Our God is Good (Part 4)

But this is one of those which is this inclination of God to be good is one of the reasons that reject the primary doctrines of Calvinism. Is because Calvinism requires that God is not good toward basically the bat massive humanity that He hasn’t chosen to salvation. But the Bible describes God as good to all. In fact, we’re gonna see it today that God is good to all and so at that point, sometimes those that who hold to Calvinism will will split when pressure is put on a particular question on in this case, the goodness of God, you put pressure on it, it’s like a cell that divides and it becomes one kind of good and another kind of good.

Good for salvation, but yeah, not good for salvation and and that’s that’s and it happens it happens with grace, it happens with love, and a lot of other attributes of god but the scriptures don’t divide it up neatly like that. The scriptures just describe god as good and the truth is that that mankind absolutely rejects god’s goodness even the goodness of god as we’ll see today that is directly related to salvation, to the gospel and but god does indeed show it because and here’s why it’s so important because this is god’s nature and that’s what we saw last week in Luke chapter six verse 27 through 36 is that god is god is good and that goodness is not dependent upon man’s worthiness. Man indeed is not worthy. He is not worthy.

And so if god is good to man who is not worthy and has has and cannot earn goodness, then that means the goodness must come from where? It must come from God’s own nature, from God’s heart, okay? And so that’s where we are. Now in Psalm 21 verse number three, if you’ll turn there and we will begin there, kind of as a leave that as kind of a segue. So Psalm 21 verse number three.

Let me get there myself. That’s not right. Oh, yeah, there it is. I was looking at the wrong verse. Alright. Let’s start in verse one. The king shall joy in thy strength, oh lord, and in thy salvation, how greatly shall he rejoice. Thou has given him his heart’s desire and has not withholden the request of his lips. Thou, now notice this word, but thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness.

Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. It’s kind of a random verse, thou preventest for thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness. So the the beginning, the first part of verse number three is talking about the blessings of goodness. God’s goodness shown to us. Okay? And it’s specifically referring to the king, but by extension to us as well. And it says the blessings of goodness that those prevent us. Now when we think of the word prevent, we think of it’s a hindrance, right? You prevent someone from coming into your house when they’re unwelcome or you, you know, something like that. You prevent someone from from doing a thing you don’t want them to do. But in this case, the word prevent, especially the older meaning of the word prevent just means to go before, to precede, if that makes sense. And so what this says in verse number three is, for thou preventest or precedest him with the blessings of goodness. Everybody see that?

I know it’s not not it’s kind of an unfamiliar way we the word the definition of prevent. But here’s what that means. It means that the blessings of goodness come first.

Do you see that? The blessings of goodness are first. I wanna tell you and I mentioned this last week, I’ll repeat it and we’ll move on. This world views God as basically transactional. I do good things, I do the things God tells me to do and God in return will give me good things, will give me goodness and blessing. And whereas partial truth in that, God does bless obedience and that’s a partial truth, but it is not wholly true because God’s goodness prevents us, that is it goes before anything that we do.

We’re gonna see that, that’s gonna be our focus today. It goes before, it prevents us. And so this is our segue into this section related to the gospel, the goodness of God related to the gospel. Now in Luke six verse number Luke six verse number 27, if you’ll go ahead and go there, I wanna review that really quick before we move to the next verse, Luke chapter six verse 27 that we looked at last week.

Luke six verse 27. Of course, you’re familiar with this. Jesus said in verse 27, but I say unto you, which here, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, and we go on down to verse number verse 31, and as you would, you would, that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise. Now, here, now, notice verse 32 because you see, you see a dichotomy. You see, you see the way of man and the way of god in these three verses starting in verse number 32.

For if you love them, which love you, what thank have you? For sinners also love those that love them. Okay, next next verse 33, and if you do good, there’s our our theme, to them which do good to you, what thank have you? For sinners also do even the same. And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you? For sinners also lend to sinners and receive as much again. So, look at verse 32 again. These three kinda go together as a triplet.

In verse number 32, I want to ask you a question. The in the example the lord gives of the sinner who loves those that love Him. Okay, so what do you have in that verse? Now really try to focus on the sinner. What is the sinner doing? The sinner is loving another. You see that in verse 32? The just to just to reiterate this, for sinners also love those. You so, the sinner is actually actually loving another person.

But why? No. No. It’s not because they expect something in return. Although, I can understand why we’d say that. It’s because they received something first. It says, for sinners also love those that love them. So the other person, the reason why the sinner loves that person is because that person loved him first. And so his love is transactional. He loved me so I’m gonna love him. That’s where you get in verse thirty three and thirty four also say the same thing. He did a good thing to me so I will do a good thing to him.

And this gives us a principle. You see like in Romans chapter three, the Bible says that there is none that doeth good, no not one, right? And the description of the sinfulness of humanity that’s in Romans three that we’re familiar with, you see there’s nothing to do with good to go not one, but we know not one. But we know that we see men do acts of goodness, do we not?

We see men do acts of goodness. But the principle we see here kind of blending with that is that when a sinner does good, it is because one of two things, either he knows he’s gonna get something in return or he’s doing it, he’s doing it because some good was done to him first. He’s doing it in response.

You see that? Now that’s an important truth. That’s that’s an important truth. You see, in these verses, we see that If the sinner does it, does what he does in response to good done to him, that is unlike God. That is not the way God, that’s not the way God operates. If God were only to do us good as a response to the good that we do him, then he would wait forever to do us good, yeah?

Reputation and acclaim. This why the Lord doesn’t accept good deeds because they’re always tainted. They’re tainted with sin. In Cambodia, you you would go by all these pagodas, which is basically like a temple complex, and they have the walls around them, not just around them, but all throughout all the buildings, all the statues, all everything inside, outside, and you go around them, I’m not sure if it’s this similar way in Vietnam, but in Cambodia, all the walls will have names inscribed all around them, every building, every statue, every single, every anything that’s built, anything that had to be paid for had a person’s name etched into it with a dollar amount beside their name.

Because that’s a permanent way for your name to be attached to the goodness that you’ve done. And so someone could always go and say, see I did this right here, see they put it there. And that’s kind of like what Jesus is describing. He’s describing proclaiming and that’s another reason that people do good things, which is sort of like what the, it’s sort of like the original first reason, which is I do this good thing because of a good thing I’m getting a return. In this case, it is the acclaim or the notoriety that comes from doing it.

But in Luke in Luke chapter six, we see that the Lord does not do it in that the Lord does not do it in that way. So let’s go to Titus three and this will become more clear I think. Titus chapter three.

Titus chapter three. Titus chapter three, verse number Let’s start in verse number three. Titus chapter three, verse three. It says this, For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. Now, when you read this, when you read verse number three, you really ought to just pause a minute and ask yourself this, is verse number three a description of me before I knew Christ?

Right. Is verse number three a description of me before I knew Christ? Now, I know you know the answer should be yes. But here it goes back to what we were talking about in on a Wednesday which is being poor and needy which is but do I really believe it? This was me. This was me. You know, it has less to do with the way we actually lived and more to do with the way we view the way we actually live before Christ. It has more to do with our view rather than because the Lord is telling us this is the way we were.

No matter how it manifested itself and to what degree or whatnot, this is the way we were. Now notice that though, notice that verse number three because in verse four, so verse three gives a very kind of unhappy, a very unpleasant description of mankind, right? You see that? Verse four, but after that the kindness, there’s our word, and love of God our savior toward man appeared. So let me ask you a question.

Was the kindness, well first of all in verse number four, the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared. That means that it was manifested, but it existed prior. And and we know it existed because we’re we just read Psalm 21 where it talks about thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness. And we’re Psalm, you look at Psalm 145 describes it. Maybe we’ll see that a little bit later. Psalm 107, oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men, repeated over and over in the stanzas, right? And so we know in the Old Testament that God is good, it says that over and over. But in verse number four, says that the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared.

It was manifested. It was demonstrated. So it existed and at the proper time God revealed it and demonstrated it. Of course, we’re talking about the gospel. Okay. But when you look at verse three, what do you see in the description of man? Is this a flattering description of man or is this an unflattering description of man? It’s definitely unflattering. So which came first?

Man’s goodness or God’s goodness? God’s goodness. We see that God’s goodness appeared to man even though man had no goodness. So God’s goodness was not in response to man’s goodness at all, rather the opposite. Man was in a bad place, man was away from God, man was displeasing to God and all of the things we read in verse number three. And yet, even still God’s goodness was there and then was manifested, was made to appear. So that tells us that God’s goodness was not a response to man’s goodness, but it came out of God’s own nature.

And so, we can say it like this, and of course if you keep reading, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior, that being justified by grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So that’s that’s the full kind of fruition, the full appearance of the goodness of god but here’s I want you to see, just like we saw in Luke with the sinner, the sinner does good because he’s doing it because somebody did good to him but who did good to god?

Nobody did good to god. In fact, rather the opposite. That’s what verse three proves and yet that had no effect upon god’s goodness. He still manifested His goodness. So this is a characteristic of God’s good nature. He doesn’t do it in response, but He is the originator of goodness.

This is the source of the Gospel. The Gospel message, the Gospel truth, the Gospel story from the very beginning originated with God in kind disposition toward mankind. He didn’t, in Genesis chapter three, he didn’t have to promise a Redeemer that would bruise the head of the serpent. He didn’t have to promise that, that came to, nobody was asking for a Redeemer. It’s not like Adam and Eve were like, okay, we messed up Lord, will you save us now? Will you forgive us? Will you do this? No. Will you send a Redeemer to No, they didn’t ask for it, but God’s own goodness prompted that.

And that was long before there was any goodness in man, which we know there wasn’t. Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness. So, let’s look at a few other verses.

Look at Psalm 145, Verse eight. Psalm 145 verse eight. Psalm 45 is just a really good chapter on the goodness of God, a really good Psalm here. Psalm 145 verse eight, The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy. The Lord is good, what does it say? To all.

Lord is good to all. Now I’m gonna circle back to the doctrines of Calvinism right here, just pause a second. Calvinism teaches that election means that God chose before He made the world, He chose who would be saved and who would not be saved, okay?

Every time you have a conversation with somebody who believes these doctrines they’ll say, oh you’re just misrepresenting it. Well this is what it means, okay? To put it bluntly, this is this is the the doctrine. Now, here’s the issue.

Now, we know that for for those who god has chosen, that that that’s goodness, right? God showing his goodness but this verse says, god is good to all. Amen. Well, it’s okay. Well, but yeah, he he is good to all and he’s kind to all but he’s just not good in the in the salvific sense, in the sense of salvation.

If I had a cure for a disease that you had, a terminal deadly disease, and I had a cure for it and you were also hungry, like you wanted a hamburger, right, you were just hungry in that moment. And I gave you a hamburger, I’m showing you goodness, right? But if I gave you a hamburger while also withholding the provision for the greater problem that you have, What does that say about my goodness with the hamburger?

You see what I’m saying? This is why the idea of the fact that Christ died for all men, which was a mark of God’s goodness, we just saw it in Titus. This is why this is why the goodness of God can’t be split up like that, which is salvific goodness and prevenient goodness, you know, as sometimes they call it. This is why it can’t be divided up because if God is good, if God is good to all these people that he’s that he has chosen to send to the lake of fire for all of eternity, even before they had done good or evil, okay? But then he’s chosen some that he’s gonna do good to save them, it raises questions about God’s goodness in the first place. But the and and listen, I know I’m speaking as a matter of logic. Okay, I understand that. This is a logical system. I get it.

But the verse says, the Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works. Do you see that? Amen. So if if god’s goodness is not extended to people in the greatest need that they have but it’s extended into lesser things like rain and food and temporal things. I don’t know that that’s consistent with this verse.

The truth is that the goodness of God is extended to all, even in the matter of salvation. And that’s actually exactly what Titus chapter three says. It says that the goodness, the kindness and love of God toward man appeared.

Look if you would at Joel two. And someone might say, to whom it is due, mankind is not due goodness, but he never was because goodness, the goodness of God precedes any anything that’s due to man, you understand? So that’s the response and then the counter response as well. Joel chapter two, look at verse number 13, the Bible says this, and rend your heart, God’s speaking to Israel now, and rend your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Great kindness. Look at Jonah. Joel Amos Obadiah, Jonah. Jonah chapter four. Jonah in the last chapter says this, and he prayed unto the Lord and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore, I fled before unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou art a gracious god and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil. In other words, if god can find a reason, I I know I’m using human terminology but if god can find a reason, if there is a reason, he will show mercy.

He will show mercy. Micah chapter seven, look at that, next book over, Micah seven. Verse eight says this, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy when I fall, I shall arise I am not looking at the right thing.

I put Micah but it’s not, obviously not Micah seven:eight. So we’re just gonna have to move on until I find my reference. So if anybody finds it, let me know, okay? You can read it for us. It talks about the goodness of God, similar to what we saw in Jonah and Joel. Okay. Let’s go ahead and go to first Corinthians chapter 13 since we’re already on this.

Like the six eight? What does it say? I can’t show the unknown what is good for the people. No. That’s not it. Just go to first Corinthians, we’ll just have to That’s probably it. It’s probably seven eighteen.

That’s it, that’s it. I forgot the one. Here, let me add the one so it’s right. There we go, one, boom, now it’s right. Okay, look at first Corinthians thirteen:four.

We saw in in in Titus it says, but after the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared, so you have kindness and love, not exactly the same thing, but definitely very very similar, very similar. Note to first Corinthians 13 verse four says this, charity, that’s of course love, suffereth long and is what? Love is kind. Love is kind. Does God love every man? How do you know?

So whoever is included in Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross, for whomsoever that sacrifice was made are the objects of God’s love, right? Right? So if that’s every man, then that means God loves every individual because it is a demonstration to those people that He loves them, right? And it says here, charity suffereth long and is kind. Now a product of love is kindness and goodness. That’s what it says, charity is kind. And we see it in in Titus as well. Titus says, the kindness and love of God together, God our Savior toward man appeared and then it goes into the Gospel, which was when Christ came and died for sinners, okay.

So the kindness and love of God, this is why listen, this is why these things are so important. God does indeed love with a saving love every single human being. That’s why Christ died for every single human being, which as the scriptures describe and that is perfectly consistent with, which is our study, it is perfectly consistent with the doctrine of the goodness of God which he shows toward all, Right?

It is consistent with that doctrine. As we read these verses, we get the impression, it is not that God is good only to those who deserve it or have in some way earned it. No, It is god is good to everyone regardless of their merit because god’s goodness goes before merit. And we see this over and over. I have another verse, Romans chapter two. We’ll have to get to that next week.

That that repeats the same truth and I even I thought I’d get I thought I’d get a lot farther. I apologize but we’ll pick up there next time. Let’s pray.