God’s reputation matters. If we don’t understand or respect God or anyone for that matter, we are not going to pay much attention to much less want a relationship with God or that person. People aren’t always just being apathetic toward God; instead, the God represented by others doesn’t always inspire wanting to get to know God. An employer can encourage all they want the sacrifices necessary for the survival of the business, but employees are not going to follow unless the boss makes sacrifices? We follow those who we have genuine respect for.
Theologians often will play the mystery card when their biblical interpretations suggest God’s morals are not the same as perfect, human morals. They understand some explanation is required when their views of God are incompatible with most people’s idea of a loving God. John Calvin taught that God elects some for eternal life after death while excluded others. Any parent who showed such arbitrary love toward their children would be declared immoral. God cannot claim to be moral if God doesn’t obey actions God claims are moral.
We know what God is like because God’s love and perfect human love are one in the same.
God is just like us on our perfect days. How can we know though to forgive others who truly regret their actions, since forgiveness is not as obvious a moral as murdering, stealing, or lying? It is as if our Creator has impressed upon our souls that the right thing is to always treat others like we would want to be treated by them if we were in their circumstances. One day you may be in need of forgiveness. But, how can we know God lives by perfect human morals?
Jesus, who represented God here on earth, made statements like: “Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Parent is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). We are encouraged to “Be holy because I (God) am holy” (I Pet. 1:16).
God clearly think we know what perfection or holiness is or these statements are meaningless. Our striving to love others perfectly suggests such love exists. God is saying watch me and you will know how to act perfect or holy. God can’t act partial but declare favoritism wrong (Jam. 2:1). God isn’t a hypocrite who tells us to act morally but then acts immorally. We know what God is like because God’s morals are perfect humanly speaking.
Acting morally is usually clear but for example acting justly isn’t always exact. Should we sentence a person to two or four year for their crime? We know God’s sense of justice always has in mind the hopes of restoration. At least if we try to be like and demonstrate God’s attitudes in all decisions the world surely will be better off. Many decisions are not moral such as which career or job to pursue. We are free to make our own decisions. The beauty of a relationship with God is that with God alongside we can make wiser decisions based on what a loving God would desire for a better world.
God is the ideal lover and desires to inspire and empower us to be the same kind of lover in our relationships.
God’s ways are not mysterious according to the Bible; God’s ways are higher (more moral) than our ways (Is. 55:8). God isn’t a hypocrite who tells us to act morally but then acts immorally. Biblical interpretations that imply God’s ways are less moral than our ways are unconceivable. God’s love is the love you always imagine would be true of a loving God. God is the perfection of the human parents we have always desired.
God’s love is the love we deep down desire to show others consistently. That is what God is really like!
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 