Goodness

The Attributes That Are True of God and (in a limited way):

Goodness

Goodness means the perfection of God which prompts Him to deal bountifully and kindly with all of His creatures (Ps. 145:9; Matt. 19:17; Rom. 11:22).

There are at least five divisions of the attribute of goodness they are benevolence, mercy, longsuffering, and love, and grace. These attributes of the thrice holy God, all seem to be glossed over, under taught, misapplied, and/or ignored completly. On the other hand when any atribute of God is over emphasized it can lead to a deformed view of God and extreemism/s. I have tried to maintain a biblical balance in and throughout this presentation of God's atributes and God's goodness is no exception. Here are the five aspects of goodness.

1. Benevolence
Benevolence is God's disposition to promote happiness. It is goodness in its generic sense embracing all of His creatures. The affection that God feels and manifests toward His creatures.

Scripture
Job 38:41; Ps. 36:6; 104:21; 145:15-16; Matt. 5:45.

Application
We need to do good to all men in general but especially to those who are members of the household of faith (Gal. 6: 9-10).

2. Mercy
Mercy is God's goodness exercised on behalf of the needs of others. It refers to kindness which is exercised. It includes compassion. It is goodness manifested to those in misery and distress.

There are four brief points to be understood about the exercise of divine mercy:

It is optional, God does not have to, but He chooses to (Ro. 9:14-18)

God is merciful to those who put their trust in Him (2Cor. 1:3-4; Heb. 4:16).

When an individual sinner is called and saved it is the exercise of His mercy (1Tim. 1:13). All should be thankful for this!

His mercy will be manifested in a special way at Israel's national restoration (Is. 54:7).

Scripture
Deut. 5:10; 1Chro. 16:34; Ps. 57:10; 86:5; 36:1-26; Is. 55:7; Luke 1:54, 72, 78; Ro. 11:30-31; 15:9; Eph. 2:4; James 5:11; 1Pet. 1:3.

Application
We too need to be merciful toward others.

3. Longsuffering
Longsuffering means God bears with evil and delays judgment (Ex. 34:6-7; Ps. 86:15).

Scripture
Ro. 2:4; 9:22; 1Pet. 3:26; 2Pet. 3:15.

Application
We are to bear with others the same way by the exercise of patient endurance, and longsuffering.

4. Love
Love means God is moved to self communication. God always seeks the highest good that of displaying His own glory. Love is that which seeks good for the object loved. Good equals the will of God. That which seeks the will of God in the object loved is the true evidence of love. Love also includes His voluntary affection not mere emotional impulse. Love is the very nature of God, the very structure of His being (1Jo. 4:8,16).

Objects of God's love.

God the Father loves God the Son (Mat. 3:17; Jo. 17:24).

God loves the world (Jo. 3:16; Ro. 5:8; 1Jo. 3:16).

God loves Israel (Deut. 7:7-8; Jer. 31:3; Ezekiel 16:8; Hos. 11:1). These verses should be taken as literal, national Israel not some misapplied figurative Israel some presume to be the church. The church is not in view in these verses.

God loves believers (Jo. 16:27; 17:23; 1Jo. 4:19)

Other Scriptures concerning the love of God include: Ps. 11:7, He loves righteousness. Is. 61:8, He loves justice. 2Cor. 13:11, He is the God of love.

Application
From this facet of God's goodness we should include the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Ro. 8:35-39) for this reason we should also love the brethren (Gal. 5:26).

5. Grace
Grace is love that is exercised to the unworthy, this includes you and me, we are all unworthy of God's love. Grace is God's goodness manifested toward the undeserved, this also includes you and me we none of us deserve God's goodness. Grace is God's free actions on behalf of the unmerited, this once again includes you and me none of us can preform well enough to merit God's benifits to us. (cf. Titus 3:4-7)

Here are seven biblical areas of God's grace:

1. Salvation is a product of God's grace (Acts 18: 27; Eph. 2: 7-9; Titus 2: 11).

2. Election is the result of God's grace (Eph. 1: 4-6).

3. Redemption is the riches of God's grace (Eph. 1: 7-8).

4. Sanctification is the fruit of God's grace (Rom. 5: 21).

5. Preservation is God's grace perfecting His strength in our weakness (2Cor. 12: 9).

6. Service is the overflow of god's grace (Heb. 12: 28).

7. Grace is the result in that final presentation in (1Pet.1: 13).

Scripture:
Ephesians 2:8-10

Aplication:
Just as God has demonstrated His grace to us we should be gracious to one another; in our homes, in our churches, and in the world those we like and those we don't like, the lovable and the unlovable.

This concludes God's attribute of goodness. We have one more attribute to cover before I bring this segment to an end it is God's attribute of truth. See you next time.

Stay bright,
Brother John