The Goodness of God

Sometimes we look around our circumstances and perhaps even waver in our confidence in the goodness of God.

But what we should do is look into the word and to affirm to our doubting hearts at times that God is good and he is good all the time.

Dr. Steven Wilson on the goodness of God. We really do get to know someone to spend time with them in the same way a vibrant relationship with the true value of God must be rooted in a firm understanding of who he reveals himself to be in his word gaining that understanding is our aim this week here I'm Renewing Your Mind as we feature Dr. Steven Lawson series the attributes of God, we begin with a focus on God's goodness, what a wonderful attribute of God for us to discuss in this session, God is a good God.

In fact, he is so good that his name and our English language God comes from a derivative from the German word for good God, good. There is much overlap there caught in good are virtually synonymous words in our language.

He is so good that even our most common name for him means good within himself within his own being.

God is abundantly good. His heart is a perpetual fountain of goodness firm which is flowing forth like a swelling river waves of goodness descending down from his throne upon his creation. He is good he is the source of all good he is the supply of all good. Listen to the constant testimony of Scripture that affirms the goodness of God. Psalm 34 verse 80, taste and see that the Lord is what Betty is good.

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Every one of us who puts our trust in the Lord. We enter into the goodness of God in such a glorious way. Psalm 100 verse five says the Lord is good and Psalm 106 verse 10 give thanks to the Lord for he is good. There should be a continual testimony of Thanksgiving ever flowing from our lips as we ponder and consider the many facets of the goodness of God in our lives. This word good means that he is so benevolent. He is so kind. He is so merciful that God is so charitable. He is so generous, he is so giving. He is so caring for us his creatures.

Zechariah 9 verse 17 says how great is his goodness is not a small goodness. It is a great goodness that he possesses everything about God is great right in his goodness is great.

Romans two verse four speaks of the riches of his goodness. God is wealthy in goodness and he delights in lavishing it upon us his creatures. Psalm 52 verse one says the goodness of God endures continually." Let us be persuaded in our own hearts of the goodness of God. Sometimes we look around at our circumstances and perhaps even waver in our confidence in the goodness of God. But what we should do is look into the word and to hear the veracity of his testimonies to affirm to our doubting hearts at times that God is good and he is good all the time. To us as we think about his goodness, some categories with which we want to gather our thoughts. First of all, at the broadest point God is good to all creatures. God is good to the whole earth. Psalm 33 verse five. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 136 verse 25 he gives food to all flesh. His loving kindness is everlasting.

Think of how God has so generously given to the whole earth providing sunlight in clean air and fresh water and food and beauty all around. Psalm 145 verse nine the Lord is good to all the eyes of all look to you and you give them their food in due time you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

This goodness of God extends even to the animal kingdom that is so good is not restricted to his own children is not restricted simply to believers, as we'll see in a moment, God's good, even to unbelievers, but it extends beyond even unbelievers and were thinking at this widest point God's goodness is showered upon. Even the the animal kingdom in Matthew six verse 26 look at the birds of the air that they do not so nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them every day. God is constantly showing his goodness all around the globe to the creatures on the earth to the birds in the air to the fish in the water. It's all a continual flow of goodness that is coming forth from God and his providential care for all creation.

Job 38 verse 41.

This is God himself speaking and says who prepares for the Raven.

It's nourishment when it's young cried to God and wonder about with food who feeds that Raven who is able to crawl up the side of the of the cliff right there were the Raven is built the nest. It's inaccessible to man. No man can even be able to get to the Raven's nest, and yet it is God himself who is providing food in various ways to those ravens Psalm 104 verse 27. They all wait for you saying this to God to give them their food in due season you give to them. They gather it up you open your hand they are satisfied with good God is good to all creatures everywhere but second he's good, even to unbelievers, God extends his general goodness in what we call common grace, which is non-redemptive grace to unbelievers, even as they persist in their sins. God opens his hand in extends good gifts, even to his enemies, he allows them to enter into marriage. He allows them to have the blessing of of children in the joy that they bring to the unbelievers heart. He allows them to go to school to have an education to work to feel a sense of accomplishment to be able to enjoy a promotion to advance in their career. God allows them to make discoveries and to create beautiful music God and his goodness allows them to go on trips to be able to see the beauty of all that God has made. He does not hide it from their eyes, he puts it on display even for their enjoyment.

He allows them to have relationships to have friends to have supporters. It allows them to enjoy his good weather that he provides an end to have the benefits of medicine. It allows them to read. He allows them to enjoy architecture and construction and go to sporting events and and to observe art. This is the goodness of God, even to unbelievers.

Matthew five verse 45 speaks of this common grace. This general goodness in a non-redemptive way that God gives to unbelievers when he says God causes his son to rise on the evil in the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

When we walk outside after this session, and the weather. We look around. It's just it's so wonderful here.

It's not enjoyed exclusively by believers.

God allows even unbelievers to enjoy the beauty of 40 is made and it is a testimony to them of the goodness of God in Romans two will even say that God uses his goodness, hopefully to bring them to repentance. But in acts 14 verse 17, God did not leave himself without a witness in that he did good and gave you ratings from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. In fact, God is so good, even to unbelievers that there are times that it almost causes believers to stumble as though God is being better to unbelievers. Then, even, is to his own children.

Psalm 73 is the signature text on this in Psalm 73. Asaph confesses beginning in verse three said I saw the prosperity of the wicked. There is no pain in their death, their body as fat, meaning they have an abundance of food to eat. They they eat so much. They go to the banquet hall so so regularly that their body is fattened and he sees them as they die and they seem to die with her hands folded in her smile on their face from enjoying all that has been provided in verse five. They are not in trouble is other men. Believers seem at times to suffer greater difficulty in greater adversity than even unbelievers. Verse seven.

Speaking of the wicked is Asaph sees their life.

He says there I bulges from fatness that they've enjoyed so much prosperity and have eaten the best food he saying that their eyes are just popping out of their head. They have so much good things on the inside. Where does this come from this come from God, says the waters of abundance are drunk by them. He says they are always at ease. They have increased in wealth. He said he didn't have the right perspective until he went into the house of the Lord and in the house of the Lord. He heard the word of God, and he heard about the end of the wicked and how when they step out of this life's prosperity and out of this life's abundance how they will descend down into the bowels of hell with the weeping and the gnashing of teeth and only then in the house of the Lord to be have the right perspective to see the end of the wicked, but nevertheless, in this life. How good God is. Even to unbelievers. Psalm 25 verse eight good and upright is the Lord, therefore he instructs sinners in the way even a part of the goodness of God to these unbelievers is to instruct them in the way that they should take. But more than God's goodness to unbelievers is God's goodness to his own children to us as believers, God lavishes good things upon us, not always with the material abundance with which he blesses unbelievers, but who can dispute the goodness of God in our lives. Not only with spiritual blessings, but even physical blessings and material blessings that have come to us. Psalm 34 verse 10 they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing I love Psalm 37 that says the steps of a righteous man are established by the Lord, and he delights in his way, though he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong because the Lord is the one who holds his hand.

I have been young and now I'm old. I've not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.

How good God is to those who are righteous.

He provides for us. In fact, Psalm 84 verse 11 the Lord your God is a sun and a shield. He gives grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them who walk up rightly so many times God provides this through prayer. Matthew seven verse seven. Ask and it will be given to you seek in, you will find knock and the door will be opened.

Doesn't sound like God's trying to hide things from us.

He saying come see Doc ask, it will be given to you for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, to him who knocks it will be opened. What man is there among you when his son asks for a loaf, will he give him a stone or if he asks for a fish, he would not give him a snake willing 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 our Father in heaven is so good, that he delights in meeting our needs and he delights for us to come to him and to present our needs before him and ask him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and he is ready to provide for us according to his sovereign will. Psalm 86 verse five for you, oh Lord, are good and ready to forgive and abundant in loving kindness.

This is the goodness of our God. James 117 for every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of non-shifting shadows.

Alice think a little bit more carefully about God's goodness towards us as believers.

First of all, God is good and his plans for us. Romans 12 verse two says that his will is what good and acceptable and perfect as we seek to follow God's will for our lives. It will never be bad.

It will always be good as what God defines good to be for our lives.

Now it may involve the martyrs stay in being burned at the stake for our faith in Christ.

But that will be a good thing for us, if that's what God calls us to do because it will glorify God and it will bring great reward in heaven. Jeremiah 2911. I know the plans that I have for you plans for welfare, not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. In fact, God's plans are so good that we read in Ephesians 2, verse 10 we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. There's a sense of destiny about every day of our lives that God is already gone into our future. He's gone ahead and he is prepared good works for us to walk in. What a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction we have in our Christian lives, because God has prepared good works for us to do is good in his plans. Yes, he is good in his providence.

Not only does he have these plans but he has the sovereignty to bring them to pass and we know in Romans 828 that God causes all things to work together for what for good to those who love God and who are called according to his purpose. Even our trials work for our good. Even our adversity works for our good. In the next verse tells us what that good is it is to be conformed to the image of his son. Can you think of a better good for your life than for you to become more like Jesus Christ. God simply uses our trials like a chisel to remove out of our life. Everything that doesn't look like Jesus.

But once asked Michelangelo when they brought him that big block of marble and fronted.

He chiseled the greatest statute it's ever been made. Statute David said he had you do that, he said, I just removed everything that did not look like David and what was left was David for God's doing in our sanctification is removing everything that does not look like Jesus does not sound like Jesus does not walk like Jesus and he uses the chisel of trials and adversity, along with his word and his spirit but that is a good providence, is it not to drive us closer to Jesus to make us more like him.

What a good God, he is is good in his provision. James one verse 17 I just read it a second ago every good thing given and every perfect gift comes down from God above God is providing for us the the basic necessities of life and sometimes he is just so good he he lavishes his goodness up and he almost boils us at times he so good to us no good thing will he withhold from them that walk up rightly is good and his protection. Nahum 17. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble how many times has he been a stronghold for you as you have run to him and run into him and worry is had to stay out and anxiety has had to stay out of that castle of grace. When we run to the Lord.

These goodness patients towards us. How long-suffering has God been with us say how many times did you hear the gospel before you were saved Habitation of God towards us, and how long-suffering is he, as he is waited upon Ceci's work by his grace to take us to the next level spiritually is goodness. Pardon. He is so quick to forgive us to wipe the slate clean to wipe away all of our sins. No wonder when we come into the house of the Lord. We should always be singing praises to his goodness.

Jeremiah 3112 they shall come and sing in the height of Zion streaming to the goodness of the Lord God is so good to us. Let us never doubt his goodness.

One of Satan's greatest ploys is to cause us to doubt the goodness of God. That is a lie that has been hoisted against us. Let us repel it with the shield of faith in the breastplate of righteousness, but our feet be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Let us gird our loins with truth. Let us have on the helmet of salvation. Let us take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, let us resist any doubts whatsoever. The absolute goodness of God to all creation.

But especially to us, his children, especially to us whose children. We can be assured that God not only desires to reveal is good news, but is able to accomplish his good plan in the best possible way.

Dr. Steven Lawson has brought us great comfort today from his series, the attributes of God are listening to Renewing Your Mind. I'm we web. Thank you for being with us when we understand the holiness of God the sovereignty of God, the wisdom of God. And yes, the breath of God, all of life begins to line up properly with God's truth were making this entire series available to you.

16 messages all contained on two DVDs will send them to you for your donation of any amount to look at your ministries you can make a request online.

When you go to Renewing Your Mind.org or you can call us with your gifted 800-435-4343, when life is painful and difficult it can be a struggle to see the goodness of God, but I hope you felt encouragement today. Dr. Lawson showed us that God is uniquely good and he is the measure of everything we call good so we can trust that he's able to accomplish his will. So I do hope you will request the 16 part series. Our phone number again is 800-435-4343 or if you prefer you can give your gift online@renewingyourmind.org. Let me encourage you to share Renewing Your Mind with friends and family.

Tell them about her free pizza really convenient way to listen to the program and there's much more to explore the daily videos, daily devotions articles even Q&A's with Dr. RC Sproul, you can download the app for free by searching for Ligonier in your app store will tomorrow. Dr. Lawson will explore another attribute of God, one that Christians hold dear God is so gracious. The centers is so gracious to those who are lost and who are ruined in sin, a freely gives to us his grace. Salvation in Jesus Christ. The grace of God.

Tuesday on Renewing Your Mind