DOUBLE CHECKING THEOLOGY

You are good and do good.  Psalm 119:68a

What do I really believe down deep about the character of God?  In reality, each of us can be prone to make judgment calls about God’s parenting according to our experience.  There are four choices, humanly speaking.

1. God is a bad parent because he does bad things. If I choose to be the interpreter of all the suffering in the world, and I believe there is a God, then I might conclude that God can not be good.  There is too much pain and a God who allows that, or causes that, can not be trusted.  I never trust Him to be my Father.  I remain a son of the devil – who is a bad parent and does bad things.  Irony.
2. God is a bad parent but once in a while does something good. I look around me and see mostly suffering.  The nightly news has more negative headlines than positive.  However, once in a while there is an account of something happening that characterizes goodness.  I chalk it up to God but also conclude that it must be a fluke.  I still conclude God cannot be trusted to be my Father.  I stay a son of the devil who is bad parent and does bad things.  Irony.
3. God is a good parent but He does bad things. I embrace the biblical truth that God is love and God is good.  However, when bad things happen, I wince because I cannot vindicate God.  I believe He’s sovereign so how can I trust Him in spite of the tragedies in my life?  I came to God, through Christ, but only trust Him on a good day.  On the hard days, I wince and back up from Him.  My heart doesn’t dare trust a God with a split personality.
4. God is a good parent and He does only good things. This is the biblical view and correct theology.  I believe it because God said it and Jesus lived it.  There was no moment in Jesus’ life where He believed God was not a good Father.   Even on the day He carried His cross and felt spikes go through his hands and feet, was He tempted to believe that God had done something bad.  He knew that His suffering was, in the sovereign plan of God, meant for redemptive good.  He never stopped trusting and aligned his emotions according to truth.

Nothing, not even the worst thing on a bad day, should cause me to withdraw my hand from Yours and hide from You.  You are good through and through.  Amen