In my last blog, God led me on a journey to explain His good and perfect reign where mourning, death, and pain are nonexistent as described in Revelations 21:4. God is absolute virtue, and in His Kingdom, He exists apart from an embodied person and governs life. 

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good… Genesis 1: 3-4

We also discussed how Paul persevered through hardship. He was driven by his fervent love of God to think about God’s good nature while navigating a world replete with evil. Nevertheless, even the most resilient Christians occasionally grapple with this challenge. As we grow in our knowledge of who God is, navigating hardship becomes easy, because His burden is light.

Let’s continue to explore God’s goodness the essence of His light.

The standard definition of virtue in the English language is the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. Virtues are things like love, joy, and peace. To be virtuous is to embody a virtue or several virtues, but to be Holy is to possess all virtues, executing them with wisdom, irrespective of time (forever). 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Galatians 5:22

Biblically, God is absolute virtue and in heaven His goodness is unregulated. It just is, like oxygen, hence God’s name “I am.” In the Kingdom of Heaven, where God reigns, no wrong goes unnoticed because God is perfectly just. If anyone thinks they are “good,” try that! I’m sure my kids get away with things I never see. If we are honest with ourselves, God’s just nature should both frighten us and make us glad! His virtuous reign (light) creates a sense of security and safety that is joyful and peaceful; both here, and effortlessly in Heaven.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3

God is perfectly just. He is also the fruit of the Spirit, and every other virtue known to man. It’s truly remarkable and worthy of respect and praise. Before the fall, God reigned with His creation; we knew Him, and we were one with Him, so what happened?

The Bible tells us after God created the heavens and the earth, He described His creation as good. After all, He’s only willing to do good. Then, in Genesis chapter 2, God causes two trees to spring up from the ground: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Notice the second tree is named the knowledge of “good” and evil. Evil is good perverted. Perversion in this context means having been corrupted or distorted from its original purpose or state. God calls it the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because evil cannot exist apart from good in the same way a lie cannot exist without a truth.

God gave mankind a choice between the two trees because He loves and respects us. King David wrote to God in Psalm 139:14, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Godly fear is understood in the Bible as respect or reverence for the things of God. It’s often used to describe a way of relating to God, but King David is saying that, as image bearers, God also relates to us in this way.

With purposeful intent, God fashioned mankind with intellect to know Him, granted us free will to choose Him, and then showed mankind that bearing His image means we are bestowed dignity. The dignity to choose what we think is “right” for ourselves.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

If God had not given Adam and Eve a choice to be with Him, He would have been forcing mankind to be under His good and perfect authority and this would have compromised His character. Instead, out of His respect for us, God gives mankind a choice. In doing so, He proves Himself worthy of respect, because He is respect.

We see in the story of Adam and Eve that Satan stole what God meant for good and perverted it, and it completely changed the state of creation. The Bible says that after the fall and the knowledge of evil (vice) entered mankind perverse thoughts, corrupt behavior, and spiritual death spread like wildfire. Among the consequences of Adam and Eve’s choice was physical death.

Mankind, in error, chose to disobey God one time, and a spiritual and physical, chemical reaction occurred that fundamentally altered the state of creation. Mankind apart from God’s perfect reign (light) turned inward to selfishness (darkness). Since the fall of mankind in the garden, the knowledge of both good and evil reigns, separating us from the presence of God.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1: 3-4

God’s goodness is so pure evil cannot coexist with Him. While His light (virtue) illuminates’ life, the absence of light (darkness) conceals (hides) His goodness.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Although mankind is well-suited for good, our natural tendencies, often beginning in our thoughts (knowledge), if left unchecked are persuaded towards evil. Therefore, we must intentionally pursue an understanding and knowledge of virtue, God’s goodness, and light. We must do as Peter instructed in 2 Peter 1:5 “add to your faith virtue.”

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:3

Join me for my next blog as we explore the primary way mankind interacts with God, humility.