God is the source and perfection of all good (2 Thess 1:11; see (Psalm 23:6; 68:10; 73:1; 119:65; 145:9; Lam 3:25; Luke 6:35; Rom 2:4; 11:22; Eph 2:7; Titus 3:4)). His goodness is the foundation of Scripture and is praised in the Psalms (25:8; 34:8; 86:5; 100:5; 118:1; 136:1; 145:9). Jesus affirms the His goodness when speaking to the rich young ruler (Matt 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). The Bible declares to all humankind, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!"' (1 Peter 2:3; also Psalm 34:8)
The Old Testament's primary words for good/goodness come from the Hebrew word ‘towb,’ which means pleasant, agreeable. In the Old Testament, God's goodness towards His people and their goodness in response is based on the covenant between them. God's appeals to His people to return to the covenant relationship finds expression in a call to simple goodness (Micah 6:6-8).
Human goodness is modeled on divine goodness, which involves proper behavior that expresses itself in kindness and other praiseworthy qualities, includes avoiding evil (Matt 5:48). When people are good, they behave decently toward each other as a result of God's goodness towards them. The general biblical words for "good/goodness" include this idea of right behavior. However, the idea is often expressed by means of a more specific term like ‘upright/uprightness’ or ‘righteous/righteousness.’
The Light of the World
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12 ESV)
When Jesus declared He was the light of the world, He was also proclaiming that He was the Creator God of the universe and that only in Him is found all perfection, holiness, truth, peace, goodness, blessing, joy, and eternal life!
Jesus created the sun, moon, sky, earth, oceans, creatures, and us! Within the known universe, all things are held together by the power of light. It was essential to create these things since His design requires the force of light to bind particles together. Jesus proclaimed that He is the Creator and sustainer of every sun in the entire universe and everything in existence, including the cellular structure of the human body.
"Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw the light was good." (Gen 1:3-4 NLT)
In Quantum Physics, the force that holds the quanta particles, atoms, and molecules together is light. Light keeps electrons tied to the nuclei of atoms and atoms bound together to make molecules and objects. All forms of matter are made up of solidified light.
Everything depends on Jesus for moment-by-moment preservation. Through Him, every human physically can "live, and move, and have (their) being" (Acts 17:27-28 NIV). Without Him, every created thing would cease to exist.
Because Jesus is light, He lives in “unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see" (1 Tim 6:15-16). He even “wraps Himself in light as with a garment" (Psalm 104:2 NIV). Light is the place where safety and security are found and is a symbol of God’s grace. The Bible says that:
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17 NIV).
Let’s unpack this verse
V17 “Every” (Gk: pas = each and every part(s) in totality)
- “good” (Gk: agathos = intrinsically good and honorable because it originates from God)
- “gift” (Gk: dosis = the act of giving a gift)
- “perfect” (Gk: teleios = having reached its end, consummated, complete by fulfilling the necessary process)
- “gift” (Gk: dóréma = a bestowment, to present as a gift or honor; to confer an award)
- “from above” (Gk: anóthen = from a higher place, from the beginning, from Heaven)
- “coming down” (Gk: katabainó = to go down, descend, sent down)
- “Father” (Gk: patér = originator, imparter of life)
- “of lights” (Gk: phós = brilliant illuminating light) [where the word ‘phosphorous’ comes from]
- “variation” (Gk: parallagé = change, fickleness, variableness)
- “shifting” (Gk: trope = turning, change, mutation)
- “shadow” (Gk: aposkiasma = a shadow / obscuration created by turning)
The verse tells us that God’s intention, motivation, and action in giving to us is always good because He is love and only wants the best for us! Every completed gift will always be good. Sometimes we don’t see the goodness of God in our lives because we don’t see the completed gift – just see a part of it.
Verse revised: “Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of shifting.” (BLB)
In the promised future New Jerusalem, the inhabitants who serve God will never need the Sun for its light because;
"the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Rev 21:23 NIV)
"The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end." (Isa 60:19-20 NIV)
God is the Father of Lights. He is the One who gave birth to every sparkling star in the entire universe. He grouped those stars into their constellations. He assigned their individual brightness. He framed the physical laws of the universe that keep those stars in their courses. Every good thing in this world comes from God. If it’s not good, it doesn’t come from Him
“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:9-11 ESV)
The Merciful Goodness of God
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4 ESV)
Let’s unpack the verse:
“presume” (Gk: kataphroneó = to think little of, contempt, looking down on someone, despise, scorn)
“riches” (Gk: ploutos = wealth, fullness, abundance)
“kindness” (Gk: chréstotés = moral integrity/excellence, gentleness, goodness)
“forbearance” (Gk: anoché = delaying, tolerance, holding back)
“patience” (Gk: makrothumia = long-passion/long-tempered)
“not knowing” (Gk: agnoeó = to be ignorant willfully, not understand)
“kindness” (Gk: chréstos = useful, goodness, kindness, benevolent, virtuous, gracious)
“lead” (Gk: agó = to lead, guide, direct)
“repentance” (Gk: metanoia = a change of mind, to cause to genuinely repent of wrongdoing
Verse Revised: “Or, the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering are you treating with contempt, being ignorant that the merciful goodness of God is leading you to repentance?" (Wuest)
God is the omnipotent Creator of all things, He knows you personally and everything about you, yet He still loves you anyway! Because of the death of Jesus on the Cross, He forgave all your sins - past, present, and future! He is immutable. He never varies. There is no shadow of turning with Him - He does not change (Mal 3:6). That means He will always be good because His character will never change! God is good because His gifts are good.
The gift of salvation found only in Jesus is the ultimate expression and highest example of God’s goodness (1 Cor 15:3-4). When a person hears the Gospel message and places their trust in Jesus, He places them into a new life! He has shown His goodness by placing them into His eternal family and promised to never leave or forsake (i.e., divorce) them (Heb 13:5).
God Works for the Good
The Psalmist declares that goodness and mercy will pursue a person all the days of their life and that if they delight in the Lord, He will give them the desires of their heart (See Psalm 23:6, 37:4).
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3 NIV)
CS Lewis said that “If a thing is free to be good, it is also free to be bad. Free will is what has made evil possible.
Q: Why, then, did God give them free will?
A: Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.
The Bible declares that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28 NIV). Historically, this verse has been used to teach that every situation, no matter how terrible, will turn out “good” if a person loves God. The verse says in the full meaning of the Greek text that God enters INTO every life circumstance to come alongside us and work it out for our best no matter what has happened. That doesn’t mean or remotely insinuate that He will supernaturally change the circumstances or the outcome the way we want it to be.
The context of the verse is the fallen world, and that the world as a whole is subject to the bondage of corruption (Rom 8:21). This bondage is so widespread the whole world is groaning in pain, the Born-Again Christian groans in pain, and even the Holy Spirit groans in pain (Rom 8:22-23,26). The groaning in this context is worldwide and appears to cover all of creation itself.
Both the Bible and life show us that everything does not always work for good for those who love God. God wants everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved. He wants people to obey and love Him, but not all people will. It is clear that things do not work together for good for God either.
God cannot make everything that happens good, but in every situation, He works for the good of those who love Him by His sovereign power, just as He chose to enter into the world as human flesh in the person of Jesus. God’s great promise is that He will enter into every life circumstance and put forth His sovereign power on behalf of every Born-Again Christian and work together with them to produce what He knows to be the very best possible for them because He is a good God and only wants the best for them.
God does not create horrible circumstances so that He can provide ‘opportunities’ to prove He is faithful or so that people can prove they trust Him during hard or trying times or to grow spiritually! Nor does He use or allow suffering as ‘loving’ correction of His children. He does not ‘cause’ or ‘allow’ bad things to happen so that He can test or try one's faith to make them a ‘better’ or ‘stronger’ person or to discipline or punish them.
The word “allow” is defined as “to forbear or neglect to restrain or prevent.” God desires only the best for His people, whom He calls His Bride because He is head over heels in love with her (Rev 21:9)! He desires to pour out (not restrain!) blessing upon blessing to those who trust Him with their entire being. He will never neglect His Bride or prevent her from experiencing deep intimacy when she cries out in desperate longing for more of Him. He has blessed her with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3). He only gives her gifts that are good and perfect (James 1:17). Pain, suffering, sickness, disease, accidents, and tragedy are diametrically opposed to good and perfect.
The Goodness of God’s Teaching, Training, and Discipline
The heavenly Father knows each person intimately.
"Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matt 10:30 ESV)
God only desires what is in our best interest. Because He is love, He disciplines His children. Many believe that means He ‘punishes,’ or ‘scolds’ or ‘spanks’ using severe means for the best eternal interests of the Born-Again Christian. I had a pastor tell me that God caused his wife to fall off her mountain bike as punishment because she was angry and would not "submit" to him. It is clear from Scripture that God had absolutely nothing to do with what happened because it was contrary to the goodness of His character and nature. If we were accused of doing to our children what we accuse God of doing to His, we would be arrested and locked up for child abuse!
“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Heb 12:6 ESV)
The word translated “chastises”’ is the Greek word ‘mastigóo’ and means to “whip, flog (scourge) a victim strapped to a pole or frame." Sin indeed has consequences, even when a person repents and receives God's forgiveness for those sins. However, the book of Hebrews was written to Jews who thought that somehow they were exempt from suffering, which gave them a good reason to doubt their faith. Throughout the book of Hebrews, the divine principle is revealed that discipline is evidence of being a child of God. Earthly fathers discipline their children because they love them. As with any healthy and good parent, when God chastens or disciplines, it is evidence of His love (See also Prov 3:11-12; 2 Sam 12:13-14).
There are no passages found in the Bible that emphatically state that God (or any loving father in or out of the Bible) teaches and disciplines by intentionally tying His children (aka His Bride) to a pole to whip, flog, beat, lash, flagellate or flail, to oppress, afflict, plague, torment, torture, curse, or cause sickness, disease and or suffering to teach and discipline those He loves as tools of discipline.
The root word in discipline is ‘disciple.’ A disciple is a student. Discipline primarily refers to educating and training. When God ‘corrects,’ it is predominantly to redirect one's path by making course corrections as they travel on the road of salvation. Sometimes it can even be a complete paradigm shift.
The Bible says that Christians are not to:
“make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” (Heb 12:7-11 NIV)
The word “discipline” comes from the Greek word ‘paideuo.’ The primary meaning is tutoring, educating, training, or nurturing. The fundamental context of the Hebrews passages is that God is a GOOD and LOVING Father who educates and trains His children by nurturing them in love. The Bible admonishes earthly fathers not to provoke their “children to wrath but bring them up” (nourish them) in the nurture” (Gk: paideia) “and admonition” (mild reproof) of the Lord” (Eph 6:4). God does not use harsh or extreme corporal punishment as a way to discipline His Bride.
The multiple passages in the book of Hebrews are teaching that God’s principal way of disciplining is by not supernaturally intervening on a person’s behalf when they step over into darkness by walking in pride and refusing to learn or rejecting His training. They initiate their discipline by opening up windows of opportunity for the enemy to gain strongholds. God is ready and waiting to supernaturally pull the person out of the darkness the instant they repent. The chief teacher and trainer of every child of God is the Holy Spirit, not sickness, suffering, pain, or disease (Luke 12:12, John 14:26).
CONCLUSION - Do Not be Deceived!
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren….” (James 1:16 ESV)
The word “deceived” means to be led astray. The Bible implores us to not let circumstances - the trials and temptations of this life - cause us to be deceived or led astray or to question God’s goodness.
Throughout my life, there have been endless trials and heartbreak. My late wife suffered horribly for 36 years from a debilitating disease until it stopped the moment she graduated from this life. It caused me to question everything I was taught about faith, healing, and the goodness of God. One year in particular, when a series of cataclysmic events came one after another, God ambushed me with His love, captured my heart and took my breath away like a person caught in the crashing of waves on the seashore. As I was tossing and turning in His endless waves of love hurtling down on me, I gasped for more of Him, and He delivered! I have never questioned His love and goodness since.
When Moses was chosen by God to lead Israel out of Egypt and into the promised land, he was
fearful and unsure. He said to God, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." (Ex 33:14-18 NIV)
To His surprise, God said to Moses He would show him His glory, "I will make all my GOODNESS pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The Lord.' And I will be GRACIOUS to whom I will be gracious, and will show MERCY on whom I will show mercy" (Ex 33:19-20 NIV). God revealed that His magnificent and beautiful glory is His goodness and mercy! God is good and merciful ALL the time!
Beloved - remember this: light and darkness can’t dwell in the same place together (2 Cor 6:14). God is light and the Father of lights (1 John 1:5; James 1:17). He "wraps Himself in light as with a garment" (Psalm 104:2a). His light is so brilliant that no darkness of evil can diffuse or penetrate it. LIGHT is His shadow!
God is good because His gifts are good, His character is changeless, and His salvation is secure!
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7 ESV)
