God never does anything bad; that is the devil. Unfortunately, Christianity has often conveyed a distorted view of God, so that most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either, if that was what He is like!
The Old Testament introduced a system of sacrifices and offerings, which God never desired. Some Old Testament prophets even spoke against sacrifices and offerings, challenging the traditional belief that God mandated them. The confusion arises from perceiving God as angry in the Old Testament and happy in the New – and many contemporary prophecies still depict an angry God, which only perpetuates the confusion. The root of this misunderstanding is the pathway of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which presents a false representation of God. When Adam and Eve went their own way, God sought to meet and reconcile with them, not to destroy them.
The problem lies in our reliance on the Bible for understanding God, rather than personal experience. The authors of the New Testament wrote from their experiences with God, not theoretical perspectives. Our focus should be on hearing God’s voice today through personal, intimate relationship, rather than relying on interpreting a book written for a different time and another people. We have the promise of hearing His voice directly, so we can enjoy a current, dynamic, intimate connection with God.
Key takeaway
The authors of the New Testament wrote from their experiences with God, not theoretical perspectives. Our focus should be on hearing God’s voice today through personal, intimate relationship.