persuade God, nor to inform him of needs. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)

Because God is a good Father, we can pray in faith that God is willing to answer our prayers. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11)

Because God is omnipotent, there is nothing we can pray that he is unable to do. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20)

An example of a person who prayed in this way is Elijah. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah confronts the prophets of the false god Baal. Elijah challenged them to a contest, where two bulls would be slaughtered and placed on wood. The prophets of Baal were to petition their god to light their bull, and then Elijah would ask the Lord to light his. The prophets of Baal went first. They prayed for hours. They became frantic and raved and shouted. They cut themselves. Elijah mocked them, likening it to trying to get the attention of somebody who was asleep, but in the end, “No one answered; no one paid attention.” (1 Kings 18:29)

In contrast, Elijah didn’t need to pray a long prayer. He knew God would hear. He didn’t need to stack up empty words to persuade God. He was confident that God was both able and willing to answer his prayers, so he calmly said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” (1 Kings 18:36-37) God answered the prayer.

God’s character informs the way we pray. It can also inform the content of our prayer. Sometimes when we are asking God to do something, we can petition him based upon his own character. This is how Abraham prays for God to be merciful on the people of Sodom, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:23-25)

In response to Abraham’s prayer, God assured him that he would spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous people. Abraham responds by suggesting the scenarios of progressively lower numbers of righteous people and each time God agrees he would spare the city. Abraham’s prayer was built upon the character of God, and his prayer was answered.

Any area of our lives can be broken down to show how it is dependent on God’s character. In these notes, we have looked in depth at worship and prayer by way of example, but the same can be done in every part of life.

“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)