What is God like?

This question has come up a lot around me recently. Christians making statements like 'I just couldn't believe in a God that ...', Rob Bell suggesting (through his questions!) that a God that would condemn people to hell can't be good, a local church leader making liberal views of the bible which make God out to be someone who simply pats us on the back as long as we are happy and aren't hurting anyone (that may be an over simplification of the point), a friend was asking the provocative questions at a coffee bar today 'aren't all religions the same?', 'don't religions just have part of the truth?' 'can anyone really know what God is like... and does it really matter?'

Yes we can know God!
Not because we can work him out cleverly but because he has revealed himself to us! Not least in the person and work of Jesus.

Yes it matters
Our view of God really does matter. If we don't believe God has wrath for sin we won't understand the cross and we won't understand grace. We won't understand why the gospel is such good news. If we don't recognise God as sovereign then we will be consumed with worry over those things we can't control, second guessing our actions and playing out all alternatives in our mind in an attempt to have some illusion of control. If we don't believe God is good, we will view suffering as a waste at best. There are a ton of examples but you get the idea...

Some people think that thinking/reason and faith are antithetical. Tim Keller suggests that far from being in opposition faith will inspire thinking and reason can lead to a deepening of faith. Crisis of faith and doubts do not come about through too much thinking... but a lack of thinking. We don't need to be afraid as Christians to question our ideas about God when we come to the bible. We need our ideas to be shaped by God as he reveals himself. As I have said in a previous post, the true God is far better than any idea I can come up with about him. Knowing that I press on to know him more!