Good God

I was talking to Peter yesterday and we were discussing the fact that our understanding of God only comes from God's revelation of himself. That means God controls the airwaves, and so God is obviously going to portray himself in a good light. And while I believe in the goodness and truthfulness of God and his self-revelation, it did lead to the question: If you found out that God wasn't as good as he said he was, would you still follow him? Would you try and live out the teachings of the old, false but good God, or the new, real but not so good God?

It's a question that I know lots of Christians would find uncomfortable to even consider. I think it's because when it comes to things the Bible says people often don't like to hypothesize, especially when it involves God's works or character, and this involves both. It seems somehow blasphemous.

But I think it's a question worth asking. Not because I believe it's a possibility, but it does challenge us to consider whether we're spiritual pragmatists or idealists. Are we following God because he's God, or because he's good? Are we in it for the salvation or the righteousness?

If we would keep following God because he's God, what does that say about our morality? Maybe we are only striving to be good, loving people because that's what God wants of us and we don't really own the requirement for love ourselves. Does love then become essentially selfish? Or at the very least, no longer selfless?

On the other hand, were we to follow God only because he is good, doesn't that imply that we need God to fit in with our own value system? That means that we have arrogantly put ourselves in the position of judging God. Isn't that a rather dangerous thing to do, even if God isn't as good as he led us to believe?

So either way we're a little bit stuffed. I don't even know what the right answer is. I think I'd probably keep following not so good God, because I'd rather be safe and compromised, than idealistic and in hell. But I think that's just me being selfish.

The good thing is that the Bible never forces us to have to make a distinction between goodness and God. All good things come from God, God is love, love comes from God. When we trust in love and goodness, we are trusting in the character of God. When we trust in God we are trusting in love and goodness. In God ultimate pragmatism and idealism meet. That's pretty good if you ask me. Though, I'm still wondering, what would you choose?