The Goodness of God

How do you balance looking at someone and seeing a soul that will have an eternal destination, and a human being that has a beautiful and wonderful life to live here on earth? How do you share with someone the magnitude with the realities of heaven and hell, but also share with them that there are so many joys serving the Lord while here on earth? These questions have been weighing on my heart as I’ve grown in my faith and have gotten to meet so many different people. People who are at different walks in their faith, people from different backgrounds, people who oppose Jesus, and more. 

I don’t want to sound like a Fire and Brimstone preacher by just telling people they are going to hell without accepting Salvation from Jesus, but I also want them to understand that not choosing Him will send them there. AND that hell is a real place, it is complete separation from God, a literal lake of fire where you will be tormented and tortured... for eternity (Matthew 13:50, 25:41, 2 Thessalonians 1:9). When I was younger I remember laying in bed at night crying for people who denied Jesus and who would hear the words, “Depart from me for I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). It broke my heart thinking about all of those people that will never get a break from eternal torment. 

At the same time, I don’t want people to choose Jesus out of fear. I don’t want someone to say a quick prayer to get a get-out-of-hell-free card. The gospel isn't merely about escaping hell someday. It's about receiving Jesus Himself and experiencing His presence, peace, hope, joy, and intimacy both now and forever. Yes, when you die, if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you will spend eternity with Him. I don’t think humans can even fathom that glory! But there is so much goodness to be enjoyed while we wait for our eternal glory. 

And it’s all because of His Steadfast Love.

The reason we receive all of these blessings isn't because we've earned them. It's because of the incredible love of God. John 3:16 tells us that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son..." Before we ever loved Him, He loved us. In fact, Scripture tells us that "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Love isn't merely something God does, it's part of who He is. Out of that love, He willingly sent His Son to bear the punishment we deserved so that we could be forgiven, justified, adopted into His family, and experience His goodness both now and for eternity.

When you accept this free gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit immediately dwells within you! He has made your heart His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). While you are here on earth, you can dwell with Him because He is within you! If you have ever read the Old Testament, or are familiar with it, you know that God’s presence resided in the Arc of the Covenant. For thousands of years, God's presence dwelt behind a veil where only one man could enter once a year. But because Jesus died and the veil was torn, God's presence now dwells within every believer. And not because of our own merit, but because of His great love and sacrifice. Really think about this, ask God to reveal the magnitude of this. For thousands of years, only one man could go into the presence of God once a year, but now He dwells within you. Honestly, I forget this. I have become so accustomed to the fact that my heart is His dwelling place and hardly think about what this really means. The God of the universe dwells in my heart, and He can dwell in yours too when you receive Him as your Savior. 

When you become a Christian and the Holy Spirit makes your heart His dwelling place, you literally become a new creation, putting away your old self (2 Corinthians 5:17). The sins of your past have been washed away, leaving no room for shame (Romans 8:1)! How freeing that is! You don't have to carry the weight of sin and shame anymore, He has made a way for us to be justified by His sacrifice on the cross. Being justified is God's declaration that you are righteous because of Jesus' finished work on the cross. It has set you free from the chains of sin and shame. Of course, as humans we will sin, even after accepting Jesus as our Savior. But oh, the sweet taste of forgiveness. I want everyone to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior to experience this freedom. 

Praise the Lord, the blessings and truths don’t stop there! One of the greatest gifts we have in Jesus is His peace. We live in one of the most anxious periods of history. I have personally experienced anxiety and let me tell ya, it’s not fun. BUT, in Christ we have peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). It is literally a peace that is unexplainable. A peace that does not make sense to people outside of Christ. I have written a few blog posts about my experience with anxiety, but y’all! In Christ you can have that kind of peace! As a believer it’s available to you! It’s not a magic potion, or some mystical gift, it’s given freely from Jesus. There are times where we won’t naturally feel peace. There will be moments where we will experience fear and uncertainty, but when we declare the promises of Jesus Christ over our situation and stand firm in His character, we can experience a peace that can only be found in Him.

Along with His peace comes something else that this world desperately longs for - hope. Not wishful thinking or crossing your fingers that everything will somehow work out, but a true, unwavering hope. A hope that is so deep, and so sure, it is like an anchor for your soul (Hebrews 6:19). Having this hope doesn’t keep the storm from coming, but it keeps you steady when it does. When your hope is anchored in Jesus Christ, you gain the strength to endure whatever storm comes your way. You can keep your eyes fixed on what is ahead because the God who brought Job through years of suffering, who protected David while he fled from Saul, and who sent His Son to redeem the world is the very same God you serve today. If you are a child of God, this hope belongs to you. 

One of the things that has always fascinated me is reading stories throughout the Bible, history, and even current news about Christians who endure unimaginable suffering for their faith. Imprisonment, beatings, torture, even death. Trials that you and I will likely never have to face. Yet over and over again, you hear stories of believers singing hymns from prison cells, praising Jesus through persecution, and being marked by an unshakable joy. How? How can someone experience that kind of joy in the middle of so much pain? The joy of the Lord is their strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). He says this immediately after teaching that He is the Vine and we are the branches. When we abide in Him, remaining close to Him, trusting Him, and walking with Him, His joy begins to fill us. This kind of joy is completely different from happiness. Happiness comes and goes depending on our circumstances, but the joy Jesus offers goes beyond every circumstance. It doesn't ignore suffering or pretend everything is okay. It isn't "toxic positivity." It's the steady confidence that comes from knowing who God is and keeping your eyes fixed on Him even when life hurts. That kind of joy is available to every believer who abides in Christ. Man, I pray you read this and develop an unquenchable thirst for His presence. Because where His presence is, there is a joy this world could never give, and could never take away.

Just because we are abiding in His presence doesn't mean we won't experience disappointment, grief, or any of the other painful emotions that come with living in a broken world. Following Jesus has never been a promise of an easy life. In fact, He tells us the world will hate us because it hated Him first (John 15:18-20). But what He does promise is that we will never walk through those hardships alone. Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." He doesn't expect us to pretend we have it all together or put on a smile when our hearts are breaking. He already knows our weaknesses, our fears, and our hurts. Like a good Father, He invites us to bring every one of them to Him. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you," and 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." What?! The King of kings cares about your worries, your fears, and your anxieties?? He doesn't promise a life of rainbows and butterflies, but He does promise His presence, and His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

I hope you're beginning to see just how sweet a life with Jesus truly is.

And if all of that wasn't enough, Scripture says there is even more waiting for those who belong to Christ. When you place your faith in Jesus, you aren't simply forgiven, you are adopted into the family of God. You become an heir with Christ (Romans 8:17, Galatians 4:7). Really let that sink in for a minute. The inheritance Jesus receives is the inheritance He shares with His children. Wow. Because of Jesus, we are invited to call the Creator of the universe "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6). "Abba" expresses the kind of closeness a child has with a loving father. Y'all… the God who spoke the universe into existence, defeated sin and death, and has a sovereign plan to redeem the world invites you into that kind of relationship with Him. Not because you've earned it, but because Jesus made a way. As Andrew Womack says, "If that doesn't fire you up, your wood is all wet!"

So friend, yes the eternal glory Christians receive is eternity in the presence of God. I can only imagine. But there is also so much peace, hope, joy, intimacy with the Father that you can experience here on earth because of His immense love for us. 

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” This is the invitation of the gospel. Not to just know the facts about God, but to know Him personally. To experience His goodness. To walk with Him through every season of life. To discover that He truly is better than anything this world can offer.

One of my favorite songs is “Goodness of God,” and I think the lyrics capture the heart of what I hope you take away from this post.

And y’all, I can’t help but sing of the goodness of God. 

All my life He has been faithful. All my life He has been so, so good. And with every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.