In man’s heart, what does he perceive God to be like? The answer to that question is, God is not like anything, or anybody.  Furthermore, no one has any inside information other than what is written.  We know God is good, God is love, and God is holy. Because he is holy he is to be feared. The fear of God seems to be gone today in our contemporary society.

When Ezekiel saw heaven open up he saw visions of God, that words could not even begin to describe. It was different from anything he had ever thought, or imagined. So he had to speak of what it resembled.  Read the first chapter of Ezekiel and notice the words, appearances  and likenesses he used to describe what he saw. This is why God said what he did in the Ten Commandments he gave to Moses.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;  Exodus 20:3-5

God is Incomprehensible

Anything anyone makes to represent God is less than God and prohibited by God.  Anything anyone makes to represent God is an idol. It is less than what, and who, God really is and he said not to do it.  But from the beginning of time this is exactly what man has done because his mind cannot truly perceive what God is like. But folks, God is Incomprehensible. 

Those who believe in evolution especially can not imagine what God is like. They do not have an adequate view of God so they cannot believe, or accept the supernatural almighty power of God to speak the universe into existence.  Their problem is they do not know what God is like.  His power is unlimited.  It is called infinite.  His knowledge is also infinite.  He knows everything, and there is nothing, ever, that he cannot know or does not presently know. WOW!! There is nothing he cannot do because with God all things are possible.  What a God!  And HE is our Heavenly Father.

The Apostle Paul found out how awesome, how infinite, how powerful, and how incomprehensible God is when he was caught up to heaven. What he said in the following scripture is almost the same thing Ezekiel said in chapter one, verse one.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether  in  the body, or  out  of  the  body,  I cannot tell: God knoweth;)  How that he  was  caught  up  into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

Any thought man has of what God is like is insufficient and does not honor him. Throughout the ages, and still even today man  has  made  gross  images  of  God.   Here  is a  passage of scripture greatly hated by some today.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural  use  into that which  is against nature: Romans 1:20-26

Nature reveals there is a God, and in man’s heart he is conscious of his Creator.  Yet, we live in a time when man continually tries to prove there is no God.  Even when the evidence of God is clearly seen in everyday people and events.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not  heard.  Psalms 19:1-3

The Holy Scriptures Reveal God
Paul teaches in First Corinthians that God can be known only as the Holy Spirit discloses him.  We must come to the Bible to see what God is like.  Only in the Holy Scriptures has God chosen to reveal who he is, and to some extent what he is like.  Even then the Holy Spirit must open our eyes to more fully see what God is like.  If we search the Holy scriptures with a hungry heart for truth the Holy Spirit will enlighten us.

Scripture tells us Jesus is God who took on a human nature and body but still retained his deity, even though as a man it limited his glory.  Look at the wisdom of Jesus, the power he has to heal, to control nature, the demons, and raise the dead. Even having the power to raise himself from the chains of death. Yet even with his almighty power he loved, and still loves us all. Remember how he went about doing good, loving people, desiring to save all from their sin.  Do you remember what the Apostle Paul said about God and his manifesting himself?

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.  1 Timothy 3:16

God is a Spirit.  He is an eternal Spirit.  He has always been and he always will be.  Those who worship God must do so in spirit and in truth, Jesus said.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.  John 4:24 

Worship
The worship of God cannot be stopped by prisons, threats, or by death.  Man may kill the bodies of worshipers, but they just enter into heaven to worship in His presence.  Man must worship God from the heart.  Not with objects, fancy buildings, nice clothes, or anything else.  It is from the heart alone where worship occurs.  Real worship is bowing down and submitting ourselves to him in humility.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ... And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke 18:11,13

That’s how we must approach the Holy God of heaven, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  A broken sinner in desperate need of forgiveness and cleansing. And no one is ever turned away who comes to him in humility.  How the Holy God of Heaven longs to save men from their sin.

Remember how Isaiah the prophet reacted when he came to the Temple after King Uzziah had died.   He was so upset he went to the Temple to find comfort, but he found that God had not died and all was well.

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.   Isaiah 6:1-6

Worship brings us closer to God. The closer we get, the more we realize what sinful creatures we are and how unworthy we are of his salvation.  Why would he allow his Son to die for such sinful creatures as we are? Who can grasp God’s love for all of us?

What is God Like in Himself
There is no answer.  No man has ever seen God as he really is. God is like he has always been, and always will be.  He will not, and does not change. That is scriptural!

Have you ever tried to look up at the sun during the summer time in the middle of the day?  We cannot even look at the sun it is so bright.  Now the sun is only a very small dot in the universe.  But God made the sun, and it is so bright we cannot even look at it with our naked eyes.  In fact, what Moses and the Apostles wrote speaks to that;

For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.  Deuteronomy 4:24

For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

God is brighter than ten million suns.  What God has disclosed about himself our reasoning cannot comprehend.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  James 1:17

God is known by his attributes, by what he has told us about himself in His Holy Word. We need to learn about these attributes in order to truly know him, and how to please him.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:9

But the way many view God today displeases him.  He is not  “the man upstairs” or an old grandfatherly figure.  He is the Holy, Holy, Holy Eternal God!

God is Self-Sufficient
“This signifies the real being of God, his self-existence, and that he is the Being of beings; as also it denotes his eternity and immutability, and his constancy and faithfulness in fulfilling his promises. It includes all time, past, present, and to come; and the sense is, not only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been, and I am what I shall be, and shall be what I am.”  Copied

What does that mean?  It means he does not need me, or you, or anyone else, or anything else. WOW!!  That is not the case with us however. He is the one who gives us life. He is the one who sustains us. He is the one who provides for us. Yes, God is complete in himself.

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said; For we are also his offspring. Acts 17:28  HIS offspring folks. Isn’t that awesome!

The Way To God
Folks, there is a God.  Can one get to know him?   Yes, most definitely.  There is a way man can know the true God of heaven. Jesus the only Son of God told us how this would be possible.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?  John 14:6-9

Now this is a most debated thought, that there is only one way to God.  But we can only go by what, Jesus, God’s son has told us in this matter.  There are many other passages of scripture that have given us the same answer.  To know the true God of heaven is possible by repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus as our savior.  To know Jesus is to know God.  Because Jesus is God.

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
1 John 2:23

Oh how much we have to learn, and will forever learn, of our great God and Father throughout eternity.  His goodness we will enjoy because of his forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Christ.  What a Savior, and what a God.

Father, we worship and praise you this day for the many blessings you have given to us.  Thank you for salvation. We pray for the many lost souls who need your salvation, and that may read this message, in our Savior’s name. Amen, Preacher