The acid test for any theology is this: Is the God presented one that can be loved, heart, soul, mind and strength? If the thoughtful, honest answer is; “Not really,” then we need to look elsewhere or deeper. It does not really matter how sophisticated intellectually or doctrinally our approach is. If it fails to set a loveable God — a radiant, happy, friendly, accessible, and totally competent being — before ordinary people, we have gone wrong. We should not keep going in the same direction, but turn around and take another road.
— Dallas Willard
4 replies on “The Test”
I’ve been thinking about this idea recently (mostly as it relates to Calvinism and Arminianism) and I’m just not sure. My gut reaction to this quote is to push back by saying that we can also end up making God in our likeness and removing those parts of God that confront and convict. I see God as much more interested in our holiness than our temporal happiness, and so I wonder how to balance Willard’s quote. Perhaps it’s the “thoughtful, honest” part of the question that is important. I can love a God who is tough and wrathful, if I know that ultimately he is just and loving and good. Thoughts?
I’ve known some “tough and wrathful” people who I think have made God in their image.
How do you think God most perfectly reveals Himself to us? In Christ, in His self-emptying, in the cross. If we don’t understand God’s wrath in the context of His love, we haven’t begun to understand Him.
You’re right, and I think Dallas is right too. In my life though, I’ve known a lot more people who focus so intently on God’s “love” that they never really consider a costly following of Christ or that God might be calling them to something other than “do whatever makes you happy”. They’re attitude is, “it doesn’t matter what I do, God loves me”. So is the key to actually love this “loveable” God with everything you’ve got, and then that will draw you in to a fuller knowledge of Him (including the confrontational parts) ?
God’s love purifies. “For He is like a refiner’s fire.”