Is God Good? (part 1)

More people point to the problem of evil and suffering as their reason for not believing in God than any other—it is not merely a problem, it is the problem. A Barna poll asked, "If you could ask God only one question and you knew he would give you an answer, what would you ask?" The most common response was, "Why is there pain and suffering in the world?"

John Stott said, "The fact of suffering undoubtedly constitutes the single greatest challenge to the Christian faith, and has been in every generation. Its distribution and degree appear to be entirely random and therefore unfair. Sensitive spirits ask if it can possibly be reconciled with God's justice and love."

Richard Swinburne, writing in the Oxford Companion to Philosophy, says the problem of evil is "the most powerful objection to traditional theism." Ronald Nash writes, "Objections to theism come and go. … But every philosopher I know believes that the most serious challenge to theism was, is, and will continue to be the problem of evil."

You will not get far in a conversation with someone who rejects the Christian faith before the problem of evil is raised. Pulled out like the ultimate trump card, it's supposed to silence believers and prove that the all-good and all-powerful God of the Bible doesn't exist.

For many today we see it on tv, on our phones, social media, blogs, podcasts, the goodness of God is doubted. Many time when I engage with atheistic and agnostic and even christian for that matter … it is the problem of evil argument that comes up all the time. If evil exists in this world, then either God is not able to do anything about it or He is not a good God. And for the most part in the end we come to the conclusion that they do not believe that if God exists He is not a good God. This is the downfall of Christianity. This is the downfall of the people of God that we have seen throughout all history. This is in essense the unbelief that is condemned in the Scriptures. God at no time acknowledges the unbelief that He does not exist. There is no such thing as a real atheist. Romans makes it clear that everyone believes because the Lod has revealed Himself to everyone. So much so and in such a way that ignorance of His existence will not be an excuse. But God does acknowledge the unbelief of people in the scriptures… Yes. It is not unbelief that He exists… it is not believing that He is good.

So that is our question today? Do we really believe that God is good? For many there is a real struggle with the existence of evil in this world in the proximity of the people of God. And the reality of suffering, trials, circumstances, problems… how could a God who is good allow His people to suffer like that. The existence of what we would call evil and the reality of suffering causes many to believe that God is not good. And this is nothing new… the circumstances the Israelites faced on their way to the promise land caused them to question the goodness of God. God brought us out here to kill us… the circumstances were bad enough that is caused many to conclude that life was better in Egypt. They questioned the goodness of God.

Today its the same thing… many think that life was better as an unbeliever and questioning God they go back to the world believing that it is better. And in the world we cannot get a better life because all kinds of bad things keep happening and in unbelief we conclude that God is not good because he allows bad things to happen to good people. But our passage today helps us deal with this perplexing problem. Again, the Word of God brings us though. Lets take a look.

Psalm 119:65–68 NLT

You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised. I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge. I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

God is Good

The Word is Good

The first thing we will look at today is the fundamental truth of the goodness of God no matter what is happening around us. The second point to uncover is that we will see the real value of the special revelation of God and the gospel it brings.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to doubt the real goodness of God, it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the scriptures that will open up our hearts and minds to the plan of God to make us more like Christ with goodness and mercies that are new every morning.

I. God is Good

- You are good and do only good.

A. The letter tet is beautifully summarized in this verse. You have done many good things for me. And Spurgeon writes...

“It is amazing that God has dealt at all with such insignificant and undeserving beings as we are, and it is far more amazing that He has dealt well with us, and so wondrously well. He has done all things well; this rule has no exception. In providence and grace, in giving prosperity and in sending adversity, in everything, Jehovah has dealt well with us.”

B. It does not take long if we are honest with ourselves that the Lod has done so much for us. The list is long and it goes on and on. If you think of all the good things He has done for us, it is never ending. Its awesome and amazing. Make a list of all the good stuff. But did you know that this is not by chance… It is because God promised that He would do so. The scriptures declare that all He does is good. If he does anything no matter what it is good.

C. So you made a list of the good stuff the Lord has done for you. Now be honest… made a list of all the bad stuff he has done or not done for you. I am setting you up. Now watch this family… Take all of those on the bad list and move it to the good list… because what the Lord does and what the Lord allows is good, it is always good and it will always be good. But Shane alot of those things did not feel good at all. Yup and our psalmist today said that he used to wander, prone to wander Lord I feel it, but the Lord disciplined him. And yes discipline does not feel good. Oh no.

Hebrews 12:11 NLT

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

D. No discipline feels good. And for many of us… we are prone not just to wander, but to even see discipline as something bad. We see it as bad. I remember when I was in school (I went to a christian school that still spanked). I was on my way to the school office to meet with the principle when a young boy was in the hall walking from the office in tears crying… aw bro what happened? You alright? All he said was “I hate Mr. Johnson. He is a bad person. I hate him. He is evil. I hate him” Did you get swats… uh huh. What did you do? I wasn’t listening to the teacher. Oh ok. Well listen to teacher ok. Ok. He was being disciplined and he saw the discipliner as a bad person… he was evil.

E. We do the same thing… we see things in the world that makes us feel bad… things that are painful as bad or evil. Many of the things we are calling evil, may not actually be evil. All the things you are blaming the devil for, might actually be God. Hello? But why does he do it? Because of what discipline does. A harvest of right living. And it teaches us to pay attention to the word of God. And its no wonder its seems as if Christians are always going through stuff. We live in a hugely distracted world. So distracted from the word of God. If we are not reading and meditating on the word of God, He will discipline us. Now our psalmist follows the Words of God.

F. I have been for years trying to get us and the people of God to understand that our consciences is subject to the moral standard, pragmatism, and ideology of the culture. This is why God and the Bible are always subject to judgement. Why are we standing in judgement and deciding what God does is either right or wrong. What God allows is either good or bad. What the Bible says is either right or wrong. What the Bible says is either good or bad. Why is it that many of the questions I have is how the Bible can be interpreted so that people are not offended or upset by it. Why is God and the Bible subject. If the Bible says something that we do not like… too bad. Our conscience must be bound to the Word of God. Culture must be judged according to the Word of God. Right and wrong judged by the Word of God. All our values subject to the Word of God.

G. The problem of evil is a problem if and only if your conscience is bound to the World. There is no inability on the part of God and God is good and only does what is good. It is what the Bible declares… so it is the truth no matter what we see, hear, or experience. Where else are you gonna go?

H. The Word of God is more valuable than millions in gold and silver. It is the precious special revelation of the living God. Can we not see what is happening in our culture today? People are doing what is right in their own eyes. Deciding for ourselves what we want to believe to be real or not. FOX news interview with protestor. In the end, we are gonna decide for ourselves. The Bible tells us that we are not to decide for ourselves. The Lord is good and does only good therefore the psalmist desires the Lord to teach him the Decrees of God. Suffering leads us to this… when we suffer, take joy for we will pay more attention to the Word of God. And the Word of God is more valuable than millions in gold and silver.

I. The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, reporting supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed their writings are Divine and not of human origin. Written by approx 40 men from different backgrounds over the course of 1500 years. Over 25,000 NT manuscripts in Greek Latin Coptic and other languages from the 1st century to the 16th century with numerous variants but clearly not one article of faith or precept of duty is affected at all. With all that there is… the message of the scriptures are not altered in any way… at all. No assertion of contradictions has ever been confirmed. It has survived every skeptic. Survived every attack. Every attempt to annihilate it has failed. Every time it is attacked… when the dust settles the scriptures are still standing. Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of God will remain forever. Waaaay more valuable than millions in gold and silver.

II. The Word is Good

- It contains the good news. The Gospel.

A. And we are so quick to reject the Word of God. Dude if you are telling me that suffering is gonna cause me to pay more attention to the Word, then sign me out of this. I don’t want that. And that is common… why?

John 3:19 NLT

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

B. By nature we love ignorance. The saying even goes… ignorance is bliss. We want this because our deeds are evil. And lets be honest… it is not just a problem for some of us, it is a problem for all of us. The Word of God declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous no not one. there is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. We are all by nature objects of wrath.

C. But the bad news continues… the wrath of God is being poured out on all flesh. The reality of eternal condemnation. Weeping and gnashing of teeth. Eternal darkness. Eternal fire. Eternal damnation.

D. Can we be saved from this? Here is the good news, from the good Word of the good God. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He came to seek and to save that which was lost.

E. The promises continue… All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. Jesus did come to make all things new and life and life more abundant did he bring.

F. What awesome news and what an awesome plan revealed to us by the living and good God. He is good and everything he does is good. No matter what we see, hear, and experience.