God is the Source

In chapter one I mentioned the decision to provide salvation for all mankind was made before Earth was created. God knew, before creating Earth and man, the fall would happen. The bible states that Jesus Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8 KJV). Only a good God would provide a way of rescue for a people He foreknew would fall through disobedience. In the gospels according to Matthew, Mark and Luke, we are told of an encounter between Jesus and a man often termed as the rich young ruler. The bible says: “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, ‘Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.’” Mark 10:17-18 KJV Jesus, in His humanity, declared to the man that the only good One is God. As believers, we know Jesus Christ and the Father are One (John 10:30), but Jesus humbled Himself and lived on the earth as a full man serving God. Jesus lived His entire life without sin, so if He said God is good, God is good. There is another lesson to be learned from the exchange between Jesus and the “rich young ruler.” Jesus asked the man why it was he called Him good—the reason being only God is good. Here was an opportunity for the man to confess the reason he called Jesus good was because Jesus is God. But apparently he did not recognize Who it was standing before him. If he had, he probably would have been obedient to sell all he had, give to the poor and follow Jesus. But in the recorded accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke, he missed his opportunity. Perhaps at a later unrecorded time, the man did follow Jesus. We can only ponder. What are you calling Jesus, and Who is Jesus to you? Is He good? Is He God? Is He your Source? God cannot be separated from His goodness. The events we experience in this life are not indicators of whether God is good or not good in various situations. God is always good, because goodness is Who God is. The goodness of God is what leads sinners to repentance (Romans 2:4), and apart from God pure goodness is nonexistent. When God’s Word commands us to fear Him, He is not commanding us to fear Him in the sense of being afraid to approach Him. On the contrary, the more we approach God through prayer, meditation, and study of His Word, the more of His goodness we experience. Ultimately, God has good plans for our overall lives. Sometimes we fall short, and God, being the loving Father He is, corrects us. But ultimately, He only wants what is best for our lives, and that best comes from Him. We read in the Old Testament, many times over, how the people of Israel and Judah were subdued and taken captive by other nations because of disobedience. But even then, God in His goodness watched over them. It may be considered the seventy-year exile to Babylon was the most pivotal of these seasons of correction. But listen to the message God sent to them while in captivity through the pen of Jeremiah the prophet: “This is what the LORD says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,’ says the LORD. ‘I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.’” Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT God is good even when our own disobedience brings trouble and harm into our lives. God is just, so there are times when unwise and sinful decisions will result in very dire consequences. If you’re reading this and are in the midst of troubled circumstances, whether due to your own decisions or uncontrollable external sources, the fact that you’re still breathing means God’s goodness is still at work in your life. Confess all to God with a sincere heart of repentance, and while this may not result in full deliverance from the situation, it will result in the goodness of God’s forgiveness. I’m not proud of this in any way, but since the time the Lord saved my soul, I’ve had seasons of struggle with sin, namely alcohol consumption. I’ve suffered unnecessary loss in my life, but can tell you first-hand, that God’s goodness is always ready to respond to a repentant heart. There have been times in which I believed God’s purpose for my life was ruined, but the fact that I'm writing this right now is evidence that God’s purpose is still intact. (excerpt from chapter six: "God is the Source of Goodness")