During a discussion regarding God's sovereignty and its impact on sotieriology, some thoughts came to mind. We are taught in apologetics to appeal to the universal morality that is weaved through all of history's great cultures and use this to point to a creator. And yet when it comes to discussing what God can and cannot do we often find ourselves limiting God based on what is just or right or loving or gracious. Which leads me to ask:
Is God good, or is goodness God?
Is God love, or is love God?
Is God just, or is justice God?
Is God subservient to the higher moral truths, or does He by His nature and decree define what those ideals are?
Too often I think we take the filter of what our fallen limited minds conceive of as loving or just or good and apply those to God, instead of taking our definitions of those ideas and running them through the filter of God and His word. If God is bound by some moral code higher than Himself, then He ceases to be the most powerful force in the universe. Why is it so hard for us to let go and let God be God? He has told us He is truthful and He is just and He is loving. Why do we impose what our understanding of those ideas are onto Him? Too often I let the fallen side of my mind step in and try to convince me that I know better than God what is right and place restrictions on Him that are based on a fallen, simple, bad understanding of what right means. God does right because what He does is right, by definition. He literally can do no wrong. We learn what is right from His example and His decree. Not from what we think is right. And definitely not from what somebody else tells us is right.
For those that think I'm only playing with semantics, remember that foundational thinking is the first step toward action. So, for example, if we want to fight for justice, we had better know exactly what justice is. Otherwise we will fail in achieving our goal. If we are to work to further the kingdom of God, it is imperative that we know what the components of that kingdom are.
So if God is sovereign and defines for us what is right, then He has the freedom to do what He wants, and to explain and expect humanity to do the same. We never have to argue to justify God's actions - although sometimes we need to understand clearly His purpose. Instead, we must constantly renew our minds and bring ourselves into alignment with His truth. What box are you putting God in? (He won't fit, you know)
