GOD IS GOOD

“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. [Luke 6.43-45]

Simple enough, right?

There is something here for us that I am only just now beginning to realize - and, it supports what I believe God has been saying to me for some time now about 'bad things.'

It is one lesson for us here to understand that we cannot have bad fruit coming from our lives and think we are good. That is purely ridiculous. It is a perversion.

However, another very important lesson here is that Jesus taught this. Why is that important? Because He is God in the flesh. He would not be declaring a truth (good tree cannot bear bad fruit) unless it was indeed a truth. And, if it is a truth, it comes from God. If it comes from God, it is how God is.

In other words, God the Father will not produce bad things upon His children. Why? Because He is GOOD! He  will not produce bad things because He is GOD and He is GOOD.

AND! For the record, God does not "allow" bad things to happen! Bad things happen because people rebel and do nothing to walk in "good things" (blessings upon obedience). To say God "allows" it is to say God is okay with sin and allows it! That is pure foolishness! God does not allow sin, and God therefore does not allow (or sanction) the consequences of sin. Man does that all by himself! God just said it would happen.

Sure, go ahead and believe what you will. But to know God and His character is to know that He is GOOD!  If He is GOOD, then He will only do GOOD - He will only allow GOOD. That is the whole point of the LAW in the first place - God disallowed sin!

Just because God told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that if they ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil they would die does NOT mean God sanctioned death! He was warning them to avoid death. He was warning them to keep them safe from death, punishment, and bad things!

There is much more we need to understand about this. However, until we are firmly established in the fact that GOD IS GOOD, we only build doctrine upon uncertainty. To make God out to be a good God Who allows bad things is not much of a foundation... it is shaky at best.

We must recognize that just before this conversation about good fruit, Jesus discussed God's character:

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. [Matthew 7.9-11]

Jesus is trying to make the point that if sinful men can see what is obviously good, then how much more is God GOOD!

GOD IS GOOD.

Father, I know many do not agree with what I have argued here. But I will simply continue to believe You are GOOD and do good things.