The Goodness of God Exodus 33:18-23
Have you ever been asked to describe God? What would you tell a person if you were asked to tell what God is like? Would you tell the person that God is love, powerful, infinite, sovereign, and the creator of the world? Would you ever think to say that God is good?
In this message I am going to explore the biblical truth that God is a good God.
In Psalm 119:68, we find these words, "Thou art good, and doest good."
You see, God is proclaimed to be good.
(Have audience repeat this phrase with you throughout the sermon)
God is good; all the time – All the time; God is good
I. First, God is Essentially and absolutely good.
It is His nature to be good. He can’t be anything but good.
All of His actions are good. Everything that God is involved in is good.
God’s character prevents Him from being bad. Even in those times when we don’t understand why something has happened, we can be sure that it will ultimately turn out good because God is good.
Ps 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Ps 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Ps 118:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
Ps 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
God is good; all the time – All the time; God is good
II. God is also Eternally good.
This means that God can’t ever change. He was good in the past. He is good today. He will be good forever. You see, God’s nature will never change.
In Malachi 3:6, we read, For I am the Lord, I change not."
We can count on God always being good. For God to stop being good, His nature and character would have to change.
God is good; all the time – All the time; God is good
III. God is Expressing His goodness toward you and I today.
Four times in Psalm 107 we find these words about the goodness of God expressed toward the world of humanity, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
God is so kind to give us wisdom, direction, provision, and life itself. You are a recipient of the goodness of God every day of your life. Are you aware of that great truth?
God is good; all the time – All the time; God is good
IV. God Employs His goodness toward you and I.
Rom 2:4 "Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
1. The goodness of God is manifested in His Desire to forgive our sin.
* Psalm 86:5 "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee."
* God is ready to forgive any person who is willing to admit and confess that they are a sinner, and that they accept what Jesus Christ has done for them on the Cross of Calvary where He shed His blood for their sins.
2. God’s goodness is manifested toward us by His dispensing of grace to live on in this world.
The Lord is continuously giving to you and I that which we need to live on in this world. His supply never runs out.
In fact, He encourages us to come to Him and receive what we need.
Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
1. I think of the times that I needed strength to deal with problems that were crushing my spirit and God gave it.
2. Then there are the times that I needed wisdom to make a crucial decision and God gave it.
3. There are those times that He gave discernment and I was able to spare myself of untold misery.
4. I think of the times that He gave ability to do something that I could never have accomplished on my own, and
5. There have been times that He gave solutions to problems that seemed to have no answer.
Conclusion
God is good; all the time – All the time; God is good
Who is God good to? The answer is that God is good to everyone.
Psalm 145:9, "The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."
Luke 6:35, "for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil."
Matthew 5:45, "for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust," .
Does God ever stop being good? "No!" For God to stop being good His nature would have to change?
Who does God invite to experience His goodness? The answer is that He invites you to experience His goodness.
In Psalm 34:8 we read, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."
In spite of God’s goodness toward people, there are many who do not believe that God is good. In fact, many think that God is good some of the time and then He is not good at other times. Let me give you just a few reasons why people doubt the goodness of God:
1. They don’t know Him as their Savior and Lord.
2. They equate God’s goodness with their circumstances.
3. They do not see the value and purpose of everything that God allows to happen in life.
4. They are not willing to acknowledge God in the life He has given them.
5. They do not understand the nature and character of God.
Payne Stewart, one of golf’s greatest players, died tragically in an airplane crash. No one can explain such an event that is so sad. However, God used this event to tell the world about Jesus Christ and how that Christ can become a personal Savior to all who will receive Him as Payne had done earlier in his life.
During the service for Payne Stewart, God used another Christian, golfing professional, Paul Azinger, to encourage all who were listening to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Paul told how God’s forgiveness is real and that it is available to all who will embrace God’s offer of salvation. You see, Payne Stewart’s death became a platform to share the Gospel world-wide. Only in eternity will we discover the true purpose and value of this sad event that happened to the Stewart family.
Friend, God loves you and has made a way for you to know Him. The only way to have a relationship with God is through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ died for your sins and mine. He is alive today and willing to receive you if you will come to Him.
Acknowledgement - Much of this was gleaned from a four part sermon series by Mark Lasley.
