When we talk about the goodness of God or the origin of goodness being in God, there is an important component of the phenomenon of goodness that typically does not get addressed. It is that component best described as righteousness. It is a righteousness so pure and unadulterated the prophets described it as like a refiner's fire. Think blast furnace. Or the sun.
This righteousness is as fully a part of God's nature as is the knowledge of good and evil a part of your human nature. But in our case pure righteousness seems to be something too lofty to us, as demonstrated throughout history by our propensity to slip into the horrors of war, slavery, despotism, greed and savagery. This decision or failure of resistance to temptation or weakness of spirit or whatever it is that causes us to SIN, renders us unable to withstand the refiners fire. The very presence of God would result in our annihilation. As if a scrap of paper was tossed into a smelter.
