God Is Good!

What is meant by God being good?  the phrase "God is good all the time..." is too simplistic and is open to interpretation and misunderstanding.  Does this mean He is incapable of being anything but good?  God is good is only part of the story and description of His nature.  Romans 11:22, KJV, says to "behold the goodness and severity of God...."   "Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity..." (HCSB). There are multiple criteria for determining goodness! He is able to withhold His goodness. We believe that we shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (cf. Psalm 27:13).

All of us have eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil--it's in contrast to evil that we behold good.   Being good can be interpreted in many ways, for it's one of those words that is relative to what it describes:  a good dog is merely one who is housebroken and does tricks,  not a virtuous one! Sometimes we say we are having a good day!  A good mother can always be counted on in times of need and to love you no matter what!   A good housekeeper is one who keeps the house in order, relatively.  A good movie may be entertaining and worth the investment.  Do you see my drift?

NB:  Something cannot be good without something to compare it to--a perfect standard; everything is good compared to an evil standard!  That's why it's only in contrast to evil that we comprehend good and the knowledge of the two come in a package (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and we all see ourselves as good compared to Hitler, but the standard of good is Jesus, and compared to Him, we all fall short.

When God created the earth He said that it was all very good, and then rested!  Man was created good, not perfect--if he were perfect, God would be creating another God.  Now, good doesn't necessarily mean perfect--wouldn't you rather get a perfect score on a paper than a good one, which may just be mediocre?  If the earth was perfect at creation, it couldn't have been made corrupt or vulnerable to change.  When God's nature is defined in terms of goodness, it's relative to Him and Jesus said that only God is good in this respect--no matter how good we think we are.

God is perfect needing no improvement and incapable of losing any perfections.  God's goodness is the standard, for even Plato called God the Supreme Good and we would not know good except for Him.  After all, where did this idea come from, except from God?  Every rating, criticism, or standard must be weighed against a perfect standard to make any sense!  In other words, it's only because of a Supreme Good that we can measure or assess any good at all. Even people compare themselves with themselves and congratulate themselves when they feel superior or holier---they like the "let's compare game."

Now, God is good for a reason!  The goodness of God is meant to lead us to repentance according to Romans 2:4.  But in reality, God is more than good--He's perfect, in that His goodness cannot be improved upon and cannot diminish!  It goes back to the old philosophical axiom that "whatever is, is!"  If God were to change or if He weren't immutable, He wouldn't be perfect, but vulnerable like His creatures,.  God's goodness is that standard by which we see all good!

On the other hand, we must never accuse God of being vindictive, mean, cruel, imperfect, less than divine in any way, because God is good and He invites us to find out for ourselves!  That's why He says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" in Psalm 34:8.   A full comprehension of God's goodness is comprehended with an awareness of our depravity!

We don't just have to assume it or take it by faith, but have the opportunity to find out by giving God a chance to prove it to us.  You could say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating,  Those of us who know the Lord know that His goodness is far more than we can imagine or think--it blows our minds as to how and why He can or is so good--He doesn't know how to be bad, you could say; and yet we are bad inherently or basically by nature--just the opposite.  Man used to be inclined to good before the Fall and now he's inclined by nature, by choice, and by birth, to be evil or bad and in need of someone to be good to us as ambassadors of goodwill!  Grace is goodness in action and the way God reveals it to us in salvation:  we don't deserve it, we cannot pay it back, we cannot earn it, and we cannot even add to it!   

One mystery we must meditate on in awe is not that God is good to His children, but why is He good to all, even the bad--He's good to some people in all ways (cf. Psalm 145:9) but God is good to all in some ways--no one will be able to deny His goodness in the end.  It is by grace, realizing our unworthiness, that we understand God's goodness to us in His provision and blessings.  As Joseph told his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (cf. Gen. 50:20).      Soli Deo Gloria!