Hannah Sorenson’s Reviews > In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character > Status Update

^It will not do to “be good for goodness’ sake”—we must be good for Goodness’s sake—for God’s sake, whose goodness we daily enjoy.^

^The tenth commandment forbids coveting because doing so denies the goodness of God. Jesus speaks against hoarding because doing so denies the goodness of God. Coveting implies a lack in God’s present provision and hoarding anticipates a lack in God’s good provision in the future.^

^Though he had every right to bar his goodness behind the flaming sword of the cherubim at Eden’s eastern exit, instead he allowed his goodness to follow Adam and Eve all the days of their life, even after their expulsion. And so he does for every son of Adam and daughter of Eve to this day.^

^God is as good as he ever has been or will ever be.^

^God sees that the light is good, not as an act of recognition, but as a reflection of his own goodness, originating in him and issuing from him. God is the source of all good and is himself wholly good.^

^We must excavate all the way to Genesis 18 to find the first explicit mention of God’s justice. We must dig to Genesis 24 to find the first explicit mention of God’s love. We must patiently mine to Exodus 22 for the first explicit mention of his compassion. But scarcely four verses into its opening chapter, the Bible eagerly places in plain sight for us the brilliant diamond of the goodness of God.^

^Yes, God is good, all nature says,
By God’s own hand with speech endued;
And man, in louder notes of praise,
Should sing for joy that God is good.
— John Hampton Gurney, 1825^

cont’d

We find increasing freedom, and as we mature, we resolve to love God no matter what it costs us.

When we begin to follow Christ, we resolve to love our neighbors inadequately even if it costs us. And it does cost us—it costs us our preferences, our time, our financial resources, our entitlement, our stereotypes. At times, it costs us our popularity, respect, and more.

^When we begin to follow Christ, we resolve to love God even if it costs us. And it does cost us—it costs us our pride, our comfort, our self-will, our self-sufficiency. At times, it costs us amicable relationships with family, our expectation of safety, and more. But in laying these aside, we learn the worthiness of the object of our love in a deeper way.

^Unless we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will love ourselves and our neighbors inadequately. Right love of God is what enables right love of self and others.^