Deity', Donald McCullough records these poignant remarks: "The God of the Scriptures is a holy God - wholly other, radically different from anything else in creation, terrifying in greatness, and utterly awesome in love. This is a God who transcends our understanding and is unknowable except by divine revelation -- the God described by the author of Hebrews as a "consuming fire''. But the church has reduced this God of glory to manageable proportions. We have trivialised the God of glory. "Visit an average congregation on a Sunday morning'', proposes McCullough "and you will likely find a congregation comfortably relating to deity who fits nicely within precise doctrinal positions, or who lends almighty support to social crusades, or who conforms to individual spiritual experiences. But you will not likely find much awe. The result is a diminished influence of the church on the world around it - a sad reflection of the manageable deity we have put in God's place.'' Noted Anglican theologian, J.I Packer also bemoans this sad state of affairs in his classic treatise, `Knowing God'. He observes: "Christian minds have been conformed to the modern spirit that spawns great thoughts of man and leaves room for only small thoughts of God. The modern way with God is to set him at a distance, if not to deny him altogether.... Thoughts of death, eternity, judgment, the greatness of the soul and the abiding consequences of temporal decisions are all "out'' for moderns, and it is a melancholy fact that the Christian church, instead of raising its voice to remind the world of what is being forgotten, has formed a habit of playing down these themes in just the same way. But these capitulations to the modern spirit are really suicidal so far as Christian life is concerned.'' How then does the church go about eradicating this ignorance of God and of his ways amongst his people? Let us begin once again to teach our people about such attributes of God as his self-existence, his immutability, his majesty and his power. Let us reemphasise the sovereignty of God and his absolute and unquestioned authority over his creation. "For by him (Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consists.'' (Colossians 1:16-17).

By virtue of his sovereign authority as Creator of the universe, God is worthy of worship, awe and praise. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.'' Why? "For he spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.'' (Psalm 33:6,8-9).

Making use of synonymous parallelism, the psalmist exhorts all of God's creation to reverence and stand in awe of him for his mighty works. For he simply spoke the universe into existence - "ex-nihilo'' - out of nothing! What an awesome God! Moses continues this familiar refrain in Exodus 15:11 when he writes: "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders.'' Listen as this sovereign God reproves Job for questioning his dealings in Job's life.

"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this.

What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years. What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, Here we are?'' (Job 38:2-4, 18019, 24,35 NIV).

Realizing the absurdity of questioning God and his sovereign rule over the heaven, the earth and its creatures, Job responds: "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted....Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know...My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.'' (Job 42:2,3,5-6 NIV).

I am also reminded of the prophet Isaiah who, given a vision of this majestically holy and transcendent God seated on a throne high and exalted in his heavenly courts, cried out: "Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'' (Isaiah 6:5).

Given a glimpse of God in his majestic splendour caused Isaiah to become acutely aware of his own sinfulness and of his dire need for cleansing. Could it be that we, today, have not seen God for how holy he truly is and, therefore, do not see our similar need for cleansing and forgiveness? LORIN SMITH