God's Character

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (all scripture from ESV)

Related verses - 

• 1 John 3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

• James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

There’s no shadow on God, or from Him, because He doesn’t change. Every gift that is good and perfect, every single one, is from Him because of His great love for us. He’s the Father of lights and there can’t be any darkness around Him. He created light to shine through the darkness. God’s character is unchanging. There can’t be shadows because He can’t have darkness around Him. Footnotes from James 1:17 (ESV), “God is unchanging in his character and therefore in his giving of good, unlike the variation of the night changing to day or the shifting shadow caused by the sun or moon.” When something bad happens, it’s not from God!!!! God doesn’t give bad things to His children; He can’t! It’s not part of His character to give something bad. He gives all good gifts and works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). But we so often like to attribute the bad things in life to God, even though He was not the one who gave them to us! God doesn’t give us sickness! God doesn’t take away our finances. How do those things glorify Him?! Yes, you can learn through it, but I believe now that a large part of that learning is how to take the power and authority He’s given you in that situation to OVERCOME! We so often become the victim instead of the conqueror He has made us to be (Rom 8:37)! This is where we need to look back at verse 2, knowing that LIFE is manifested through the Holy Spirit and so the way to overcome these struggles and frustrations is in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit!