The Lord Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Dr Charles Stanley makes an insightful commentary on this text: “The question that needs to be addressed here is; “What is the will of the Father?” Faith and belief in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, are the only answers. Willing and eager obedience is the hallmark of someone who has truly come to faith in Christ. They obey not because they want to earn God’s favor, but because they feel delighted about having already received it” (The Charles F Stanley Life Principles Bible NKJV).
Jesus Christ has the authority to make the statement because He is the only one who has provided salvation for mankind by going to the Cross and exclusively paid the penalty for our sins, without which we would be lost forever.
So then, the Christian’s God (Hereinafter referred simply as God) is the Sovereign Creator of the universe and the God of the Bible; in which ,we read: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The Bible tells us all we need to know about God — who He is, and what He does.
When God created man, He placed him in a perfect, sinless environment called the Garden of Eden, “to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:15-17).
However, man chose to disobey God, and as a result, sin “entered the world.” The Bible says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). The one man was Adam, whose sin brought death and condemnation to the human race, and thus separated man from God, thereby making all of us sinners. Romans 3:23 also states: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
However, in spite of man’s rebellion, it was certainly not God’s intent to allow the situation to remain without a remedy. Therefore, God’s mercy, grace, wisdom, and unconditional love, enabled Him to provide the means to reconcile sinful man to Himself.
Reconciliation to God is as a result of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins. The Bible says, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).
The Christian’s God is the only true and living God whose throne and abode is in heaven. And there is absolutely no comparison with Him and “so-called” gods in the world established by man.
This God that “born-again” Christians worship is “omnipotent,” which means He has unlimited power and He is able to do anything. He is also “omniscient,” that is, He sees and knows everything. And He is also “omnipresent,” being present everywhere at the same time. No human or any created being possesses these attributes.
Here are some Hebrew names for God, which have significant meanings. “Elohim,” refers to God’s power and might. “El Shaddai,” means Lord God Almighty. “Adonai” means Lord, Master. “El Elyon” meaning LORD God Most High. “El Olam” means The Everlasting God.
God is also known by the Hebrew name Jehovah, and whenever the Lord is written “LORD” (all capitals) in the Bible, it means Jehovah. Here are some of the meanings of Jehovah. Jehovah Rapha (The Lord that Heals). Jehovah Jireh (The Lord will Provide). Jehovah Nissi (The Lord my Banner). Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord our Righteousness). Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There).
God’s name is a holy name. And Christians have reverence and admiration for God’s name. This is recognized in the third of the Ten Commandments, which reads: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). The Scripture also says, “Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise” (Nehemiah 9:5).
The beginning of the prayer the Lord taught His disciples says, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). Hallowed be your name means we set God’s name apart to be exalted as being worthy of our complete devotion and loving admiration.
The names of God reveal many things about Him, such as His greatness, omnipotence, eternality, sovereignty, holiness, and righteousness. This indeed is the God of the ages who true Christians revere and serve.