It matters how we communicate about God when others are considering a relationship with their Creator. God often is said to be more concerned about their own honor and reputation than mainly concerned about others. God’s love surely is the same as supreme parents – other-directed not self-consumed. God’s desire for glory is not for reasons as other gods are portrayed. To glorify God is to love oneself and others to the fullest. Parents may advise their children to honor them because abiding by a parent’s wish should be in the best interest of the child. God is not self-infatuated. God could care less about their ego.
Are human parents better lovers than God? Human parents don’t start loving their children after their sins are accounted for. Jesus didn’t die just so a holy God could finally forgive our sins. God forgave before Jesus was born. Jesus forgave sins during His life, not after His death. Jesus’ death was God’s walking in our shoes to convince us of a desire to have a relationship. The Cross was not to change God’s attitude toward us but to change our attitude about God. Parents must strive for a relationship so their children might consider their guidance. Jesus laid down His life in hopes to convince us God wanted a relationship for our benefit.
If God was so worried about their ego, God certainly would not have given us freedom. God staked their reputation in individuals and the nation of Israel in the beginning. God created us in their image so we might represent God to others. Many religions today suggest their god has no place for freedom. One either believes their way or suffers immediate extinction. The ancient gods demanded sacrifice to satisfy the god’s thirst. Are we going to suggest the God of Creation is the same as the other gods? The Old Testament writers sought to convey differences than commonalities with the other gods.
God doesn’t care about their ego! God desperately desires more to convey God’s love for us. A legalistic view of the Cross is ruining God’s reputation. God was not more concerned with restoring their honor than expressing a desire for a relationship. God did not have to be appeased by human sacrifice as the other Old Testament gods. A legalistic view implies God couldn’t love us until someone’s death accounted for our sins. If someone wronged me and the only way I could satisfy my anger and forgive was to kill my child, what does that say about me as a parent! God stubbornly continues to pursue us to enjoy a relationship together.
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 