Attributes of God = goodness
Notes
Transcript
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart (God’s Kindness)
I suppose one of the kindest men in America was Lincoln. When Lincoln visited the hospital there lay a young Northern officer so badly wounded that it was obvious that he was going to die. The nurses whispered, “Mr. President, he can’t make it.” And the great big, tall, homely president went into a hospital ward and walked about among the men. And then he went over to this dying young officer and stooped down, kissed his forehead and said, “Lieutenant, you’ve got to get well for me.” And the nurses around said they heard a whispered word, “Mr. President, I’ll do it.” And he did!
Another time they went into his office where he sat gazing out the window over the grassy sward below, and said, “Mr. President, you seem very serious today.”
“Yes,” he said, “today is ‘butcher day.’ They’re going to shoot a lot of boys today in the army for retreating under fire or doing something else in wartime. I don’t blame those boys; they weren’t cowards. Their legs did it.” Along with his tears he said, “I’m going over the list, and I’m going to save every one that I can.”
That’s why we love Lincoln, not just because he freed the slaves or saved the Union, but because he had a big heart. But even he had a limit. It is said that somebody once came onto the White House lawn and Lincoln’s wife Mary was running and screaming. The great, tall president was following behind her with a paddle.
“What’s going on here?” the person asked.
He said, “She won’t obey.”
He could get mad, you see. And he could act unkind, but not Jesus. The kindest man ever to draw human breath is Jesus.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart Our Reason for Living
The goodness of God is the only valid reason for existence, the only reason underlying all things. Do you imagine that you deserve to be born, that you deserve to be alive? The unbelieving poet Omar Khayyám said,
Into this universe and why
not knowing nor whence
like water willy-nilly flowing
and out of it like wind along the waste,
whither I know not, willy-nilly blowing.
And then he charged God with it all and said, “For all that I’ve done that’s wrong, O God, forgive and take my forgiveness.” He thought God owed him something. But remember that you can answer every question with this expression: “God of His goodness willed it. God out of His kindness willed it.
The term “goodness” is used 22 times in the Scriptures, and the term “lovingkindness” is used 176 times in the Scripture.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart Chapter 3: God’s Goodness
Our religion is little because our god is little. Our religion is weak because our god is weak. Our religion is ignoble because the god we serve is ignoble. We do not see God as He is. The psalmist said, “O magnify the LORD with me” (Psalms 34:3). “Magnify” may mean one of two things: “make it look bigger than it is,” or “see it as big as it is.” The latter is what “magnify” means as the psalmist used it.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart Chapter 3: God’s Goodness
A local church will only be as great as its conception of God. An individual Christian will be a success or a failure depending upon what he or she thinks of God. It is critically important that we have a knowledge of the Holy One, that we know what God is like.
Proposition - I invite you to get fired up this day as we seek to wrap our heads around the Goodness of our God. We will approach this attribute from two angles: 1) God’s Goodness explained, and 2) God’s Goodness revealed.
Interrogative question - How has the infinite goodness of God impacted your daily life?
1. God’s Goodness Explained -
1. God’s Goodness Explained -
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart Chapter 3: God’s Goodness
Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending upon her concept of God. And I insist upon this and I have said it many times, that the basic trouble with the Church today is her unworthy conception of God.
Dogmatic Theology (Goodness (Including Benevolence and Mercy))
The goodness of God is the divine essence viewed as energizing benevolently and kindly toward the creature. It is an emanent or transitive attribute issuing forth from the divine nature and aiming to promote the welfare and happiness of the universe. It is not that attribute by which God is good, but by which he does good. As good in himself, God is holy; as showing goodness to others, he is good or kind.
Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (Goodness > The Communicable Perfections)
God’s goodness is that he is the perfect sum, source, and standard (for himself and his creatures) of that which is wholesome (conducive to well-being), virtuous, beneficial, and beautiful.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart Our Reason for Living
The goodness of God is the only valid reason for existence, the only reason underlying all things. Do you imagine that you deserve to be born, that you deserve to be alive? The unbelieving poet Omar Khayyám said,
Into this universe and why
not knowing nor whence
like water willy-nilly flowing
and out of it like wind along the waste,
whither I know not,
willy-nilly blowing.
And then he charged God with it all and said, “For all that I’ve done that’s wrong, O God, forgive and take my forgiveness.” He thought God owed him something. But remember that you can answer every question with this expression: “God of His goodness willed it. God out of His kindness willed it.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart (Our Reason for Living)
Nobody ever got anything from God on the grounds that he deserved it. Having fallen, man deserves only punishment and death. So if God answers prayer it’s because God is good. From His goodness, His lovingkindness, His good-natured benevolence, God does it! That’s the source of everything.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart (Goodness and Severity)
Now God of His goodness has ordained means, “full, fair and many.” And it was all out of God’s goodness. We say sometimes, “The justice of God requires Him to do so and so.” Never use that language—even if you hear me using it! There is never anything that requires God to do anything. God does what He does because of what He is, and there is not something standing outside of Him requiring Him to do something. He does what He does out of His own heart. All the attributes of God are simply facets of one God in three Person
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart Chapter 3: God’s Goodness
There are those that say religion is something grafted onto man that is the result of man’s weakness or superstition. However, history shows that no tribe or nation has ever risen morally above its religion. If it had a debased religion it had a debased people, and if the people were not debased, the religion, though neither Christianity nor Judaism, nevertheless was relatively high in the scale of nonrevealed religions. And remember that no religion has ever risen above its conception of God. If the heathen believe that God is tricky, sulky, nasty and deceitful, their religion will build itself around that concept. And they will try to be sneaky with their god and act the way their god acts.
If they believe, on the other hand, that God is one God, that He is a high and true and noble God, then even though they are not redeemed, their religion will tend to follow their concept of God upward, even though it is a pagan religion and does not carry redemption.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart (What “Good” Means)
Now all this that I have said means that God is good. All this He is infinitely. Why do I say that? Because infinitude is an attribute of God. And it is impossible for God to be anything and not be completely, infinitely what He is. It is possible for the sun to be bright, but not infinitely bright because it doesn’t have all the light there is. It is possible for a mountain to be large but not infinitely large. It is possible for an angel to be good, but not infinitely good. Only God can claim infinitude. When I say that God is good, that God has a kind heart, I mean that He has a heart infinitely kind and that there is no boundary to it. When I say that God is good-natured, good and kindly of nature, I mean that He is infinitely so.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart We Can Boldly Approach Him
Sometimes I say things to God in prayer which are terribly bold, almost arrogant, and I’ve never been rebuked by God yet. They said about Luther (I’m certainly not drawing any comparison; I’d have been glad to clean his shoes and put them at his bedroom door!) that when they heard him pray it was an experience in theology. When he began to pray, he prayed with such self-abnegation, such humility, such repentance that you pitied him. But as he prayed on, he prayed with such boldness that you feared for him.
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart Chapter 3: God’s Goodness
There are those that say religion is something grafted onto man that is the result of man’s weakness or superstition. However, history shows that no tribe or nation has ever risen morally above its religion. If it had a debased religion it had a debased people, and if the people were not debased, the religion, though neither Christianity nor Judaism, nevertheless was relatively high in the scale of nonrevealed religions. And remember that no religion has ever risen above its conception of God. If the heathen believe that God is tricky, sulky, nasty and deceitful, their religion will build itself around that concept. And they will try to be sneaky with their god and act the way their god acts. If they believe, on the other hand, that God is one God, that He is a high and true and noble God, then even though they are not redeemed, their religion will tend to follow their concept of God upward, even though it is a pagan religion and does not carry redemption.
2. God’s Goodness Revealed -
2. God’s Goodness Revealed -
All of God’s perfect qualities are infinitely and freely available to all for the benefit of the whole world.
God alone is good -
18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
God's goodness revealed -
In His actions -
18 For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon
20 “You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, And You gave them water for their thirst.
1 Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart!
68 You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes.
10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
In creation -
4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
9 The Lord is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;
In His love -
34 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord. 8 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me,
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
In His gifts -
27 Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
7 “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills;
11 and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
In His promises -
14 “Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. 15 “It shall come about that just as all the good words which the Lord your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
28 “Now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.
56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.
10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
In His commands -
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good.
12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
God’s goodness experienced -
God is good to those who surrender to His Lordship -
19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
10 Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel.
11 Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.
19 How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! 20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
17 Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.
14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said! 15 Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
God’s children can rely on His infinite goodness -
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
40 “I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.
11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
God works for good in difficult circumstances -
20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
God’s goodness is to be praised -
10 “When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.
13 in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,
3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
7 They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
SO WHAT?
The Attributes of God, Volume 1: A Journey into the Father’s Heart (Our Reason for Living)
The goodness of God is the only valid reason for existence, the only reason underlying all things. Do you imagine that you deserve to be born, that you deserve to be alive? The unbelieving poet Omar Khayyám said,
Into this universe and why
not knowing nor whence
like water willy-nilly flowing
and out of it like wind along the waste,
whither I know not,
willy-nilly blowing.
And then he charged God with it all and said, “For all that I’ve done that’s wrong, O God, forgive and take my forgiveness.” He thought God owed him something. But remember that you can answer every question with this expression: “God of His goodness willed it. God out of His kindness willed it.”
Why were we created? Was it that we deserved to be created? How can nothing deserve something? There was a time when there was no human race. How therefore could a human race that hadn’t existed deserve something? How could a man that wasn’t yet created earn anything or pile up any merit? It couldn’t be so. God out of His goodness created us. Why were we not destroyed when we sinned? The only answer is that God of His goodness spared us. The cordial, kind-intentioned God spared us.
How has the infinite goodness of God impacted your daily life?
How do you see the kindness of Jesus reflected in your own life experiences?
In what ways can you recognize or acknowledge God’s goodness in your everyday surroundings?
How does understanding the infinite goodness of God change your perspective on challenges or hardships?
Can you recall a moment when you felt God's goodness in a tangible way? How did it affect you?
How can recognizing the goodness and kindness of God influence your actions towards others?
What practical steps can you take to embody the kindness of God in your daily interactions?
How can you apply the concept of God’s goodness to your relationships with family and friends?
In what specific areas of your life do you find it difficult to see God's goodness, and how can you address that?
How can practicing gratitude enhance your awareness of God’s goodness in your life?
What commitments can you make to ensure that your life reflects the goodness and kindness of God to those around you?
