Many people today claim belief in God, yet the god they worship is often not the God revealed in the Bible. Instead, they have shaped a god according to human preferences, emotions, and cultural trends. This is not a new problem. From the earliest days of Scripture, humanity has been tempted to remake God in its own image rather than submitting to the image God has revealed of Himself. Romans 1 verse 23 warns that people exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images made like corruptible man. When this happens, worship becomes distorted, faith becomes shallow, and obedience becomes optional.

One of the most common false images of God is a god who is only loving and never holy. Many speak of God as kind, gentle, and affirming, yet they reject any idea of judgment, wrath, or moral accountability. Scripture certainly teaches that God is love, as seen in First John 4 verse 8, but the same Bible declares that God is holy in Isaiah 6 verse 3 and that He is a righteous judge in Psalm 7 verse 11. A god without holiness is not the God of the Bible. He is a human invention designed to comfort without convicting and to save without transforming.

Another man made version of God is the permissive god who never says no. This god exists to support personal desires, justify lifestyles, and approve every choice. Yet Jesus Himself taught hard truths, called for repentance, and warned about the narrow way that leads to life in Matthew 7 verses 13 through 14. The biblical God does not exist to serve human will. Instead, He calls humanity to surrender to His will. When people reject this truth, they often reshape God into a spiritual advisor rather than a sovereign Lord.

There is also the false god of convenience. This god is acknowledged in times of crisis but ignored in daily life. Many pray only when trouble comes, yet live independently of God the rest of the time. Scripture rebukes this attitude in Proverbs 1 verse 28, where God warns of those who seek Him only when disaster strikes. The true God calls His people into a continual relationship, not an emergency arrangement.

Some create a god who never confronts sin. This god is silent about repentance, cross bearing, and obedience. Yet Jesus said plainly, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me in Matthew 16 verse 24. The God of the Bible does not overlook sin because He is indifferent. He confronts sin because He is just, and He provides forgiveness through Christ because He is merciful.

The Bible also warns against worshiping a god shaped by emotions alone. Feelings change, but God does not. Malachi 3 verse 6 declares, I am the Lord, I change not. When faith is built only on how God makes us feel, rather than on who He has revealed Himself to be, belief becomes unstable. The true God calls His people to trust His Word even when emotions are weak or circumstances are hard.

At the root of these false images is human pride. People prefer a god they can control rather than a God they must obey. Yet Isaiah 55 verses 8 and 9 remind us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways. The biblical God is not a projection of human desire. He is the Creator, the Judge, the Redeemer, and the King.

The greatest corrective to false views of God is Scripture itself. God has revealed who He is through His Word and through His Son. Hebrews 1 verses 1 through 3 teach that Jesus Christ is the exact representation of God’s nature. Any view of God that contradicts the character and teaching of Christ is not biblical, no matter how popular or comforting it may seem.

True Christianity does not ask us to invent a god that fits our preferences. It calls us to repent, to believe, and to worship the living God as He truly is. When we abandon false images and return to the God of Scripture, we discover that His holiness is good, His authority is life giving, and His truth sets us free according to John 8 verse 32.