THE HAPPY GOD

THE HAPPY GOD

1Tim. 1:11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the happy God with which I have been entrusted. (My translation)

“When we speak of God’s happiness, the account that we are wont to give of it is that God is infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, in perfectly beholding and infinitely loving, and rejoicing in, his own essence and perfections.”
When I first read these words written by Jonathan Edwards I couldn’t believe my eyes. As John Piper clearly echoes, “God is passionate for His Glory”. The Lord actually takes pleasure in beholding Himself and has done so throughout eternity. This image of Himself that He beholds is the only image of God that could ever exist. He is enjoying His glory seen in the person of Jesus Christ, His eternal Son.
This brings us to an interesting phrase that is Biblical that most all Christians are familiar with, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Christians believe that Jesus is the Word of God, but rarely take it further than that. What did John mean by his phrase, “the Word was God”? That brings us to the next stunning piece of insight on the trinity from Edwards.
“God’s idea of himself is absolutely perfect, and therefore is an express and perfect image of him, exactly like him in every respect. There is nothing in the pattern but what is in the representation— substance, life, power, nor anything else— and that in a most absolute perfection of similitude; otherwise it is not a perfect idea. But that which is the express perfect image of God, and in every respect like him, is God to all intents and purposes, because there is nothing wanting; there is nothing in the Deity that renders it the Deity but what has something exactly answering of it in this image, which will therefore also render that the Deity.”
Sometimes Edwards can be hard to follow but what he says in this short quote can be life changing in our understanding of God. He brings out that Jesus is God’s idea of Himself. This is what John was saying when he called Jesus the Word of God. Jesus is the Father’s idea of Himself expressed in words. These word or ideas are life itself and are the expression of The Lord seen in The Lord Jesus Christ. He is God’s understanding of Himself. He is the Word of the Father. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
The Father and Son have enjoyed an eternal relationship among themselves. They are completely and infinitely happy in the enjoyment of this relationship. That brings us to us. Christ came to bring us into this shocking family relationship. As He prayed in the garden, “Father make them one”, He was interceding for our salvation. Salvation has given us way more than eternal life, it has brought us into this happy society (or family) made up of the Father and His Son.