Some argue that the only good we can be sure of is that which we create ourselves. Others believe that the only good is that which God promises in the biblical new heaven and new earth. Do Christians, then, believe that there is presently no good?

If we define good as the opposite of evil, as God does, we ensure that goodness is neither vague nor nondescript. Good is not what every person thinks it is. If good were a personal construct, every person would be the arbitrator and authority of what is good. In creating people as very good, God made them in His image—the opposite of evil—but in their free will, they chose to rebel. Those who rebel against God and goodness desire to be their own gods and enjoy evil.

God and those in heaven with Him do not view time the way that we who are living on earth do. God tells us that we are in spiritual battles, and we do not know when or how they will end. Jesus says to live fully and to not worry about or ruminate on when or how the future unfolds.

Predicting dates and events depends on one’s worldview. People who deny God and believe that they can create their best lives using technology have a different mindset about future events and how one determines when they may happen from that of Christians. Christians know that Jesus could return any minute but live every day fully as if He is not.

Young people are more comfortable than older people with placing information in a cloud and relying on technology to help them remember. Those who believe in a higher power depend on holy books and scholars to help them predict the future. Christians determine what the future holds and how and when events will unfold through Bible study and prayerful interpretation, but their discernment is impacted by what they believe about God and how they relate to Him.

Everyone should know the Bible well enough to understand what it says about God so that they can recognize passages believed to be biblical, but which are not. Christians will know the signs of Jesus’s return as they happen. Jesus said that people will turn against each other, even their closest family members. He said that there would be wars and rumors of wars; people are predisposed to selfishness and disdain for others.

Sometimes Christians do not show the love for others that Jesus teaches. Loving others as Jesus does is not agreeing with everything that they believe. Showing love means that you are willing to listen to others’ viewpoints, not harass them because they do not reflect yours. Although Jesus calls us to respect everyone, He does not tell us to agree with them.

People have the right to believe and say what they wish, but each will be held responsible for their words and actions by the laws under which they live. Christians believe that they are first responsible to God, whom they revere and trust. And it is Jesus who will judge them. Christians know that God works everything together for their good. They choose everything in their lives based on their love for God and for others.

God allowed the devil to make his choices. God encourages us to make righteous decisions in keeping with who He is, but He leaves the choosing up to us. Life is purposeful for those who choose to have a relationship with God. Christians are better equipped to manage stress and difficult circumstances because their spirits are alive and rich in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows if we are falling away from Him and His ways, but He is patient because He knows that our flesh and our spirits are imperfect. He knows how our bodies, minds, and spirits are tempted and snared by the opinions of the world. He knows how difficult it is to love and understand Him when it is unpopular to read and believe the Bible.

God knows we will doubt and question. God does not hate us or make it impossible to believe in Him because of this. He wants us to use our intellect and other gifts that He has given us, and He wants us to be open to Christian teachings so that we might get to know Him better.

Those who lose their lives for Christ’s sake are promised eternal life with Him. Those who feed the hungry, clothe the poor, visit the sick and those in jail, and especially those who accurately teach God’s Word, do so because they love God and know that they will experience eternal life with Jesus. They do not do these works to be redeemed. They do good works because they know that they are spreading the goodness of God—the only good on earth.

They know that they are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ and they want others to be redeemed and know Jesus as they do. Jesus is the only good person. Christians know that they are in God’s sovereign hands, because Jesus carries them through their pain and suffering and He replaces what is evil with His blessings.

God will take whatever the world uses to hurt His children, and He will use it for their good.