I wrote in the topic of Knowing God from a Certain Source that the most reliable source of knowledge about God is His Son, who knows Him personally. He came from heaven to Earth to teach us about Him (𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟭:𝟭𝟴; 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟭𝟴:𝟯𝟳). As he himself claimed, everything he said and did was in accordance with the will of God the Father (𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟴:𝟮𝟲-𝟮𝟵). The Anointed One of God, Yeshu, was also an exact representation of God the Father (𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭:𝟭𝟱; 𝟮 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟰:𝟰), thanks to which by knowing the Son, we know the Father (𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟭𝟰:𝟵). Our Lord Yeshu, who is the Anointed One of God, taught us about his Father, through what he preached and through what he did. He spoke and acted exactly as his God the Father would do (𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟮𝟬:𝟭𝟳; 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟴:𝟮𝟴,𝟮𝟵).

The second sure source of knowledge about God is the disciples of Christ, trained by Him and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. They were sent to preach about God the Father and His Son Yeshu.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓?

𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝟭𝟬:𝟭𝟴. „And Yeshu said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”

Our Lord Yeshu taught that only God is good. The Son of God, although he was his image, made a difference between himself and the Father, placing the Father much higher. He did not want to be called good, because he believed that only God the Father deserved this name.

The word 'good’ itself can be applied to other people, but in a specific context, for example, a servant can be good or bad compared to other servants, and one can also be a good person (𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟮𝟱:𝟮𝟭,𝟮𝟯). A good person is not equal to God because the word 'man’ defines the extent of his goodness. However, in the case we are discussing, this word was used in the context of a teacher. Christ was a teacher for his disciples (𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝟭𝟯:𝟭𝟯), but he himself also had a teacher (𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟴:𝟮𝟴,𝟮𝟵), who was God the Father. God was superior to him in this, He was an imitator of God. For this reason, we can confidently say that the greatest teacher was and is God.

The Anointed One of God used the question he was asked to draw a profound thought concerning the superiority of God in being good. Although we can say among ourselves that one is good and another not necessarily, in the presence of God no one is good. It all depends on who we compare ourselves to and in what limits of competence. It is exactly the same when we say about our Lord Yeshu, that He is God. For us, people, He is God, but in the presence of God the Father, He is the Son of God and our Lord. That is why Paul wrote:

𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟴:𝟲. „yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Yeshu Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

The anointed one Yeshu took advantage of the opportunity and brought forth the teaching that God alone is good. Not only in the matter of teaching, but also in the general concept. Although he is addressed as a 'good teacher’, Yeshu omits the word 'teacher’ in his answer and focuses on the very concept of good.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝟭𝟬:𝟭𝟴. „And Yeshu said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”

God is a good teacher, and in a general sense, no one is equal to God the Father in anything, including goodness. Throughout his teaching, the Son emphasized the perfection of God the Father.

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟱:𝟰𝟰-𝟰𝟴. „But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

God’s perfect goodness is manifested not only in that he wants good for people, but also in that he wants good for everyone, even those who do not yet show him respect.

𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝟲:𝟯𝟱-𝟯𝟲. „But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍

God wants those who err to repent and take full advantage of His goodness. While He gives them time to repent, He expects us, His servants, to be equally patient with those who still err.

𝟮 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟯:𝟵. „The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔

Peter preached about God that He is gracious and therefore does not punish immediately, but gives time for conversion. This is where the perfection of God, which we are commanded to imitate, is manifested. The task of imitating God’s perfection is so great and ambitious that none of us should be bored while waiting for the Lord’s return.

After initially knowing the truth about God, we should not shrink back, but on the contrary, we should strive for what the Lord Yeshu called perfection.

𝟭 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭:𝟭𝟰-𝟭𝟲. „As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

Being holy can be considered as synonymous with perfection. Striving to be perfect in the image of God is the same as striving to be holy in the image of God. The Messenger Peter taught the same thing as the Master Yeshu.

In these teachings we can see a new rule to imitate and become like God. God is therefore a model to imitate, an ideal and holy model.

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑴𝑶𝑫𝑬𝑳 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘

𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟱:𝟭-𝟮. „Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

All servants of God, without exception, draw from this model, and our Lord Yeshu does it best of all, which is why he is also an example for us.

𝟭 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮:𝟮𝟭. „For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟴:𝟮𝟵. „For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭𝟱:𝟱-𝟲. „May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Yeshu, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Yeshu Christ.”

We imitate God in everything, and therefore also in being a model. The Son of God, imitating God the Father, also became a model for us. His disciples, imitating God the Father and the Son of God, also became a model for us.

𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟯:𝟭𝟳. „Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

We imitate the perfect model, which is God, but to do so we must know Him well. We also imitate the perfect model in a human way, which the Son of God left us when he was on Earth. And finally, we imitate the faithful servants of God, who left us an example of faithfulness until death. However, wanting to be good disciples ourselves, we do not stop at just gathering knowledge, but in what we have learned about God, we become a model for others.

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝟮:𝟳. „Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,”

𝑺𝑼𝑴𝑴𝑨𝑹𝒀:

𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝟭𝟬:𝟭𝟴
𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝟭𝟴:𝟭𝟵
𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟭𝟵:𝟭𝟳

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕.

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟱:𝟰𝟰-𝟰𝟴

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍.

𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝟲:𝟯𝟱,𝟯𝟲

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔.

𝟮 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟯:𝟵

𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘.

𝟭 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭:𝟭𝟰-𝟭𝟲
𝗘𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟱:𝟭,𝟮

𝑰𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒅.

𝟭 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮:𝟮𝟭
𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟴:𝟮𝟵
𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭𝟱:𝟱,𝟲

𝑰𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔.

𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟯:𝟭𝟳

𝑩𝒆 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒍.

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝟮:𝟳

Article from 7th May 2017
Author: Krzysztof Król