Created For Good Works Series

Knowing God Series #12

“Channeling God’s Goodness”

Created to be good and do good

Review

I. The nature of God

II. The Attributes of God

A. God is infinitely GREAT in His ability / capacity

B. God is infinitely and perfectly PURE in His morality and judgments

C. God is infinitely GOOD in His relationships

An infinitely great and pure God would be terrifying if not for the fact that God is also good.

God interacts with His creatures out of His goodness.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6

God’s goodness is like a prism that breaks into a multitude of colors when his glory hits it.

His goodness manifests in His love, mercy, grace, longsuffering, forgiveness, faithfulness, kindness and gentleness. Just as God expects and enables His children to reflect many of His attributes of greatness and purity in a dark world, He expects and enables us to reflect His goodness in a dark selfish world.

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

The Concept

Goodness describes a propensity or inclination to act beneficially toward others apart from merit on their part or without ulterior motives on our part. Our benevolent action, like God’s, flow from a “good” nature or core and may manifest in specific ways such as grace, forgiveness or kindness. A heart transformed by God is a heart designed to be good and do good as God is good.

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Goodness is a product of a good heart.

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:11-14

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29

What does that look like? What does it mean to be conformed to the image of His Son? We have previously understood that we are to be like Him in righteousness. We are also to be holy as He is holy. Certainly it would follow that we would be like Him in goodness. We share His passion to express benevolence and compassion to others. Goodness is our present nature and our future destiny. So much so, that if goodness is absent, conversion is suspect.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. 3 John 1:11

We live in a self-focused culture that cares only about self-interest. The numbers of passages that call for us to channel God’s goodness to others are astounding. The New Testament especially issues a higher calling to love as Jesus loves. The behavior of God’s kids can be the greatest tool to draw people to Jesus. It can also be the greatest hindrance to people considering Christianity. Paul lived an amazingly selfless life and called all followers of Jesus Christ to do the same. God uses a godly life lived by the followers of Jesus to impact a dark world.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. Philippians 2:12-18