Guiding Questions 5: What is your belief about God?
- RD Montgomery
- Oct 5
- 7 min read
In Guiding Questions 4, we discussed how failing to accept we are who God says we can create a bias that distorts our proper understanding of Scripture. This bias can also exist if we do not believe God is who He says He is.
Because we are human, and God is infinite, our understanding of Him will always be limited. Getting the exact nature of God correct is not something we can accomplish. However, He has revealed Himself to us through the Bible, and a thriving and accurate relationship with Him depends on studying and accepting It as true.
Is your belief in God or a god?
God doesn't change regardless of what you believe. It might never have occurred to you, but you can take creative license with how God is revealed in the Bible and create a god of your own. Many atheists I have talked to have rejected the notion of God because the one they were taught to believe in as children was not biblical. Many people who call themselves Christians are basing it on lies they have been taught or choose to believe.
It would be impossible to catalog all the incorrect beliefs about God that exist. I can give you some of the common extreme views, but what people may believe about Him ranges from mildly influenced to fully accepting of a lie. For instance, we struggle to imagine that God is watching over us or when we think of Him maintaining all living things. That can create doubt. If we allow our human arrogance to feed that doubt and allow it to grow into belief, we move further from a biblical definition of God and are at risk of creating our own god that is powerless to help or save us.
Some of the wrong beliefs about God
The "Distant/Hands-Off/Too Busy" God
The view: While intellectually acknowledging God's existence, this view holds that God is too big, busy, or far away to care about the mundane, day-to-day details of an individual's life. Some might also believe that God set things in motion and now He is just watching to see what happens next. He may or may not have a grand cosmic plan, but personal life is mostly up to the individual.
The problem: If we are mostly on our own, we are living like functional atheists. How can we believe God loves us if He has essentially abandoned us?
Why this is false: This ignores the doctrine of God's providence and immanence. The Bible assures believers that God is intimately involved in every aspect of life—He numbers the hairs on your head, directs your steps, and cares for all creation. He is both near and intimately concerned with His people. (See: Matthew 10:29-31, Acts 17:27-28)
The "Genie/Cosmic Vending Machine" God
The view: Through prayer, faith or some religious exercise, God will do what we want in the way we would like it done. This may be a belief that God will assist us in achieving personal goals, He should solve personal problems, and perhaps even provide wealth or material success.
The problem: If we assume God will do things the way we want it can make us feel like our prayer is ineffectual when it seems to go unanswered, our faith is lacking, we are doing something wrong, or we need to be doing something else.
Why this is false: This view reduces the Sovereign Creator to a servant of human will. The Bible teaches that God's plan and glory are the ultimate priority, not personal comfort or material gain. The purpose of prayer is communion and aligning with God's will, not demanding a specific outcome. (See: Matthew 6:10, James 4:3)
The "Angry/Harsh/Cold" God
The view: God is perpetually disappointed, judgmental, and difficult to please. He is primarily focused on seeking out and punishing flaws and demanding perfection. He is seen as a taskmaster who is "hard to satisfy" and whose love needs to be earned.
The problem: This view of God creates legalism. It creates fear and anxiety or hypocrisy in people.
Why this is false: This perception neglects the biblical emphasis on God's grace, mercy, and unconditional love (Agape). While God is holy and judges sin, the Bible presents Him as "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." The Gospel centers on the sacrifice of Jesus, which satisfies God's justice and allows Him to relate to believers with complete forgiveness and compassion. (See: Psalm 103:8-14, Romans 8:1)
The "Cool/Permissive/Non-Judging" God
The view: God loves humans as they are. This perspective emphasizes God's love and tolerance to the exclusion of His justice and holiness, leading to the belief that God doesn't judge sin or require repentance. This view may also suggest that Jesus died for the sins of all humans and that everyone is heading to heaven regardless of what they believe or how they live.
The problem: If all actions are acceptable and all paths lead to the same destination, there is no necessity for repentance or a desire to be in an intimate loving relationship with God. This view minimizes the seriousness of sin and the gravity of Christ's sacrifice.
Why this is false: This understanding neglects the doctrine of God's perfect holiness and justice and the clear biblical teaching on salvation. The Bible consistently presents God as perfectly loving and perfectly just. It teaches that God's purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. God is patient and kind, but a final judgment is certain for those who reject His provision, and the call to faith includes a call to discipleship and becoming like Him. (See: John 14:6, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:29, 2 Peter 3:9-10)
The "God Is Not Enough" God
The view: This perspective acknowledges God's existence and power but believes that something else is necessary to make life truly meaningful, successful, or fulfilling. It might be created from a desire for instant gratification or shortsightedness that might say, "Heaven might be great, but what about now?" This "something else" could be a specific partner, a high-paying job, a certain amount of wealth, political change, social recognition, or even a particular religious experience or level of performance. God is a good addition but not the ultimate source of complete satisfaction.
The problem: If God is not enough, then we are constantly self-absorbed and chasing and relying on things that are temporary and unstable for our ultimate happiness. This turns those secondary things (relationships, money, career) into idols, leading to perpetual frustration, disappointment, and anxiety when they inevitably fail to deliver the all-satisfying peace that only God can provide.
Why this is false: This contradicts the biblical teaching of God as the supreme good and the source of all life, purpose, and joy. It underestimates the sufficiency of Christ—that in Him, believers are made complete and have everything they need for a life of godliness. When God is viewed as a means to an end (like a good job or a happy marriage), it reverses the proper order. God Himself is the ultimate end and reward. (See: Psalm 73:25-26, Philippians 4:11-13, Colossians 2:9-10)
As you can see, some of what corrupts a proper understanding of God is emphasizing one of His attributes over another. However, the lies are created, the results are devastating to anyone who believes them. Because of lies, religion takes the place of relationship, faith grows casual or cold, and some may put their faith in a god that does not exist.
What should we believe about God? A snapshot from Scripture
He is All-Knowing (Omniscient): This means He knows everything—the past, the present, and the future. No detail is ever hidden from Him (Psalm 147:5). Knowing this gives us comfort that His plans are perfect, and it means we can always be completely honest with Him when we pray.
He is All-Powerful (Omnipotent): He is the Sovereign Creator who simply spoke the universe into existence (Jeremiah 32:17). This guarantees that God can and will fulfill every promise He has ever made, no matter how impossible things look to us.
He is All-Present (Omnipresent): This means there is nowhere you can go where God is not present (Psalm 139:7-10). We never have to fear being abandoned or forgotten, because He is always with us.
He is Unchanging (Immutable): God's nature, character, and promises never change (Malachi 3:6). Because He is constant, we can fully trust everything He has said and done.
He is Holy and Pure: God is totally separate from sin and completely pure (Isaiah 6:3). This holiness is why sin is so serious, but it's also what makes His love so extraordinary.
He is Faithful and True: God always keeps His word, and He cannot lie or break a promise (2 Timothy 2:13). Our relationship with Him is stable because He is completely reliable.
He is Merciful and Compassionate: His mercy is His willingness to withhold the punishment we deserve, and His compassion means He feels deep concern for our struggles (Lamentations 3:22-23). His mercies are new every morning.
He is Love and Grace: In perfect balance with His purity, God is eternally Love (1 John 4:8). He is Gracious, meaning He gives undeserved kindness, mercy, and forgiveness to humanity (Romans 5:8).
He is the Source of all Wisdom: God has perfect insight and knowledge about the best way to do everything (Romans 11:33). We can follow His guidance knowing it is always the right path.
He is Just and the Justifier: He is fair and must hold people accountable for sin, but He is also the one who Makes Us Right in His eyes (Romans 3:26). He provides the means for our reconciliation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
These revealed traits—His power, knowledge, holiness, faithfulness, and unwavering love—give us the reliable, true answer to who God is. They establish Him as the only source of truth, goodness, and salvation in a believer's life.
Once again, do not stop with this blog!
Just as I did with the last post, I strongly encourage you to study the attributes of God on your own. I believe this is an essential exercise that needs to be repeated every couple of years because we are being bombarded by forces that feed us doubt and try to minimize God in our lives.
In addition, this is also why you need to spend time in worship. Worship helps us reflect on who God really is. It also humbles us, which gives us a smaller role in our life and beliefs and gives Him the trust and authority He is so worthy of.
Scripture used or considered in the writing of "Guiding Questions 5: What is your belief about God?" by RD Montgomery. All Scripture quoted is in ESV format unless otherwise noted.
Psalm 73:25-26
Psalm 103:8-14
Psalm 139:7-10
Psalm 147:5
Isaiah 6:3
Jeremiah 32:17
Lamentations 3:22-23
Malachi 3:6
Matthew 6:10
Matthew 10:29-31
Luke 1:37
John 14:6
John 14:16-17
Acts 17:27-28
Romans 3:26
Romans 5:8
Romans 6:23
Romans 8:1
Romans 8:29
Romans 11:33
2 Corinthians 13:14
Philippians 4:11-13
Colossians 2:9-10
2 Timothy 2:13
James 4:3
1 John 4:8
2 Peter 3:9-10
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