Be extremely careful what you believe about God
We see examples every day of people who fail at one thing or another. And each one of us has plenty of personal examples of times we have failed. But the same is not true with God. You see, as incredible as it sounds, never once did God fail. David wrote, “As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is flawless” (Psalm 18:30).
Jesus taught His disciples, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We all fall short of perfection by a long shot, but God never falls short. While man misses the mark time and time again, the Lord has never committed even one unrighteous act. God is perfect in holiness, righteousness, justice, love, wisdom, grace, patience and understanding.
God is never the cause of evil, whereas man and the devil are guilty of many atrocities. God gave man free will, and man has abused this freedom to bring much pain and suffering upon his fellow man. As the prophet Jeremiah stated: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). The deceitfulness and brutality of man has accounted for the suffering and death of hundreds of millions of people over many centuries.
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Perhaps you feel like God has let you down in some way. It is a common feeling, especially since life at times can be filled with so much heartache. And when someone is going through an especially difficult period, it is easy and even natural to blame God. But just because it is natural to do so doesn’t make it right. After all, how could we ever place any blame on God after everything He has done to provide everlasting life in Heaven for everyone who receives His only Son as Savior?
The Apostle Paul wrote, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
God’s perfect love motivated Him to send His only Son to be a sinless sacrifice on the cross for our salvation. The cross is the pinnacle of human history and the pinnacle of God’s sacrificial love for mankind.
Anytime you are tempted to blame God for a trial in your life, run to the cross and remind yourself of God’s unconditional and persistent love for you. When your circumstances seem to suggest, “God has forgotten you, and God doesn’t love you,” it is critical to counter those lies with the truth of Christ’s agonizing sacrifice on your behalf.
Sometimes we have to reject our nagging feelings and ignore our challenging circumstances as we simply focus on what Christ endured to demonstrate God’s love for us. Nothing you ever experience will change God’s love for you or Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for your sins. Feelings are flighty, fickle and fleeting, but the cross endures, and so does God’s faithfulness and perfection.
Moses proclaimed, “God is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Never once did God fail, and never once has God sinned. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Christ committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). You see, if Jesus had sinned even one time, He would not qualify to be anyone’s Savior. In that case, He would need a Savior himself. Thankfully, Jesus did indeed live a perfect life and maintain a perfect record.
Since we are sinful human beings, we are unable to fully understand why God allows us to go through certain trials in life. We often do not see things from God’s perspective. When we get to Heaven, however, it will all become clear to us. “Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
If you have been guilty of blaming God rather than praising God, you can approach the Lord right now and confess your sin to Him. God realizes that our life on Earth can become very painful at times. Thankfully, God is preparing a place for us in Heaven where pain will be a thing of the past.
The Holy Spirit gave the Apostle John a glimpse of what God’s children will experience throughout eternity. “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).
In this world, many critics naively consider God to be a failure. In the next world, however, everyone knows better, including those who find themselves locked outside Paradise due to their sin, their lack of repentance and their rejection of the Gospel.
And just in case you are not familiar with the Gospel, Jesus proclaimed it very clearly: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Your future happiness and peace depend upon whether you bring your sins and failures to the God who never fails. Do you believe that God is a failure, or that the Lord is faithful to all of His promises and perfect in every way? Be extremely careful what you choose to believe about God and what you believe concerning the Gospel. Your eternal destiny hangs in the balance.
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
