God Is Good

This is a scene of mystery. This is true in the material world around us, and has evoked the investigations of learned scientists, but at the moment we are concerned with the moral side of things.

Man is a noble creature, but manifestly not now what he ought to be. His desires are often in conflict with his ethical knowledge, and this is more manifestly the case as his knowledge is increased.

One - word explains much, and that word is sin. Explain the fact as men may, the fact remains that sin is in man and he finds he is not free. Further, in his experience of life he is largely brought into circumstances not of his own ordering. While a moral, clean life is necessary to an honourable career, yet such a life cannot guarantee an absence of adversity and suffering.

Job was one of the most righteous of men; one of the most moral men who had ever lived; all his affairs prospered amazingly. Moral instructors in that day may have taken him as an object lesson to enforce their thesis that it pays to do right. But a day arrived when all his property vanished as a dream, and he was not only stripped of everything, but was personally brought into deepest distress and suffering. Had God not granted light on the matter, had he not permitted us to see what took place behind the scenes, we might have been in as great perplexity as Job's three friends were. We, however, have been permitted to see that not only is there God, the Great First Cause and Governor of all, there is also an opposer, a mighty malevolent spirit, who was the instigator of all the evil which befell Job.

Some have thought that the universe is governed by two opposing forces, equal in power: this is not so. God is the only verity, the Eternal One, of whom are all things, but it is revealed that there is a malignant, fallen Spirit, who, while by no means all-powerful, is permitted to exercise a great influence in the world. This influence is permitted by God for wise and good ends; but a day is coming when this influence will be brought to nought absolutely.

We learn from the book of Genesis how it all came about, and we cannot be too thankful for such knowledge, for apart from divine revelation we should not have known. There we see that originally the creation was perfect; God said that it was "very good," and man, as the head of the creation, was subject to his Master. But an enemy, even he who is afterwards known as the ancient serpent, the Devil and Satan, draws the man away from God, and with the fall of the head of the creation all is subjected to vanity; thence springs all that from which we suffer.

We acknowledge that God is supreme and all powerful, and we must therefore acknowledge this-nothing could happen apart from His permission; nevertheless, it is most important to consider that while in His inscrutable wisdom He permitted evil with a view to ultimate blessing, yet he Himself is not the author of evil and He is ever utterly opposed to it.

Sin came in originally at the instigation of the evil one and as the result of disobedience to the divine will on the part of the head of the creation-Adam. That evil must be adequately proved and its utterly destructive character shown up. We are now living in the midst of the process, and the trouble which we experience-pain, sorrow, death-is the outcome of original sin. To illustrate this let us refer to a few scriptures which show the working of Satan's power :-Luke 13. 16: The woman whom Satan had bound. , Acts 10. 38: The Lord Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil. 1 John 3. 8: He came that He might destroy the works of the Devil. 2 Corinthians 12. 7: Paul himself speaks of being buffeted by the messenger of Satan, though even in this the grace of God triumphed, for the buffeting of Satan was a safeguard lest he should be exalted overmuch by the exceeding greatness of the revelations granted to him. God may and does try the faith of His own in various ways, but never in tempting them to sin; it is always with a view to their blessing, that they may be partakers of His holiness.

In the Epistle by James we have helpful words on this subject. In chapter 2. we have different experiences referred to-the poor brother lifted up, the rich made low, and each is exhorted to recognise that such experience is intended for good. But a sharp distinction is made between such experiences and the purpose in view on the one hand, and the temptation to do something evil on the other. God's will is always positively good, even where a man may fail to appreciate the fact. If we are tempted to sin, such temptation is not of God, for God Himself is incapable of being tempted with evil, neither does He ever stir up men to do evil. If a man is tempted to evil it is by his own unruly sinful desires or at the instigation of the evil one (see James 1. 13, 14).

This is strengthened by the wonderful words of verse 17. There we see that God is the Author of everything that is good and perfect, and these good gifts He bestows on men, and not only so, there is ever the most perfect consistency in all His ways. He is the Father, the Source of lights; every ray of light is from Him, and not only can there be no darkness in Him, but there is not even a shadow cast by turning. All His ways are positive, right onward, and He never turns back.

Again we say that in our earthly experience there is much which appears to be contradictory-good and evil have each their place and time and influence, but let us be sure that in so far as God is the doer, all is good, and He acts with a good purpose in view. 'Tis not that every good gift and also every bad one comes from Him, He is the source of good only.

Notice verse 18. God is not satisfied with the present scene of sin, it will not go on for ever, a new heaven and a new earth will be revealed in which righteousness shall dwell; and in view of this He Himself has begotten us here and now by the word of truth, the message of the Gospel that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures. Man will not go on for ever in the present unsatisfactory way. The great foe is to be taken and finally cast to his doom, and the redeemed of the Lord shall then, as born-again ones, be brought into an environment suitable to their Divinely begotten nature, and in this scene God's will shall be positively manifested without any admixture of evil.

It is highly important to observe that God overrules in the affairs of men and often uses the passions of evil men for the accomplishment of His purpose, but His purpose is ever good. The crowning example of this is seen in the crucifixion of the Lord, where man's wickedness in putting the Christ to that shameful death is used by God as an occasion for the work of atonement, whereby those sinful men might be saved, even as He prayed, "Father, forgive them." In so overruling the wickedness of men, overcoming evil by good. He showed His own goodness and exhibited man's wickedness. Of this we get an illustration in the history of Joseph. Sold to slavery by his brethren, he thereby, in the goodness of God, became their deliverer from death; said he, "Ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50. 20).

A corrupt condition of life in nations calls for some check. War, for example, may be the means through which the people are humbled and driven back from the lawlessness which was becoming all too manifest (if one check is ineffective, another may be anticipated). But do we say that God is the Author of war? Nay, verily, the evil passions of men stirred by the evil one acting on their corrupt hearts, and wars and fightings ensue. But although war is from beneath, it is used by Him who is above for His own purposes of ultimate good. Man's history has indeed been both sad and tragic, but given the fact that there is sin in man, it is certain that sonic restraining influences are necessary in man's own interests, though such influences might be very painful. The medicine the doctor prescribes may be disagreeable, in itself, but its effects may be good. So this dread disease of sin has called and still calls for very drastic treatment, shall we say, surgical treatment ofttimes, but the action is intended for good. Furthermore, given a condition of sin and the abuse of God's good gifts, then punishment is good in its nature; for it is not possible for the Righteous One to let sin go unpunished. An earthly ruler condoning lawlessness would himself become a party to it.

This principle is true in connection with believers also. One said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I observe Thy word" (Psalm 119. 67).

So let us have a clear view of this great fact that "every good gift and every perfect boon is from above" and this positive statement shuts out the

possibility of bad gifts coming from above. No! the good are from above and the bad from' beneath. It is difficult sometimes to appreciate this; a calamity

comes into our lives, we cannot tell the cause; we cannot locate any blame, but this we believe--we know that God in all things is good and only good, and He is able even to sanctify the calamity for our good.

Such considerations as these will tend to simplify our lives, and to clear our vision in the midst of life's complications, and we shall learn to trust where we cannot trace.

unknown | Mar 1933
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