In Luke 18:19, the Lord says “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.” To say that God is good means that God always acts by what is right, true, just, and good. Goodness is part of God’s nature, and He cannot contradict His nature. Holiness and righteousness are part of God’s nature; He cannot do anything that is unholy or unrighteous. God is the standard of all that is good. The fact that God is good means that there is no evil in Him, His intentions and motivations are always good, He always does what is right, and the outcome of His plan is always good. The Bible teaches in Psalms 119:68 that God’s goodness extends from His nature to everything that He does “Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.” Psalms 100:5 “The LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”
God is the epitome of goodness. There is nothing unpleasant, evil, or dark in Him.
Everything that God made was originally good: Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” God’s goodness is showcased in the Law which is holy, righteous, and good. Romans 7:12 “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Everything God does is 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. God can create only what is good because He is fully good.
The Bible defines God's goodness in two ways. One has to do with His character; the other focuses on His actions. Psalms. 119:68 captures both when it says “Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.” Thus, He is "morally excellent, extraordinarily beautiful, magnanimous, and bountiful." But since this is God we're talking about, this goodness ascribed to Him is raised to the highest possible levels. Thus, the word "good" is used as one supremely suitable singularly for God. God is the original definition of good. He is good in and of Himself. For us, goodness is an added quality. But it comes naturally for Him. God is not just the greatest of beings; He is goodness personified and the Best.
God’s goodness should lead to thankfulness on our part: Psalms 107:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.” Ultimately, God’s goodness is seen in His plan to redeem us from sin. The gospel is “good news.” In His goodness, God sent His Son to become the perfect and blameless sacrifice so we could be forgiven of our sins. Because of His Love and the goodness that radiates from Him, God does not want anyone to perish. II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Psalms 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Dr Ashwin Drummond
Ladderytoheaven.co.in