THE GOODNESS OF GOD
INTRODUCTION (Psalm 34v1-8)
1) We are living in exciting and yet turbulent days
Doom and gloom prophets?
Financial crisis/storms/suffering – God shaking? (Yet once more?)
How we see God will shape how we see world events (Our ‘lens’)
2) The history of mankind will probably show that no religion has ever been greater than its image of God.
As Christians, we instinctively try to become like the God we believe in
Therefore, the most important question before us as believers is ‘How do we see God?’
3) Just as God is loving and gracious, God is good, and is the source of all true goodness.
You cannot have true goodness without God
God’s goodness and His glory are one, and the standard for goodness is God Himself
4) I have looked throughout the bible and I cannot find ONE single verse which says that God is BAD!!
But there are plenty which say that GOD IS GOOD!!
Ex 33v19 – Moses asked to see God’s glory and God said that He would make all His goodness pass before Him
Ex 34v6 – And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed “The Lord God merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth”
Psalm 25v8 – Good and upright is the Lord (moral goodness)
Psalm 31v19 – O how great is Your goodness
Psalm 34v8 – Taste and see the Lord is good
Psalm 54v6 – I will praise Your name O Lord for it is good
Psalm 69v16 – Hear me O Lord for Your loving kindness is good
Psalm 86v5 – For You O Lord are good and ready to forgive
Psalm 100v5 – For the Lord is good and His mercy is everlasting
Psalm 107v1-2 – O give thanks to the Lord for He is good….let the redeemed of the Lord say so
Psalm 143v10 – Your Spirit is good
Rom 2v4 - ….the goodness of God leads you to repentance
2 Thess 1v11 – Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness…
THE GOODNESS OF GOD IS GOOD THEOLOGY
1) When God spoke to Moses about all His goodness passing by He spoke of Himself as being abundant in goodness and truth (Ex 34v6). This is the quality of generosity. Generosity means a disposition to give to others in a way which has no mercenary motive and is not limited by what the recipients deserve, but consistently goes beyond it. Generosity expresses the simple wish that others should have what they need to make them happy. (JI Packer)
2) The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will towards men. He is tender hearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude towards all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By nature He is inclined to bestow blessing and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people. (AW Tozer)
3) The goodness of God means that God isn’t the author of evil and suffering
The Fall of man in the Garden of Eden affected creation as well as mankind and Satan is now god of this world (Gen 3; Math 4v8; Eph 2v2)
But because of His great love towards us even in this God can cause all things, including evil and suffering, to work for good (Rom 8v28)
4) Because God Himself is the highest and greatest good, He is also the source of all other good
He does good things and extends His goodness to others
It is his nature to be kind, generous, and benevolent, to demonstrate goodwill towards men
Every good thing we now enjoy, or ever hope to enjoy, flows from Him
No good thing has ever existed, or ever will exist, that does not come from His good hand
5) God is infinitely good and His goodness knows no limits
What God gives out of His goodness He does so with joy and gladness
Heaven is filled with the goodness of God, and God wants to fill the earth with this same goodness
6) Knowing the goodness of God doesn’t make us immune from trials and difficulties in life
But it does mean we can find God’s goodness within them
God also knows what is ‘good for us’ – although we may not agree with Him at the time?
7) Along with the general benefits which God has bestowed on all people the believer has additional good things to enjoy
The word of God which is described as good (Heb 6v5)
We can know and do the will of God which is called good (Rom 12v2)
We have assurance that God will work every detail of our lives for good (Rom 8v28)
We will receive good and perfect gifts from our Father in heaven (James 1v17), this includes healing
In fact, the expressions of God’s goodness to His children are endless!
8) We must be careful not to take God’s goodness for granted
The person who knows God personally, who understands and appreciates His goodness, won’t do this
He/she will not only enjoy God’s blessings fully, but will use them thankfully and unselfishly, giving glory back to God
9) God wants His children to be blessed, holy, and happy
What father wouldn’t?
Therefore, as God’s children, the more we experience His goodness to us, the more we will want to testify of His goodness to others
This in turn can lead them to repentance (Rom 2v4)
CONCLUSION
1) How do we see God?
2) If we see God as loving, gracious, and GOOD, then this is how we will respond to Him – and this is the God we will share with others
3) This will also be the ‘lens’ through which we see world events
