Luke Bohonek
“If there is a God, then why does He allow evil things to happen?” This question is often posed by the unbeliever attempting to disprove Christianity. Instead, this very question gives us insight into the true goodness of God. If evil exists, we must acknowledge that good also exists. If good exists in the world, then there must be One who determines the standard of good and evil. Not only does God determine this standard of good; he himself is good. God’s goodness is a part of his unchanging and infinite nature so that he is always good. God is the very source of all goodness that exists.
God’s goodness is made evident through his creation. “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31a ESV). The goodness of the Garden of Eden is grounded in God’s character. Everything that God has made is a reflection of his goodness, just as his ordering of the world is a reflection of his truth. However, through the fall of mankind, creation has been corrupted. A field is hard to toil. Yet the harvest from the land demonstrates God’s goodness despite man’s sinfulness. And he promises more: The Garden reappears in Revelation: This time, it is set in a City, displaying God’s restoration of creation and restored communion with His people.
Throughout my education at Morning Star Academy, God’s goodness has been evident in every subject that I have studied. However, I began to fully understand the importance of God’s goodness during Worldview in 11th grade. As a class, we studied various worldviews that are prevalent today. It quickly became clear to me that without God as the standard of morality, a society cannot function properly. Without God at the center of right and wrong, we have no leg to stand on. Who determines what is good and evil? Without God and his moral law, right and wrong are defined by whomever has power. When man seizes this authority, destruction is inevitable. Worldview class helped me recognize how God’s goodness allows society to function because it gives everyone a moral law to submit to. A moral law grounded in His goodness.
God’s goodness should lead us to live in harmony and delight in our Maker. David writes in Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” As Christians, we enjoy a relationship with the Creator of the universe. As we walk faithfully in obedience to him, he will continue to reveal to us his goodness which is made manifest through his character and creation. This same goodness should then echo through the life of every believer. Taste and see the goodness of God!
This post is the second in a three-part series on Truth, Goodness and Beauty – the three words that appear in Latin on Morning Star’s seal. Our next blog post will focus on Beauty and how it increases our appetite for Truth and Goodness!
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