07 Jul Our God is a Perfect Father
It is incredibly unbiblical to tell people that God never gets upset. We know that He does in fact get angry, and the Bible says He is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalm 7:11). With that said, God’s love for you is not contingent on your success at being good enough for Him (Romans 5:8). If that were the case, Christ would have had no reason to die. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). What is important to understand mostly is that if you are truly saved, the Father is YOUR Father, and He is just like us and how we are with our children (Luke 11:13)–but completely perfect in every way (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Our emotions are created directly from His. He loves and He hates (Proverbs 6:16), He gets happy and angry, and He can be pleased (Psalm 37:4) and displeased (Psalm 6:1). The difference is the purity of His emotions. Our emotions have been mired and tarnished by corrupted flesh and perverted by the ruler of this world (1 Cor. 15:50, 2 Cor. 4:4), the devil. God’s emotions are without spot or blemish.
The Bible talks in many different places about us pleasing the Lord with how we live. This is not simply keeping the rules. Following the Lord’s commandments without love and adoration for the One who wrote them is just religion. When we love Him with all our heart (Hebrews 10:22), seek Him with all our whole soul, spend time with Him in prayer and through His Word, and tell the world about Him, this is well pleasing to God. If we have these, the rule keeping follows naturally.
When we know to do good and don’t do it, the Bible says it’s a sin (James 4:17). When we continue doing something over and over again knowing it’s sinful, it becomes rebellion (Daniel 9:5). This upsets the Lord and displeases Him. Continuing in rebellion without repentance will cause us to be chastened (or chastised) which is another word for disciplined. Whom He loves, He rebukes and corrects (Revelation 3:19).
Oftentimes the Lord will allow us to undergo trials and testing to help us work through and overcome trouble spots or weaknesses where through the power of the Holy Spirit we are enabled to grow spiritually and find healing to wounded areas in our soul that the enemy continues to find openings in our armor. The more we heal by truly believing God’s promises and realizing our full identity in Christ, the fewer places the devil can attack us in our mind, will, and emotions.
This requires depth of relationship.
The deeper we go with God, the more accountable for sin we become. Simply put, the more of God’s character and the depth of who He is that’s revealed to you and living through you, you become more personally accountable. To give an easy example, a general in the military is more accountable and held to a much higher standard than a private. Your oldest child who is a teenager would be more accountable for doing right than your youngest who is a toddler (1 Cor. 13:11). As we mature in our faith, God helps us understand the complexities of this life and of His life through us more fully.
God feels anger and hot displeasure but He also feels joy and good pleasure. He loves being loved. He hates being rejected. Seek Him with a whole heart. When you seek Him, you’ll find Him. If you do, He’ll change everything about you and give you a heart for holiness and righteousness. He will show you the depths of mercy, compassion, gentleness, patience, steadfastness, loyalty, honor, obedience, and personal sacrifice. He will teach you how to serve others and wash feet.
None of us are perfect, and our Father understands that. But as we grow and mature, we are held accountable for knowing right from wrong, good and evil. Let us never enjoy even the smallest bit of sin because we know grace is available. Every drop of His blood is precious though and cleanses a multitude of sins. Seek the Lord and walk in the power of God, and you’ll enjoy living a life pleasing unto Him.
The favor of God is found in faithfulness to Him in every aspect of life.