A Godly God

Text: Psalm 146

What makes God God? It's not exactly a trick question. It concerns one of the day's most talked about theological concepts.

There are many today who want to point out the dependence of Christian theology on philosophy, some approvingly so and others attempting to demonstrate deficiencies in doctrinal statements owing from this dependence. While all of this may seem a bit complicated, the purpose of theology is to make God known in distinction from any and all competing ideas. What this means is that we must allow God to be understood as He has revealed Himself, and not to a preconceived idea.

Let's be more specific. We are often deceived into thinking of a concept of God, into which the God of the Bible is place. The categories come from somewhere other than scripture, then the biblical God is molded to shape in order to fit the description. So ideas like omnipotence, omniscience, immutability, etc., are posed as the necessary "qualifications for a being to possess if He/She/It is worthy of the name "God." Now, let's be clear: the God of the Bible does fit this bill so far; but it's not enough to give us the God who actually exists.

The God we worship and are called upon to praise is an acting, living, loving, and personal God. So while there are sufficient reminders of His creative and world-sustaining power, we are more frequently introduced to Him by a very different set of descriptors. This God Executes justice, gives food to the hungry, sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, raises up those who are bowed down, loves the righteous, protects strangers, supports the fatherless and widow. And this God seems to glory in being known for these deeds rather than for displays of power in the natural world.

Having this God allows us to make sense of our duty to faithfulness and godliness--the quality of actions which mimmic those of God as He is. We cannot comprehend, much less imitate omnipotence. But we can do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God as He is known in His acting. It's what makes Him the godliest of Gods.