Understanding the Goodness of God

THE CITY GATE CHURCH

-Welcome to The Sunday Bible Study-

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

MINISTERING: Pst. Oladimeji Elugbadebo

REFERENCE ID: TCGC/SUN-BS-2018-04-08-1

TITLE ID: Understanding the Goodness of God

As children of God, we must have a basic understanding of God's goodness. You need to know that our Father is a good God. You will not journey well without knowing the goodness of God and this is why you need to know both the goodness and severity of God. In my journey with God, I have seen that the goodness and the severity of God are offshoots of the goodness of God. There is a deep aspect of God's nature that we must  know which is that God is good. 

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

- Psalms 107:1 (kjv)

We give thanks out of the revelation of God's goodness. Thanksgiving is a fruit of goodness.  

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

- Psalms 100:5 (kjv)

Anytime you enjoy mercy,  it is because God is good, when you enjoy truth, it is because God is good. God is good, His mercy is everlasting.

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of men!

- Psalms 31:19 (kjv)

Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

- Hosea 3:5 (kjv)

God’s goodness is spread across scriptures. One of the foundations that must be well laid in the heart of a believer is that God is a loving Father, He is good, merciful and kind. You need to understand this because that is what made Him send His only begotten Son to die for us; while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Love is an expression of God's goodness.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

- John 3:16 (kjv)

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

- Ephesians 2:7 (kjv)

God is kind, He is rich in kindness. Think of the best and kindest man on the earth, that is the beginning of God’s kindness. Many of us think of God’s kindness with a poor mindset, we cannot measure God’s kindness. Like we say Bill Gates is rich in assets, God is rich in kindness.

The Basic Importance of God’s Goodness

Many of us got born again and we didn't learn God’s goodness well or didn't take milk well,  so often times, when we hear teachings of the cross, we see God in a certain form (a taskmaster or a boss). The greatest revelation of the God in the New Testament is the revelation of God as a Father. There is a difference between knowing the president as your father and knowing him as a president; these are two different things. God is not just our Creator, He begat us and He is our Father. God is my Father and I am His Son, this is what Jesus brought to us.

1. God's goodness began creation. God began creation because He is good. He did not create for Himself but for us. He created the earth and put man inside; the globe is the property of man. The heavens belong to God but the earth, he has given to the children of men; this is one of the basis of God’s goodness. This shows His perfect desire to see His goodness expressed in creation. Everything that we use on the earth were here on earth before we came. (Psalm 115:16)
2.  

God has made provision for many things before the need arises; when you complain you don't know God and you don't know what he has done. When you think of fatherhood as a man, think of God; father means sustainer.

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

- Genesis 1:31 (kjv)

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

- Genesis 2:18 (kjv)

God’s goodness wants to see man fulfill His will. God created animals in twos so that they can reproduce themselves. So also God wanted to perfect the creation of man and He saw that it was not good for man to be alone.

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

- Genesis 2:19-21 (kjv)

Goodness is found in completion. Anytime God is moving you towards completion it is His goodness. It is His goodness that empowers us to complete whatever we need to complete.

2. God’s goodness is the ultimate expression of His divine attributes

Love is at the heart of God’s goodness, no matter how it may look at the end of the matter, God is always good. No matter what you go through, it must not change your perception that God is good. He cannot change, He is a good God and He has an unchangeable nature.

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

- Romans 2:4 (kjv)

What Ephesians called the riches of His kindness, Romans called the riches of His goodness. If you consider God’s goodness, you will repent. God’s goodness will lead a soul to repentance. When you know his goodness, you will not complain for any reaSon. The plans of a good Father for his children are revealed at seaSons. Anytime you think and reflect on the goodness of God it leads us to repentance. Anytime I change, it is because I am considering God’s goodness, His goodness should make me change.

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

- Psalms 145:9 (kjv)

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

- Psalms 34:8 (kjv)

Your inward man must taste God for He can be tasted. Every senses in your inward man always produce sight; you hear to see and you taste to see. Once you have sight, you will walk right. You are blessed if you can trust God’s goodness.

Many believers started their Christianity with religion even when they got quickened in their spirit. When you start your Christianity with religion, you will not understand God’s goodness.

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

- Exodus 33:19 (kjv)

Mercy and grace are the acts of God’s goodness. When you think goodness, think grace.

3. Goodness and godliness can't be separated, they are mutually inclusive. If you say God is good, it is a product of godliness. Any good that is not a product of godliness is not really good, it will fail you. It is only things that God gives that are good. This is why every believer must wait for God; this includes things in the natural and divine nature. Anything God gives you is good, it is sustained by His energy, if you try to skip process and break a cycle you will shortchange yourself and lose. I will rather wait for God to be the source of everything I do. When you break the cycle of what God is doing, you get into another dimension.

O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

- Psalms 16:2-3 (kjv)

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

- Matthew 19:16-17 (kjv)

No man is good. Jesus always rejects flattery. This does not mean that everything about man is bad; what makes man good are the things of God in man. So you cannot be good if you do not have the things of God. Often times, you are tempted to call some men that are not godly good; any goodness that is not godly can be corrupted by Satan. What makes a man good are God’s things in a him. Man in His fallen state is not good; the only thing that is good in man is God in him.

We should put premium on godliness; I trust godliness in men, I do not trust men. I do not even trust myself, I trust God in me.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

- Psalms 14:1 (kjv)

When we see people that do not like God and we say they are good, they are not good. In our definition of the things of God, many of us still have earthly definitions. You cannot be good if you are not godly.

(Romans 3:9-18)

4. God is the source and originator of all good things and He does not withhold anything good from His children. If you have a mindset that God wants to withhold good things from you, you do not know God or you have a dual understanding of God. God’s nature naturally wants to give you good things. Sometimes, I try to learn God by examining how I relate with my children. Many times I plan to provide things for them even before they ask. If we can do that, how much more God.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
-Matthew 7:11 (kjv)

God always gives the best. Before Jesus came on the scene, no one talked about God as a Father; Jesus was trying to teach us the essential nature of God as a Father. Naturally, God wills that we enjoy good things freely. He wants us to enjoy good things richly, this includes the good things of life.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
- Luke 11:13 (kjv)

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
- 1 Timothy 6:17 (kjv)

All things to enjoy include things that we enjoy here on earth.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
- Psalms 84:11 (kjv)

When you get matured, you see that scriptures have interpretations at all levels of growth. It is religious to see scriptures at the level of divine nature but you do not see it at the level of your needs. Scriptures speak of divine things but it also speaks about things that we need here on earth. This scripture is the same with Matthew 6:33.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- Matthew 6:33 (kjv)

The things I need on earth, God will give. You must be able to believe the scriptures and stand on it. If you cannot start with that, you cannot journey well. If you cannot believe the scripture for the things you need here, how can you believe the scripture for eternal things. The other things Jesus spoke about in verse 33 are our needs here on earth (clothes, food, and house). The kingdom of God has factored everything you need.

There is a sense in which you do not see goodness when you come to natural things but only assess His goodness in relation with spiritual things, but this is not being balanced. God wants us to be comfortable and because I love Him, I am ready to go through all things for Him, even discomfort. However, at certain times, God brings us through a seaSon of comfort. Many times we look for different ways to make our children comfortable, not because we want to spoil them but because we just want them to be comfortable. We should not be too traditional, making a child comfortable is not ‘spoiling’ the child. If you want to know what goodness is, examine God. God gave us gifts from new birth, is that God spoiling us? No!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
- James 1:17 (kjv)

We have interpreted this scripture as Urim and Thummim, but this is also basic, every good gift and perfect gift comes from God.

5. The eternal destiny of man is dependent on how he receives, relates and responds to God’s goodness.

(Romans 3:1-23)

Your eternal destiny is dependent on how you view God’s goodness.

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
- John 5:28-29 (kjv)

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
- Titus 3:3-7 (kjv)

So we must relate with God’s goodness from a good heart. The basics of God’s goodness is the free gift of salvation; we all need salvation, yet we do not need to buy or pay for salvation. When we sinned, we were debtors to sin, we were in debt. Jesus has come to take our debts away.

6. We cannot interpret God’s goodness accurately without knowing God through His Son and having a proper understanding of His will through the scriptures. We must learn to see God’s life and goodness through His divine lenses. At times, there is a paradox to God’s goodness. Sometimes we ask that, if God is good why do our loved ones die? Is God still good? You cannot know the goodness of God unless He helps you to see it. God is good, He always has a better plan. It is not everything I know about God; any preacher that does not accept this is a liar. Even at this, I still trust God because He is good. I believe that when we get to the other side, we will understand many things we did not know clearly. Some of us will even get to stages on earth where God will  raise our judgements and we will see as He sees.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
-Jeremiah 29:11 (kjv)

Whatever you are going through now is not the end of you; your life is on a journey. God that created you has an expected end for you; with that, you need to trust Him. God has plans for us; perfect plans.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
 ‎-1 Chronicles 16:34 (kjv)

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

 -Nahum 1:7 (kjv)

We must learn to trust God at anytime; when you go through things in life that looks disastrous, the first perSon you should call on is God. We need to always be prepared for the evil day, there is something called preparing for the evil day. When you do this, you are building up strength; you have to prepare for storms. When you prepare for storms, you have scriptures in you, such that when troubles comes, the first thing that comes to your heart and what you say is the word of God.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
-Lamentations 3:25 (kjv)

Always learn to wait for the Lord; when you wait for the Lord, you are in faith and in patience. While you are trusting God, Satan will come to tempt you to move you away from faith, he will do this by bringing a counterfeit door. When you trust God, please wait for Him, even when it comes to the natural things. Anything God gives lasts.

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
-Psalm 86:5 (kjv)

The essence and relevance of God’s goodness and how it should affect our attitude

1. God’s goodness is a fundamental attribute to every other attribute of God. Everything about God is good, everything God does and His purposes are good. God will not allow anything that is not good to happen to us.
2.  

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)

The more reaSon why a believer should yield himself to God is for the scriptures to work for him. If you have a Plan B, you have not totally yielded yourself to God. If you have totally yielded yourself to God, this scripture will work for you. If you have truly given yourself to God, this scripture will work for you. All things work together for my good because I love God, even when I do not understand it. There are times that you go through a seaSon of delay in your life and when you move into another seaSon of your life, you gain speed and things begin to work for you. So when you are going through denial or delay at a time, know that God is good and He has a plan for you. Joseph’s brother sold him as a slave but that act drew him closer to his destiny. Joseph knew his destination but he did not know the process. When Joseph’s brothers hated him, it was part of the process, he had to know and go through what it means to be hated. Many times you cannot comprehend things around your life but that's how God works.

When you think of your natural family, God did not make any mistakes , it is divine.

Interpretation of Tongues

I am giving you keys to unlock certain deep secrets about my nature, the nature of my goodness and ultimate purpose for you. Before you were formed I knew you, your paths were ordered even before you were born, I have ordained your path in the Spirit, I have ordered your steps before your conception. I have ordered your step, I am still ordering your steps. My plan towards you are good, to bring you to a future and an expected end, I bring you to that end as you follow this path.

When Joseph eventually got united with his brother and they were sorry, he told them that God knew all and sent him ahead of them.

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
-2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (kjv)

Paul was going through a situation and he prayed that God will take it away but God told him that His grace is sufficient for him. At such point, God wants you to be weak so that His strength will be made manifest in you. At times, we go through situations so that God will humble us. Paul was not glorying in his strength but in his infirmities, the power of Christ does not rest on those that glory in their strength.

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
-Genesis 50:20 (kjv)

God has ordered your steps, He has not made any mistake. Even your mistake was already factored in as part of the process, as long as it will bring you to salvation. May God teach us how to interpret the issues of our life through His divine lens.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
-Psalms 37:23 (kjv)

My steps are ordered. It's not by mistake that I am a Nigerian and I am not hustling to be a Nigerian. I am glad that I am a Nigerian. My steps are ordered because God is with me and His mercies endure forever.

Prayer: God open my eyes to see and know your goodness.