Look-breath-love-laugh-run-sleep-eat -hugLike what if he is bad like in the avengers movie where Thanos is bad and has all this power. How do we know God is good?
Hello Umzza. I hope you are wellThis is an interesting question. I take it you are not asking for the rhetorical purpose of informing others how we know, but because you want to know for yourself. To that end, I would suggest you sincerely seek God. We could tell you to read the Bible and believe Jesus when He said, "No one is good except God alone." However, I know that reading the Bible is not the only reason or "thing" that moves people to belief. It certainly was not enough for me. Anyone who has had the experience of the Holy Spirit of God moving in their life, recounts it as a positive, loving, life-affirming encounter. We know God is good through personal empirical experience of Him. We know His love for us because we experience it. Some come to believe based on these personal encounters, and coming to believe, we then accept what the Bible says as true.
God promised to reveal Himself to those who seek Him. Seek!
This may help. I hope it does
This is an important, but also dangerous question. Important in that we need to answer this question to understand God. But dangerous in that if we come to the conclusion that God is not good, we cannot be saved. I believe this is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit Jesus warned the Pharisees about - He said this, because they accused Jesus of having an evil spirit - essentially, doing His works by the power of the evil one.Like what if he is bad like in the avengers movie where Thanos is bad and has all this power. How do we know God is good?
Like what if he is bad like in the avengers movie where Thanos is bad and has all this power. How do we know God is good?
umzza said: Like what if he is bad like in the avengers movie where Thanos is bad and has all this power. How do we know God is good?
I don't think pointing to nature is much of an answer to the question. Nature is beautiful to an observer, but a closer view you can see all animals (and plants) life is a constant struggle. As well as being magnificent and fascinating, it is equally cruel and brutal.
For me, reading the bible is the best way to get to know God. To hear his judgments, his reasonings, his expectations and disappointments (of others, not himself). There you can see he is most holy and pure, and righteous. He is exceedingly long suffering, merciful, and forgives time and time again. His laws are all about fairness, looking after the poor and disadvantaged, criticising greed and selfishness, 'love they neighbour as thyself' - how can this be anything other than good?
And while some of God's actions may seem harsh or unfair by our standards, we also need to remember that this life is only a passing phase. It may not be always obvious, but there is a war going on between God and Satan, and some things are kept from us for our benefit, and only once it is all complete will we see the full picture.
God has a grand plan and we are in the middle of that journey. Satan by his pride and desire for worship has corrupted the heavens, and through Adam as his weapon Satan has corrupted earth as well. By God's perfect law, the punishment for a fallen being is death, but through his mercy and love, he has gone out of his way to make remedy for all of this calamity by sacrificing his son to bear all that sin. God's grand plan to undo the mess Satan has created. Sure it takes a long time, but it will all work out in the end. That is his promise.
So how is all this not the ultimate display of love and goodness?
So we need to see the character he has shown us, and trust him on the bits we don't understand, that it will all be alright in the end.
I hope this helps.
God instructed Job to look at nature. The creatures of His design. The wonders of the cosmos. The author of this thread is either blind or has ulterior motives to ask this.I don't think pointing to nature is much of an answer to the question. Nature is beautiful to an observer, but a closer view you can see all animals (and plants) life is a constant struggle. As well as being magnificent and fascinating, it is equally cruel and brutal.
For me, reading the bible is the best way to get to know God. To hear his judgments, his reasonings, his expectations and disappointments (of others, not himself). There you can see he is most holy and pure, and righteous. He is exceedingly long suffering, merciful, and forgives time and time again. His laws are all about fairness, looking after the poor and disadvantaged, criticising greed and selfishness, 'love they neighbour as thyself' - how can this be anything other than good?
And while some of God's actions may seem harsh or unfair by our standards, we also need to remember that this life is only a passing phase. It may not be always obvious, but there is a war going on between God and Satan, and some things are kept from us for our benefit, and only once it is all complete will we see the full picture.
God has a grand plan and we are in the middle of that journey. Satan by his pride and desire for worship has corrupted the heavens, and through Adam as his weapon Satan has corrupted earth as well. By God's perfect law, the punishment for a fallen being is death, but through his mercy and love, he has gone out of his way to make remedy for all of this calamity by sacrificing his son to bear all that sin. God's grand plan to undo the mess Satan has created. Sure it takes a long time, but it will all work out in the end. That is his promise.
So how is all this not the ultimate display of love and goodness?
So we need to see the character he has shown us, and trust him on the bits we don't understand, that it will all be alright in the end.
I hope this helps.
Hello Umzza. I hope you are wellThis is an interesting question. I take it you are not asking for the rhetorical purpose of informing others how we know, but because you want to know for yourself. To that end, I would suggest you sincerely seek God. We could tell you to read the Bible and believe Jesus when He said, "No one is good except God alone." However, I know that reading the Bible is not the only reason or "thing" that moves people to belief. It certainly was not enough for me. Anyone who has had the experience of the Holy Spirit of God moving in their life, recounts it as a positive, loving, life-affirming encounter. We know God is good through personal empirical experience of Him. We know His love for us because we experience it. Some come to believe based on these personal encounters, and coming to believe, we then accept what the Bible says as true.
God promised to reveal Himself to those who seek Him. Seek!
This may help. I hope it does
