JUST WHAT IS GOOD?

JUST WHAT IS “GOOD”?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

(Romans 8:28)

And, just what is meant by ‘good’ and according to whom?

Good = (agathós) describes what originates from God and is empowered by Him in their life, through faith. Inherently, intrinsically good; as to the believer. Good in nature, good whether it be seen to be so or not.

Genesis chapter one describes Creation. God uses the word “good” seven times when describing completed steps in His Creation. God’s first recorded act was creating the heavens and the earth – and it was good. God’s purpose and act was to create good.

Secondly, what is God’s purpose as referred to in Romans 8:28? Most commentaries and studies on the subject of God’s purpose is proposed in the plural: PURPOSES. This says that God has many purposes. But I am asking what was and is God’s first and primary purpose?

God’s corresponding primary act was the creation of mankind. “Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)

We know that God is Good and His act and purpose, once again, is to create good – this time, man and woman.

“And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

God’s primary recorded act was to create the heaven, the earth and humankind – man and woman who were made in His image and in likeness.

A careful study will tell us that God deliberately created man and woman in His image, but with a caveat – a deliberate flaw.

Read Genesis 1, Verse 27, with me, and let’s translate the words. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

In His own image = tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.

God created mankind ‘in His Own image’ but, as a mere image of Himself; a vain show, just a shadow of the Original; an image, in icon, a phantom pattern, an illusion, a mere resemblance; a being of dubious nature – but with the potential of being like God!

We are routinely told that we cannot be like God. It is true that there is none like Him. But read what God says in Genesis 3:22-24, “Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword, which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”

It is also true that we cannot be like God, but it is God’s intention, plan and purpose to make us all into the image and likeness of Jesus – to be perfected into and by His image.

God has made it clear: You are to “be (come) perfect, (teleio), even as He is perfect, (teleios)”. (Matthew 5:48).

Although God deliberately created mankind with a ‘dubious nature’, a flaw in their character with a propensity to sin, His plan and purpose for us is being perfected into the image and likeness of Jesus.

God provided a way and a method to save us from our sins and to perfect us by way of His perfect example, a savior Who is Jesus Christ.

And, “Because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14).

It is in our human nature to define ‘good’ by our own perspective from our earthbound vantage point. We tend to see ‘good’ as those things that are beneficial to us, the things that please us, things that suit our human passions or satisfy our fleshly desires. But it is God alone Who defines ‘good’. His nature, character and existence is the very definition of Good.

You cannot imagine or begin to know what is truly ‘Good’ unless you know the One who is Good. God is Good. He is perfect – and He calls us to be perfect, even as He is perfect!

His plan and purpose is first and foremost His Perfection!

Everything you hope to know about God, about His plan and His Purpose, will fall into place once you look through the lens of His Perfection.

It is only then that we can come to know, believe and truly accept, “that God causes all things to work together for your good, and for the good of all those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

It is only then that we can rest in perfect assurance that whether our life events or circumstances seem to be beneficial or not, it is always God’s plan and purpose to cause all things to work together for good to those of us who love Him, and who are called according to His purpose.”

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“The Journey To Perfection”