Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Is God happy? Reflections from "God Is The Gospel" by John Piper


In 1 Timothy 1:11 Paul focuses on the gospel as "the glory of the blessed God." The word translated "blessed" in this phrase is the same greek word used in the beatitudes of Jesus in the book of Matthew 5:3-11. It's a crazy fact that only in 1 Timothy 1:11 does the word refer to God, out of the entire Bible. Paul is making a statement about God, as he usually does in his letters. Here in 1 Timothy Paul is making the statement that God is happy, makarios.

"We may learn the phrase "the glory of the happy God" that a great part of God's glory is His happiness. It was inconceivable to the apostle Paul that God could be denied infinte joy and still be all-glorious. To be infinitely glorious was to be infinitely happy. He used the phrase, "the glory of the happy God," because it is a glorious thing for God to be as happy as He is. God's glory consist much in the fact that He is happy beyond all our imagination."

Imagine that. God is happy! Most people in this world awake to the idea every day that God is out to get them. That if they do not live a life full of good works and good deeds then God is out to get them and punish them forever. God does have a side of righteous wrath but it is not eternal for those who trust in Christ as the savior of their lives. So at the end of the day God does not have a kingdom full of worry, sadness, or regret. God knows the end and the end is completely filled with the whole earth proclaiming God is the glorious God, who else is like Him?

J.P.

"Be still and know that I am God. I WILL be exalted among the nations, I WILL be exatled in the earth!" - Ps.46:10

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I check this blog daily, but I'm hoping to discover a new post soon!

Anonymous said...

Hello, Keith. I think that if God is not happy, then how can we expect to be happy when we get to heaven. I am sure he is a happy, blessed God, since he knows how it all turns out.

Yy123 said...

Thank you so much for posting this. Although it's been 2 years I appreciate very much this being here. I was wondering whether or not God Himself is happy so I am very happy to have erased this doubt. Thanks!!! Praise God!!!