God’s goodness is outrageous and
shocking... actually disreputable to the religious minded. From the “It was
good” of creation through the smiting of His beloved Son at Calvary, through
the adversity that tries, tests and transforms His children, through the last
drip of grace enabling the last redeemed person to walk through heavens gates,
to eternity in the place God has prepared for us... God is unswervingly good.
It is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the breath of life and a world in
which to live it... to give us salvation from Self, and transformation into His
very own Nature... to give us forever life in an eternal paradise especially
prepared for us. The “gotcha” is not in God’s goodness but in our understanding
of the word “good.” Good, according to Webster, is that which is morally
excellent, virtuous, righteous, pious, honorable and worthy. So, anything that
moves us Godward, in God’s perspective, is good... anything... even if it
hurts. God’s ultimate good is seen in His relentless molding and shaping of our
life – like clay pots on a potter’s wheel -- using the circumstances of our
life to conform us into the likeness of Christ... releasing more and more of
the implanted “good” of Christ’s nature... becoming good like our Daddy. Good,
according to man, is that which satisfies his wants... his lusts for the toys
and thrills of life. Herein is the rub as they say, for we have a broken
“wanter” and it takes a lot of pressure to get our mind off of things below and
onto things above. But God’s unending goodness will not leave us the way we
are... He is determined to make us His jewels. God’s goodness is extravagant...
unconventional... remarkable and extraordinary, in a word... outrageous: “I
looked and behold, a great multitude which no one could number... the martyrs
who came out of the Great Tribulation and washed their robes in the Blood of
the Lamb”, and... It was Good!
AS WE BEHOLD HIM...
WE BECOME LIKE HIM...
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