The Goodness of God

“Thou art good, and doest good.” Psalm 119:68 KJV

GOODNESS! Dictionaries have a few definition for this term. One has something to do with the flavor or nutrition or anything beneficial we get from something. The term is also used to express mild shock or surprise. But first on every dictionary’s definition is this: the quality or state of being good.

Even the word GOOD can mean a lot! If I say you’re good, I might mean that you’re nice, but I can also mean you’re clever. If I say you look good, I might mean you look well, but I can also mean you look pretty or handsome. But what do we mean when we say that God is good?

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THE HIGHEST GOOD. The original Saxon meaning of the word God is “The Good.” As God is self-existent, so His goodness is underived — He did not acquire it; for goodness is the essence of His eternal nature and being. He is not just the greatest among all creations, He is the best!

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THE PERFECT GOOD. There is such an absolute perfection in God’s nature and being that nothing is wanting to it or defective in it. He cannot be less than good than He is. Nothing can be added to it to make it better. He is eternally, immutably, and perfectly good.

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THE GOODNESS OF OUR CREATOR. God’s goodness is first seen in His creations. In the beginning, He created the heavens and the earth as well as all the living and non-living things that are in it or on it. He saw that it was good (Genesis 1), and I’m quite so sure that all of us agree. The more we gaze at these wondrous creations, the more God’s goodness becomes apparent.

Take the highest amongst all creations — man. Everything about the structure of our body attests to the goodness of our Maker. This gives us an abundant reason to thank and praise God for we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

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THE GOODNESS OF OUR PROVIDER. God’s goodness is the drive behind all the blessings He daily bestows upon us. God has in Himself an infinite and inexhaustible treasure of all blessedness, enough to fill all things! And He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His creations.

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THE GOODNESS OF OUR SAVIOR. God’s goodness is ultimately displayed when He sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ. He walked with men on earth that He might show them what God is like. To the frightened, He is friendly. To the weak, He is gentle. To the poor in spirit, He is forgiving.

When men transgressed the laws of their Creator, God could have dispensed His unmixed wrath all at once, but He did not. Instead, He ushered in a mixture of judgment and mercy through Jesus’ death on the cross. He has subjected every sinful creature to this redemptive grace, not allowing everyone to perish. This is such a glorious reflection of His goodness!

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THE CAUSE OF GOD’S GOODNESS. The cause of His goodness is in Himself, the recipients of His goodness are all His beneficiaries without merit and without recompense. There can be no merit in human conduct, not even in the purest and the best. Always, God’s goodness is the ground of our expectation.

“Repentance, though necessary, is not meritorious but a condition for receiving the gracious gift of pardon which God gives of His goodness. Prayer is not itself meritorious. It lays God under no obligation nor puts Him in debt to any. He hears prayer because He is good, and for no other reason. Nor is faith meritorious; it is simply confidence in the goodness of God, and the lack of it is a reflection upon God’s holy character.” — A.W. Tozer

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GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME! The goodness of God is the life of every believer’s faith. Because His goodness endures forever, we ought never to be discouraged. We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief. Anything else may be questioned, but this is an absolute certainty — GOD IS GOOD! His dispensations may vary, but His nature shall always be the same. ❤️

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Psalms 23:6 KJV

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Next Saturday: THE MERCY OF GOD 😊

Featured Image by Valeriy Andrushko