Dearly Beloved
penwoman_A.P The@thepenwoman158143
22 days ago
##HelloNircle, Merry Christmas
Dearly Beloved🤍✨
Before we can understand contextually the Bible as love letters of God, we must establish the foundational truth that Christ is God.
This is not merely theological speculation but the cornerstone of Christian faith, attested all through Scripture:
* Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." John 1:1-3 reveals that the Word (Christ) was with God, was God, and through Him all things were made.
* Isaiah 9:6 - "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
* 1 Timothy 3:16 - "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."
* John 1:1-14 - The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
* Hebrews 1:1-3 - God has spoken to us by His Son, who is the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.
The Three Pillars of God's Nature
1. God is Good
To know that God is good is basic to our knowledge of Him. This truth permeates Scripture:
* Psalm 106:1 - "Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
* Psalm 107:1 - "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
* Psalm 118:1 - "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
* Psalm 136:1 - "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
* Psalm 145:9 - "The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."
Yet despite overwhelming biblical testimony, many believers struggle to embrace this fundamental truth.
The Crisis of Misunderstanding God's Goodness
This misunderstanding of God's goodness represents perhaps the most catastrophic spiritual crisis facing many believers today. When we question whether God is truly good toward us personally, we essentially reject the testimony of Scripture, the witness of Christ, and the evidence of the cross.
We pray to a Father we secretly suspect wants to harm us. We seek guidance from a Shepherd we believe might lead us into danger. This creates a Christianity of perpetual anxiety rather than abundant life.
This crisis manifests in multiple devastating ways:
The Prophylactic Christian Life: Many believers live what might be called a "prophylactic" spiritual existence where we keep God at arm's length to protect ourselves from what we fear He might do.
We'll attend church, read Bibles, even serve in ministry, but won't fully surrender our dreams, finances, relationships, or future to Him because deep down, we somehow believe full surrender means full suffering.
We maintain just enough religion to ease our conscience but not enough intimacy to risk disappointment.
The Negotiation Mentality: Others approach God like a hostage negotiator trying to minimize casualties. I say this because I do it too…We pray, "Lord, I'll give You this area of my life if You promise not to touch that area." We bargain, hedge, and create backup plans in case God's will proves too painful. This reduces prayer to a negotiation rather than communion and turns our relationship into transaction.
The Comparison Trap: Some believers look at other Christians who seem to suffer more those with financial struggles, health crises, or ministry challenges and conclude,
"That's what happens when you get too close to God. That's the price of full commitment." We observe missionaries in difficult fields, who paid ultimate prices, or faithful servants who endured hardship, and think, "God must require suffering from those He loves most." We fail to distinguish between the tribulation that comes from living in a fallen world and serving a hostile enemy versus suffering supposedly orchestrated by God Himself.
The Delayed Blessing Doctrine: Another manifestation is the belief that God intentionally delays or denies good things to "test our faith" or "build our character." While it's true that God doesn't operate on our timeline and that faith is indeed refined through trials, this subtly suggests that God withholds blessing arbitrarily, that He could bless us but chooses not to for mysterious, possibly punitive reasons.
The Prosperity Backlash: oh how I detest such teachings…In reaction to prosperity gospel excesses, some believers have swung to the opposite extreme, creating what might be called a "poverty gospel" the belief that financial struggle, material lack, and economic hardship are somehow more spiritual or pleasing to God than provision and abundance. insufficiency, baptizing deprivation with spiritual language. To quote "blessed are the poor" while ignoring "I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers" (3 John 1:2). We remember Jesus had nowhere to lay His head but forget He had a treasurer (Judas) managing ministry finances substantial enough to steal from (John 12:6).
At the root of all these is our false conscious awareness:
* "God's highest will for me probably involves what I least want"
* "The more I love something, the more likely God is to take it away"
* "God's blessings always come with catches and conditions"
* "If I'm happy, comfortable, and prospering, I must be missing God's will"
* "Real spirituality means perpetual discomfort and sacrifice"
* "God is more glorified by my suffering than my success"
* "Heaven will be wonderful, but earth is meant to be miserable"
These beliefs exposes our deep-seated distrust of God's goodness. Several people do not want God's will because subconsciously we believe God has only disaster, deprivation, or difficulty in mind for them. This is one of the enemy's most successful deceptions.
If "good" can mean its opposite when God uses the term, then the word loses all substance. We are left worshiping a God whose promises we cannot trust and whose character we cannot comprehend.
The Biblical Definition of Good
The truth is that God's goodness is not alien to human understanding, it is the source and standard of all things true. When God calls something good, it is genuinely beneficial, truly desirable, and authentically life-giving.
James 1:17 declares: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
Note the emphasis: every good gift. Not some. Not most. Every single one. God is not the author of:
* Sickness (He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals)
* Poverty (He gives us power to create wealth, Deuteronomy 8:18)
* Bondage (Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2 Corinthians 3:17)
* Fear (He has not given us a spirit of fear, 2 Timothy 1:7)
* Confusion (He is not the author of confusion, 1 Corinthians 14:33)
Matthew 7:9-11 illuminates this beautifully: "Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
Jesus uses comparative logic: If imperfect human fathers know how to give genuinely good gifts, how much more does our perfect Heavenly Father? God's goodness exceeds the best human goodness infinitely.
The Practical Implications of God's Goodness
When we truly grasp that God is good, it transforms everything:
Our Prayer Life: We approach God with confidence, knowing He delights to give good things to His children. We don't have to twist His arm or wonder if He's withholding blessing. Psalm 84:11 promises: "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."
Our Trust in His Will: We actively seek God's will, knowing that His plans for us are good. Jeremiah 29:11 assures us: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Our Response to Trials: When difficulties come, we don't blame God or assume He orchestrated them for our suffering. Instead, we trust that Romans 8:28 is true: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." God doesn't cause all things, but He works all things together for good.
Our Understanding of His Commands: We recognize that God's commandments are not restrictive burdens but protective boundaries. Deuteronomy 10:13 says: "to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good."
2. God is Light
Perhaps the most heartwarming part of our love letter is knowing that ‘He is light. This profound truth encompasses multiple dimensions of His character.
Isaiah 49:6 prophesies of the Messiah: "and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
John 1:4-9 (AMP) expands this revelation: "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]... There it was ‘the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person who comes into the world [by making the truth visible through His life and teaching]."
1 John 1:5 declares unequivocally: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all."
What Does It Mean That God is Light?
Light Reveals Truth: put simply when light comes, reality is revealed. God's nature is to reveal truth, to expose deception, to make things clear.
John 3:19-21 explains: "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
Light Provides Guidance: Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." God's light-nature means He provides direction, clarity, and guidance for those who seek Him.
Light Dispels Darkness: Darkness is the absence of light. You cannot sweep darkness out of a room, but the moment you turn on a light, darkness flees instantly. This is the power of God's presence. Isaiah 60:1-2proclaims: "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you."
Light Enables Life and Growth: perhaps in biology you’ve heard of photosynthesis but I bring it to you that one of the very first things ever created was light Without light, life as we know it cannot exist. Spiritually, we need God's light for spiritual life and growth. Ephesians 5:8-14 urges: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord... Therefore He says: 'Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.'"
Light Exposes and Heals: Ephesians 5:13 tells us, "But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light." When we bring our sins, wounds, and struggles into God's light, they are exposed not for condemnation but for healing and transformation.
Living as Children of Light
Because God is light and we are His children, we are called to walk in light:
* Transparency before God: We cannot hide in shadows or pretend. He sees all, knows all, and calls us to honest relationship.
* Pursuit of Truth: We seek truth in all things, rejecting deception and half-truths.
* Moral Purity: 1 Thessalonians 5:5 says, "You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness."
* Illumination to Others: Matthew 5:14-16 commands: "You are the light of the world... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
3. God is Love
The third and perhaps most transformative pillar is that God is love. This is not merely something God does—it is who He is at His core.
I, Priscilla… The beloved🤍
1 John 4:8 states it simply but profoundly: "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
1 John 4:16 reinforces this: "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
I hope you come to genuinely understand that Gods love is not performative
Understanding the Nature of God's Love
God's love is not humane, which is often conditional, fickle, or self-serving. His love is:
Unconditional: Romans 5:8 declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He didn't wait for us to clean up our act. He loved us at our worst.
Eternal: Jeremiah 31:3 says, "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." His love has no beginning and no end.
Sacrificial: John 3:16 remains the most famous verse in Scripture: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Love gives. Love sacrifices. Love pays the price.
Pursuing: God's love pursues us relentlessly. Like the shepherd leaving ninety-nine sheep to find the one that was lost (Luke 15:4-7), like the father running to embrace the prodigal son (Luke 15:20-24), God's love actively seeks us out.
Transformative: 1 John 4:18 tells us, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." When we truly grasp God's love, it transforms our anxieties, insecurities, and fears.
Permanent: Romans 8:38-39 one of my most favorite verses gives us one of Scripture's most powerful assurances: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The Cross: The Ultimate Demonstration
The cross stands as the undeniable proof of God's love. Every theological question about whether God truly loves us must be answered at Calvary.
When doubt whispers, "Does God really care about you?" we point to the cross.!!!!
When circumstances suggest, "God has abandoned you," we remember the cross!!!
When I’m reminded that I’m perhaps lonely?
We point to the cross!!
When the enemy accuses, "You're not worthy of love," we cling firmly and steadfastly to the cross!!
Romans 5:6-8 captures this beautifully: "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Living in the Reality of God's Love
When we truly understand that God is love, several things happen:
We Love Him in Return: 1 John 4:19 says, "We love Him because He first loved us." Understanding His love ignites our love for Him.
We Love Others: 1 John 4:11 commands, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." Those who have received love become conduits of love.
We Live Securely: 1 John 4:17 promises, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." We don't cower before God; we approach Him confidently as beloved children.
We Overcome Fear: Perfect love casts out fear. When we know we are loved completely, accepted fully, and valued infinitely, fear loses its power over us.
We Find Our Identity: Our identity is no longer rooted in performance, achievement, or others' opinions. We are "beloved of God" (Romans 1:7), and that identity is unshakeable.
Gods ubiquity
These three aspects of God's nature are not separate or compartmentalized. They work together in perfect harmony:
His Goodness Flows from His Love: God is good to us because He loves us. His goodness is not reluctant or begrudging it springs forth.
His Light Serves His Love: God reveals truth not to shame us but to free us. His light exposes what needs to be healed so that His love can restore us.
His Love Guarantees His Goodness: Because God is love, we can trust that His goodness is authentic and His plans for us are truly beneficial.
His Goodness Makes His Light Bearable: If God were light without goodness and love, His exposure of our sin would be crushing. But because He is good and loving, His light comes with mercy and grace.
His Love is Demonstrated Through His Goodness: James 1:17 reminds us that every good gift comes from the Father. His love is not just words but actions tangible, practical goodness poured into our lives.
His Light Reveals His Love: In exposing truth, God's light shows us how deeply we are loved despite our flaws, failures, and shortcomings.
Overcoming the Barriers and clinging to his love.
Why do so many struggle to believe in God's goodness, light, and love? Several barriers exist:
1. Past Experiences
Painful experiences: abuse, abandonment, betrayal, or trauma can create filters through which we view God.
The Solution: Allow Scripture to reshape your understanding of God. 2 Corinthians 10:5 calls us to "[cast] down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." When memories or emotions contradict God's revealed nature, we must choose to believe His Word over our wounds.
2. Theological Misconceptions
& Misinterpreted Suffering
When bad things happen, some conclude that God caused them or that He must not be good. This logic fails to account for:
* The fallen nature of this world
* The reality of spiritual warfare
* Human free will and its consequences
* The fact that God permits what He does not prefer
The Solution: Recognize that God is redemptive, not causative, regarding suffering. John 10:10 distinguishes clearly: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Jesus identifies the enemy as the source of destruction and Himself as the source of abundant life.
3. Religious Performance Mentality
Some believe we must earn God's favor through good behavior, perfect obedience, or religious activity. This creates a works-based relationship that obscures grace.
The Solution: Embrace the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." God's goodness, light, and love are not responses to our performance.
In Spiritual Growth
Come boldly to His presence: Hebrews 4:16 invites us: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Pursue holiness from love, not fear:
2 Corinthians 7:1 frames it correctly: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Rest in His acceptance: We are already completely accepted in Christ (Ephesians 1:6), so spiritual growth is not about earning love but responding to love already given.
In Ministry and Service
We become ambassadors of God's goodness, declaring His excellent character to a world that has been deceived about who He is.
Bring His light: Matthew 5:14-16 commissions us to shine His light into dark places through our words, actions, and character.
Demonstrate His love: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 reminds us that all spiritual gifts and activities are meaningless without love.
The Life-Changing Power of understanding God's love letters.
Everything changes when we truly grasp that God is good, that God is light, and that God is love.
Prayer becomes conversation with a Father who delights in usand Scripture becomes the love letter of a Good Father
Purpose and calling become clear as His light illuminates our path.
The future holds hope rather than dread because we trust the One who holds tomorrow.
We come to understand that same God who:
* Created the universe in beauty and order
* Made promises to Abraham
* Delivered Israel from bondage
* Gave the Law for our benefit
* Sent prophets to call us back
* Came in flesh as Jesus Christ
* Died on the cross for our redemption
* Rose from the dead in victory
* Sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us
* Intercedes for us now at the right hand of the Father
* Is preparing a place for us in glory
This is the God we serve. He has never changed. Malachi 3:6 declares, "For I am the LORD, I do not change." Hebrews 13:8 confirms, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
The question is not whether God is good, light, and love. Scripture settles that definitively!.
The question is: Will you believe it? Will you let this truth penetrate the walls you've built around your heart?
Will you risk trusting Him completely?
Your breakthrough, your freedom, your abundant life, and your destiny all hinge on this foundational truth: God is good. God is light. God is love.
And He is this way toward you, personally, specifically, unconditionally, and eternally.
Embrace this truth. Build your life on it. Let it transform every area of your existence.
May we walk in the full revelation of who God truly is, and may that knowledge set us free to become all He created you to be.
“For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers,”
“nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:39 AMP
Amen.
