Understanding the Goodness of God Pt.2 - The Paradox of God's Goodness

THE CITYGATE CHURCH

-Welcome to The Sunday Bible Study-

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

MINISTERING: Pst. Oladimeji Elugbadebo

REFERENCE ID: TCGC/SUN-BS-2018-04-15-1

TITLE ID: Understanding the Goodness of God Pt.2 -  The Paradox of God's Goodness

What is God's ordained will for the righteous? God is a good God, He cannot stop being God because of the situations we find ourselves. Goodness is a fundamental part of God's nature; in fact, it was at work when He sent His Son to die for us. However there are certain paradoxes into understanding the goodness of God. A paradox is a statement that is built on sound reasoning but they seem to conflict. We say God is good yet we go through situations that conflict that assertion. Due to some unpalatable circumstances happening around them, many have concluded that God is not good.

We as believers cannot fully comprehend God's goodness outside divine revelation, you need God to help you see His goodness. You need to have a clear understanding, by Grace, of God's goodness. You cannot understand His goodness if you see from your angle alone and judge from that perspective; you have to see from God's angle. There are certain things that seem to be hidden which will be unveiled at the right time, this is part of God's plan. God stands from a point that is eternal and He sees the end from the beginning so He Knows better.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

-Romans 8:28 (kjv)

You should live with a clear and precise understanding that your life is safe in God's hand. So even when things are contradicting, you know that God is still good. Many believers have a fixed definition of God's goodness such as defining God’s goodness by the money in their account and when they do not have anything, they fail to understand that God is still good. God wants wonderful things for you, however there are other aspects of God's goodness that you need to know. Many believers’ understanding of God's goodness is biased.

A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men...

-Psalms 73:1-16 (kjv)

People that are influential and rich also have issues.

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image...
-Psalms 73:17-24 (kjv)

In Asaph’s mind, he felt God was good to the unrighteous and was not good to the righteous; most of us fall into this category. Then in verse 18, he received revelation knowledge and he received understanding (Ps 49.20).

  

And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

-Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (kjv)

There are times that the unjust are not immediately judged because God is giving them time to come to repentance. We need to understand that there are certain times that God is working for our good even though it does not appear so in the natural. Asaph did not see this, it seemed to him that the unjust are not judged, but God in His goodness and righteousness was working for good.

Asaph’s feet almost slipped while he was considering the prosperity of the wicked. When you consider that God is not good to the righteous and does not judge the unrighteous, your faith is affected. If you go further in that kind of thinking, you will conclude that it does not pay to be righteous. Many have gotten to this stage already, because they feel righteousness does not pay; they will tell you that they have facts. Many believers have lost their confidence in God as a result of this.

Asaph allowed a distorted perspective of God’s goodness by envying the unrighteous and the unjust and wished to be in their shoes. When you begin to doubt God’s faithfulness and goodness, you start envying the ways of the unrighteous and gradually begin to lose life.

A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

-Psalms 37:1-4 (kjv)

One of the greatest things that can happen to you is for God’s ways to be made clear to you. When you know God’s way even when there are contradictions, your understanding has been raised.

A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

-Psalms 73:1-3 (kjv)

There are certain things that God may be doing which you may not comprehend but you must develop an act of worship through that phase. When you do not see anything good in a situation and you thank God, that is faith and God likes that.

Asaph became self righteous by thinking that his walk is what makes him deserve God's goodness. However God’s goodness is dependent on His mercy, not on what you do. All you do will amount to nothing without God’s goodness and mercy. The best of believers must always rely on the goodness and mercy of God. The motivation behind your walk of goodness should not be because you want to receive anything from God but because you love Him. God in His goodness and mercy has abounded all things to us through His Son, everything we need for life and godliness is already provided. He is a Father that has prepared all things even before the need appears. When God trains, disciplines and chastises you, it does not change God, rather it changes you so that you can appreciate Him better. The training is for you, it works out the goodness of God in you better.

Asaph also thought that suffering is a common thing from God and he became consumed with self pity. You cannot see well if you have self pity; which makes you lack confidence in God’s love for you. Even when God is training you, He loves you affectionately. You will never appreciate God’s dealing for you if you do not know that He loves you. If God will subject any child of His to any training and trial, He is affectionately in love with that child. Whatever you are going through, never forget that God is in love with you and everything He does is because He loves you. My perspective of God is not distorted, so when I fall in situations that I do not understand, I do not fall into self pity. God knows the best and He does the best. When you fall into self pity, it is because you have lost confidence in God’s ways and it degenerates to thinking that God does good to the unrighteous and to the righteous He does not. God does the best for you, as long as you are serving Him diligently. Stop comparing yourself with people, you are different. You may not fully understand what God is doing now. God will never change for He is a good God. My circumstances cannot change His goodness. Honestly, things may be tough but the Lord is still cushioning the effects in some places; if we consider very well, we will see that God is still good.

Asaph needed to enter the revelation of God’s ways to see the end of wicked and unrighteous men. Never envy the prosperity of the wicked. What God is thinking for you is far better, most of the things you envy now will pass away, so why build your life on what will pass away. God is merciful, even in our trials.

Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

-Psalms 73:18-19 (kjv)

Asaph got to the sanctuary and his understanding was enlightened. So it is crucial that we should always pray that God will enlighten our darkness.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

-Psalms 37:8 (kjv)

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

-Psalms 37:11 (kjv)

There is a life beyond this life; the new earth and new heavens will come. God has a long term plan for the earth. It is good to wait upon the Lord; it is an attitude of total dependence on God. Waiting upon the Lord is meekness, the proud do not wait on the Lord. Many of you are very hasty, you are not used to waiting, if God does not move, you should not move.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

-Lamentations 3:25-26 (kjv)

The desire of God is for you to wait on Him and seek Him. True Christianity is more than seeking God for what He gives, you must learn to seek God for who He is. There is a hope that perishes here on the earth; however, there is a hope that anchors your soul, it is an eternal hope. This hope never fails. We all need to lay hold on this hope, the hope of life eternal. No matter what you are going through, with this hope, you are firmly anchored. Being sober is to wait on the Lord, to consider His ways.

There are times in your life when temptations heightens and you are constrained to compromise. If you receive sufficient grace and you stand, God will not just help you through that trying situation, He will raise you. If you compromise, God may still help you out of the situation but you will not be changed and so, you will repeat that class in the spirit. Beyond solving an issue in your life, God wants to change you, He wants you to become a better person.

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
-Psalms 37:10-11 (kjv)

When you have peace in your life, it is the goodness of God.

A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away...

-Psalms 37:16-25 (kjv)

It pays to seek and serve the Lord. It pays to keep giving, serving and sowing. Either they appreciate you in church or not, stop waiting for the approval of men.

Interpretation of Tongues

Delight in my ways, take pleasure in walking in my path. My paths are paths of joy and peace and you will find rest for your souls. Take delight in walking in my path. My paths are sweet, even sweeter than the honeycomb. Stay on my path, for the end is pleasurable.

Do not do things for men to see, God does not disappoint or owe any man; whatever you sow, you will reap.

He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved forever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment...

-Psalms 37:26-32 (kjv)

Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

-Psalms 37:34-36 (kjv)

Whatever you do, do it with the right godly principles. Do not build a career by pulling other people down. The favour you get by pulling down someone else is not true favour but the favour of man. At times, when you follow Godly principles, you may be slower compared to others but at the end, God will lift you up. Do not wait for men to lift you up, wait for God, if men lift you, they can pull you down also.

Nigeria will be known for excellence. The word of the Lord has spoken this and it will come to pass. Every institution will be taken over, heaven will recover institutions. Righteous men will come out of their hiding, they will have the authority to do right things. God has not finished with Nigeria, we have not heard the last story of this nation; her best is yet to come.

Interpretation of Tongues

Rejoice over your land because I have gone ahead. Stand in joy, stand in thanksgiving. Hold on to me and rejoice for I have said it, I will do it. For my words will come to pass and the days of joy are coming over your nation.

Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

-Psalms 37:37 (kjv)

You have to make sure that you remain in the path of uprightness because the destiny of the upright is sure.

A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

-Psalms 73:1 (kjv)

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

-Psalms 73:28 (kjv)

In verse 1 of Psalm 73, good means the absence of pain and trials but in verse 28, good took a different meaning, good means more than physical prosperity, it means drawing near to God. God’s goodness is sure and certain, it is also dependable. God is dependable and can be trusted. He does not fail. Even when Satan works his wickedness, God is still good, He always wins. Let your mind be at rest, do not be worried, pray in faith and live your life securely.

A Christian does not die, he sleeps. We have been made higher than death, Christ overcame death. When a Christian dies, he sleeps and goes to be with the Lord. Your life is hid in Christ and not in the hands of any household wickedness.

Asaph saw clearly that the prosperity of the wicked hardens their heart towards God. As a believer, do not take advantage of God's kindness. When doing something wrong for a long time and nothing is happening to you, do not think it is grace. The grace of God is not supposed to turn you from God but take you to Him. Asaph also saw that trials are blessings of God to us to draw us nearer to God. How do we differentiate between trials that are demonic and the ones from God? What we do is to go before God and wait on HIm; He will make you know.

Fr this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

-2 Corinthians 12:8 (kjv)

Seek the Lord in difficult times and do the necessary things you need to do, obey His instructions. When you have done all, and there is still no change, it is God working out something in you, all you need to do at that point is to endure and give thanks.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

-James 1:2-4 (kjv)

Many of us do not have patience. If patience is not worked in you, you cannot come into eternal inheritance. This is our conclusion, God is good and His mercies endures forever!