God “is” good. “Is” meaning ; “existing in this moment of time“, and “the substance, characteristics, and/or character of a thing”. God “is” a “right now”, “in this moment” God; alive, active and available to us. His “substance”, “characteristics”, and “character” is “good”.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,…..” Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” Mark 10:18 (NKJV)
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:16-17 (NKJV)
In Psalms 34, the Hebrew word translated “good” is “ṭôb” (tobe); and it is used as a verb, describing action; it is also used as an adjective, naming an attribute. Consequently, it is used to name an attribute of God’s nature as “good”, and to describe actions of His as “good”.
In the verses in Mark and James, the Greek word translated “good” is “agathos” ( ag-ath-os’); This word is also used as a noun and an adjective. In respect of Mark 10:18, it is used to describe God’s moral nature, to which the Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words makes this statement; “God is essentially, absolutely and consummately ‘good’,…”
There is a popular saying/declaration: “God is good…all the time.”; which is generally accompanied with enthusiasm in those who are voicing the same. Yet, there are those who will question the goodness of God because of the presence and the activity of evil in the world. To this, I have a couple question:
“Is God schizophrenic (characterized by inconsistent or contradictory elements)?” “Is He good and evil?”
We can look at the first 3 chapters of Genesis and see that God’s creation was “good”. He had placed the first Adam in control, giving Him the delegated authority to rule. Yet, evil (Satan) was able to “snake” its way into the Garden of Eden, and through the deception of Eve bringing Adam to disobey God (sin). This act would transfer Adam’s authority to rule into the hands of the kingdom of darkness and place mankind under its dominion. This happened not as a “retaliation” of God against Adam’s sin, but as a “consequence” of Adam’s actions.
Yet God had a secret plan, a mystery hidden in Him since before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 3:9). That mystery was the bringing of the Last Adam (Jesus Christ) into the world to redeem creation from the kingdom of darkness and restore mankind’s relationship with God. The Old Testament is the story of how God works to establish a connection with mankind and a lineage through which the Savior could come. It is a story of His goodness prevailing on our behalf.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV)
“But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior to man [as man] appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:4-6 (Amplified Bible)
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,…..” God “is” good.
*** Fred Wilson *** is an author, former coach, teacher and Life and Liberty News Contributor.
