A Question I Was Asked:
What Would You Say is God's Nature, or His Character?
My Reply:
You ask,
"In your definition..........What is
God's nature, or His character?"
My, that is a huge question!!
This is really theology and quite deep
theology at that rather than the usual sort of Bible questions we
tackle.
But I would say this: God's innate
character really is love - just as John points out in his
writings (John 3:16;
1 John 4:16). But understanding human love - as you and I do -
only partly helps us. You have to set the concept of a totally
righteous love in the context of an Eternal Being of
supreme character. God understands that compromise and soft
options are a moral weakness whereas to us - humanly speaking -
compromise often seems the best way forward.
God will not be swayed from a purpose which - through His supreme moral character - He knows will finally bring the best results. So God can live with human suffering (which seems intolerable to us), because He can see the final outcome, since past, present and future are spread out before Him. In the context of eternity (which God inhabits), any suffering experienced now is as nothing compared to an entire eternity.
Apart from His great love for men and
women it is also part of God's character that He wishes to be
loved and adored, but – even here – He is very aware
that to love and adore one's parent is a high calling which
develops greater love, character and compassion within every
child. Every human parent wants and desires the love of their
children since the parent has granted the child the gift of life,
and the child will develop good character and good emotional
balance through loving his/her parents (perhaps significantly,
psychologists have commented on how often convicted killers are
'parent haters').
Its not entirely the same point, but I
think that the article Does God
Dwell Within or Outside of Time? which shows that God
dwells beyond time may also be helpful to you, since the tendency
to domesticate God and to see Him as being a bit like us only
bigger is always a danger. We must never lose the scriptural
picture that God inhabits infinity and has all knowledge
and relevant data at His disposal; this enables Him to be
completely and entirely just.
Robin A. Brace, 2006.