Introduction

Our Lord, with His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem, and as they were on the road, a rich young ruler, who was acquainted with the ministry of Christ, came running to Jesus, knelt before Him, and asked, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? (v17) .

To which our Lord responded, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God (v18).

Our Lord is not saying, "Why do you call me good, only God is good, and I am not God, so don't call Me good." But what He was saying was, "Do you call me good because you recognized that's who I am?" 

The young man had no idea that he was speaking to the Christ, the Son of the living God, and our Lord wants this man to carefully consider who He really is.

So, the Lord was not denying His divine nature but rather, He was affirming it! But this morning, I want us to explore the relevance of the affirmation that God is good. What exactly is the "goodness of God?"

I - Working definition of the goodness of God

We often say things like, "Oh, he's a good man." When we say a person is a good man we mean one of two things: what kind of person he is and what he does for others. We either mean: that man is a holy man, or that man is kind to others.

But when the goodness of God is set before us in the Scriptures, most frequently it is speaking of the second aspect.

A. W. Tozer:

"The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy ... By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people."

The goodness of God is His inclination, His tendency, His fondness to deal well and bountifully with all His creation. He delights in His works and delights in benefiting them. He takes great pleasure in bestowing gifts to all His creation. God's nature is to bless and provide for all creation.

The English word God, comes from the German word for gud which is for good. The name God refers to the divine goodness. The very name of God reminds us that He is good.

II - The importance on knowing the goodness of God

What is God like? It's a question that must be answered if we are going to live the kind of Christian life that glorifies God and live a life that is full of confidence and faith. Our Christianity will be strong or weak depending on our concept of God and His goodness.

What is the first thing that usually happens whenever a dark trial comes into our life? What is the first Satanic accusation that comes into our mind?

Satan will whisper into our spiritual ears and say ...

If God were good, why is thing happening to you? Why did you lose your job? Why did you get sick? Why is your family going through this? Why did you have this financial problem? Why are you having this marital problem? Why do you have family problem? If God is good, why does He allow these things to come into your life? .

Satan tries to tempt us to doubt God's goodness and we need to understand and believe in the goodness of God. So that, when dark hours come into our life, you and I have already settled in the deepest part of our being, that God is good. That even though we do not understand what is going on, God is good and our circumstances do not affect that reality.

When Satan tempted our first parents, he attacked on the goodness of God.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2: And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Do you see what the enemy did? First, he attacked the Word of God by casting doubt upon the validity of God's statement, Yeah hath God said... The next attack was on the character of God.

5: For God doth know ...

It was an attack upon the goodness of God. What Satan was saying is, the reason why God forbids you to eat the fruit of the tree, is because He is withholding something good from you.

Satan will come and say to us, True, God has given you eyes to appreciate the full spectrum of color, he has given taste buds to appreciate the full spectrum of all the things He has given for food, He has given you each other, everything seems to say God is good. But He is not really good because He has made that tree in the midst of the garden a no no because He wants to keep you under His thumb.

He knows that there is something for your good that you can't have unless you eat the fruit of that tree. And it would be good for you to be like God knowing good and evil. It was an attack upon the goodness of God, immersed in a sea of God's goodness they believed the Devil's lie.

What is my prayer and goal this morning?

My prayer is ... . 

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Try and experience it.

This is amazing! God's goodness is something that can be tasted and seen. One of the most amazing things you can ever experience is a true awakening to the goodness of God. Once you are awakened to the goodness of God, it changes you. It changes everything. May we discover how good God really is and His goodness is all around us.

Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. 4: For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. 5: He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Wherever you go, no matter which direction you go, you cannot get away from it, run from it, or hide from it. The goodness of God shall surely follow you.

How do you taste and see that the Lord is good?

By putting the matter to the test of experience. By trusting Him, there is no other way of really knowing how good God is. 

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

God also showers blessings on such as trust in him.

III - Scripture declares the goodness of God

18: And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 

Our Lord is asserting two fundamental truths about God in His response to the rich young ruler.

1. God is good

There is none good but God. This is a clear assertion that God is good.

Here are some scriptures declaring the goodness of God

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. 

Psalm 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

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

Nahum 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. 7: The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

2. Only God is good

18: And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 

Not only is God good but also He alone is good. No one shares this attribute. No one but God possesses this quality or attribute.

We use the word good loosely. We often say things like, Oh that's a good restaurant; or Good job! Good dog! Good boy! But when the word "good" is applied to the character of God, it elevates this virtue to a whole new level! In the absolute sense, only God is good!

a. Only God is essentially good

He is not only good, but goodness itself. The goodness of God and the goodness of man differ, like a pure gold cup differs from a gold-plated cup.

All the goodness there is in any creature has been imparted from the Creator, but God's goodness is underived, for it is the essence of His eternal nature. If there is ever a goodness in you and me, it is because God gave it to us. But with God, it is His essence. He is the foundation of goodness and of everything good—He did not obtain it from another source.

Psalms 16:1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 2: O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

In God there is nothing but goodness; and our goodness extends not to Him.

A Christian is a good person, but his goodness is the work of God in him and through him.

He is the source of good. 

James 1:17 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.

b. Only God is infinitely good

While a creature's goodness is limited according to what has been given to it, there is no limit to the goodness of God.

Psalm 145:7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

The creature's good is but a drop, but in God there is an infinite ocean or gathering together of good.

Zechariah 9:17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids. 

Isaiah 63:7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

God alone is infinitely good, for His goodness is boundless and knows no limits.

Romans 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4: Or despisest thou the riches (wealth) of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5: But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Exodus 34:5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6: And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant (abounding) in goodness and truth, 7: Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Psalm 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. 5: He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

c. Only God is eternally good

Psalm 52:1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

God is good, from eternity to eternity.

James 1:17 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.

d. Only God is immutably good

His goodness is perfect. He is so infinitely good that He cannot do better. "There is no one holy like the Lord." (I Sam. 2:2).

His goodness cannot be diminished or augmented. God is pure, but we are purified. We were once defiled, but God's goodness ever is and ever was in the same fullness.

God is immutably good, from eternity to eternity, for there can be no change in God. Our Lord affirms the truth that God alone is infinitely good.

e. Only God is universally good

Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works (all he has made).

God is good to all, even to those who do not believe in Him and those who hate Him.

Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The LORD is good to all. He has compassion on all He has made. He is no respecter of persons but makes His sun to shine on the evil as well as on the good, and sends His rain on the just and on the unjust. The sun shines as brightly to the unjust as if they were saints, and the rain waters their fields as plentifully as if they were perfect men. Then He allows His enemies to live, He even supplies them with food. Is not this goodness to all?

f. Only God is perpetually good

God is good all the time. God is always merciful and kind. He always does what is best for us. The Bible says in ...

Psalm 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 52:1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

I hope you see now why our Lord said there is none good but God. What He meant was, in the absolute sense, there is none but God who is absolutely good. Only God is essentially, originally, infinitely, eternally, immutably, universally, perpetually good. Only God is good to all, in every way, in every the time.

IV - Closing Thoughts

What does all these say to us? Why does it matter to know all these things? What should the goodness of God do to us?

1. It should lead us to repentance

Why does God continually shows His goodness even to those who despise Him? .

Romans 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

That realizing that He continually showers us with His goodness, we would be led to repentance.

2. It should increase and strengthen our faith

Just like our parents who want nothing but good for their children, our Heavenly Father wants only good for us. 

Romans 8:28 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.

However, we should understand that God's goodness does not mean we are not going to experience trials and hardship in life. Many times good can come disguised as adversity or hardship, but God can use difficulties for our good.

3. It should stir us to praise God

Psalm 107

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

8: Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

As the goodness of God is set before us in the Scriptures, may our hearts run out with intelligent praise to God for His infinite goodness and may we trust Him more and more in our lives, individually and corporately.

Amen!