The importance of understanding God

4 February 2022

Series: Shabbat sermons

The importance of understanding God

In John 14:28, we read, “You heard me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

How do you understand God?

How you respond to this one question will determine how you see your relationship to God. Most Christians see Jesus and the Father as equal, but in the Bible, Jesus says His Father is greater than He. So it is obvious Jesus and the Father are not equal, even though they are both God.

The Bible also says God is one and not two or three in one. So it is evident from the Bible the Godhead consists of a hierarchy with the Father Yehovah on the top, followed by the Holy Spirit and then the Son in that order.

Most Christians who see Jesus and the Father as equal believe Jesus somehow has replaced the Father. And because He has replaced Yehovah, we are now to relate only to Jesus and not the Father. On the other hand, if you see them as not equal, you know you would always have to relate to the Father and not Jesus. Then the role of Jesus would only be a means to get back to the Father Yehovah. (John 14:6)

If Jesus’s goal is to return us to the Father, then we would know what He taught us is just as important as what He did for us. But because most Christians see Jesus and the Father as being equal, they reject the teachings of Jesus and focus instead on their distorted view of Paul’s teachings and what Jesus did. This will, in the end, cause them to lose their salvation (Matt 7:21-23)

Therefore, you must have a correct view and a correct understanding of God so you can relate to Him the way you are supposed to.

So what happens if we take the Bible at face value and we start listening more to the teachings of Jesus instead of our distorted understanding of Paul’s teachings?

What happens is that we end up unlocking the promises in the Bible. We can’t get past the fact that every promise in the Bible is conditional; if we do A, then God the Father will do B. If we dont do our part, then God the Father refuses to do His part. So, just as Deut 28:1-14 and Matt 6:25-34 says, if we will obey the written law of Moses (the Torah), God the Father promises to do His part and meet our every needs the way He sees best in His timing. If we disobey the Torah and refuse to do our part, He will withdraw His hand from our lives and refuse to do His part.

Will this mean you will walk in perfect health and wealth from now if you will only obey the Torah?

If your situation is rooted in your disobedience, Yehovah will heal you, and your needs will be met. But if your situation results from shared guilt, you can’t be sure to walk in perfect health and wealth. But you can know for sure your needs will be met, just as it was for the Israelites in the desert for 40 years. Even though God tested them in the desert to see if they would obey Him, He did not leave them alone. He cared for them in their trials, and when He judged the Egyptians and the consequences of the judgments were also felt by the Israelites, He still cared for them.

What do I mean by shared guilt?

The Bible says we share in the guilt of our nation, our families, and those in authority over us. If you are obedient to the Torah, reconciled by the Blood, you will not be punished for their sins. But you will still have to suffer the consequences of the sins of those in authority. But even if you have to suffer the consequences of their sins, you can know for sure Yehovah will care for you in the midst of it all.

Even though this might seem strange to you, consider this: As a saved human being, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt you are forgiven on your way to heaven. The Bible says those who have sinned will die, so the punishment for sin is physical death. Even though you are no longer a sinner, you are redeemed and forgiven; you will still have to suffer physical death one day. Why? Because you as a human being share in the collective guilt of all humans, but you will not share in their punishment now that you have repented and become reconciled by the Blood. So just as you share in the consequences and the collective guilt of all humans, you also share in the consequences and the collective guilt of those in authority over you.

This is why you cant be sure to walk in perfect health and wealth if your circumstances result from shared guilt. But you can know for sure you will not be punished for your sins, and you can know for sure Yehovah will see to your every need just as He did for the Israelites.

So how do you “unlock” the promises of God, no matter if your situation comes from your disobedience or shared guilt? By being obedient to the law of Moses. When you live in obedience to the written Torah, you are doing your part, and then you can know for sure Yehovah will do His part.

This is why it is so important to understand God the correct way.

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