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<p class="lead">God is the eternal “I AM”—holy in His being, glorious in His majesty, and perfectly good in all that He is and does.</p>

<p>God is not simply a greater version of us. He is the uncreated Creator, dependent on nothing outside Himself.</p>

<div class="scripture">“I AM WHO I AM.” <span class="ref">—Exodus 3:14</span></div>

<p>Everything about God begins with this reality: He simply is.</p>

<p>The Hebrew word translated holy is <em>qadosh</em>. Holiness includes moral purity, but it means more than being separated from sin.</p>

<p>God is holy because He is uniquely and incomparably God.</p>

<div class="scripture">“There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you.” <span class="ref">—1 Samuel 2:2</span></div>

<p>His holiness includes the perfection of all that He is—His purity, righteousness, wisdom, power, knowledge, majesty, and truth.</p>

<div class="scripture">“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.” <span class="ref">—Isaiah 6:3</span></div>

<p>There is no one like Him.</p>

<h2>No Darkness in Him</h2>

<p>Because God is holy, He is perfectly pure.</p>

<div class="scripture">“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” <span class="ref">—1 John 1:5</span></div>

<p>God does not struggle against evil desires as we do. Evil is contrary to His very nature.</p>

<div class="scripture">“It is impossible for God to lie.” <span class="ref">—Hebrews 6:18</span></div>

<p>God freely chooses, yet every choice He makes is perfectly consistent with His holy and good nature.</p>

<h2>God Is Glorious</h2>

<p>God’s glory is closely related to His holiness.</p>

<p>His holiness speaks of His incomparable perfection. His glory speaks of the infinite majesty, worth, beauty, and excellence that belong to Him.</p>

<p>God does not become glorious when creation sees or praises Him. Jesus spoke of:</p>

<div class="scripture">“the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” <span class="ref">—John 17:5</span></div>

<p>Creation reveals God’s glory, but His glory belongs eternally to Him.</p>

<h2>God Is Good in Himself</h2>

<p>Human goodness is measured against what is right. God is different.</p>

<p>There is no moral standard above God that He must obey.</p>

<div class="scripture">“No one is good except God alone.” <span class="ref">—Mark 10:18</span></div>

<p>God Himself is the ultimate foundation of goodness.</p>

<p>This does not mean goodness is arbitrary. God’s nature does not change.</p>

<div class="scripture">“I the LORD do not change.” <span class="ref">—Malachi 3:6</span></div>

<p>He freely chooses, and because His nature is perfectly good, His choices are always good.</p>

<h2>Where Did Evil Come From?</h2>

<p>God created what was good.</p>

<div class="scripture">“God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” <span class="ref">—Genesis 1:31</span></div>

<p>Evil is not an independent substance God created. It is the corruption or disorder of something good.</p>

<ul>
  <li>A lie corrupts speech.</li>
  <li>Hatred corrupts love.</li>
  <li>Greed corrupts desire.</li>
  <li>Pride turns the creature away from God toward self.</li>
</ul>

<p>Evil depends upon good things that have been distorted.</p>

<h2>God Can Permit Evil for Good Purposes</h2>

<p>The harder question is why a good God permits evil.</p>

<p>Scripture does not explain every individual tragedy, but it shows that God can permit genuine evil while accomplishing purposes that remain good.</p>

<p>The clearest example is the crucifixion of Christ. What sinful men did was evil, yet God used it to accomplish redemption.</p>

<p>Joseph expressed the same truth:</p>

<div class="scripture">“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” <span class="ref">—Genesis 50:20</span></div>

<p>The evil did not become good. God’s purpose through it was good.</p>

<h2>Trusting the Creator</h2>

<p>We can ask difficult questions about suffering and injustice. Scripture itself contains honest lament.</p>

<p>But we must remember the difference between the Creator and the creature.</p>

<ul>
  <li>We are finite.</li>
  <li>God is infinite.</li>
  <li>We see part of the story.</li>
  <li>God sees all of it.</li>
</ul>

<div class="scripture">“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” <span class="ref">—Genesis 18:25</span></div>

<p>We may not understand why God permits something, but we can know who He is.</p>

<ul>
  <li>He is holy.</li>
  <li>He is glorious.</li>
  <li>He is good.</li>
  <li>He is wise.</li>
  <li>He is just.</li>
  <li>He does not change.</li>
</ul>

<p>When our understanding reaches its limit, His character gives us reason to trust Him.</p>

<h2>What We Have Learned</h2>

<ol>
  <li>God is the eternal, self-existent “I AM.”</li>
  <li>His holiness is His incomparable perfection and uniqueness as God.</li>
  <li>His moral purity is an essential part of His holiness.</li>
  <li>His glory is the infinite majesty, worth, and excellence that belong to Him.</li>
  <li>God Himself is the ultimate foundation of goodness.</li>
  <li>Evil is the corruption or disorder of what God created good.</li>
  <li>God can permit evil while accomplishing purposes that remain entirely good.</li>
  <li>We are called to trust His character even when we do not understand His providence.</li>
</ol>

<h2>What We Are Called to Do</h2>

<ul>
  <li>Worship God for who He is.</li>
  <li>Trust His goodness rather than our limited understanding.</li>
  <li>Call evil what God calls evil.</li>
  <li>Bring difficult questions to Him with humility.</li>
  <li>Remember that God is the Creator and we are His creatures.</li>
  <li>Rest in the character of the One who has revealed Himself as “I AM WHO I AM.”</li>
</ul>

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