“Be good” is about far more than behavior . . .

 

As a child, the first prayer I learned was, “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for this food.” Many years later, an elderly Christian was seen poking a young Bible college student in the chest and saying, “Life is not fair, but never forget that God is good.” Sometimes people use it as a protest against negatives by saying, “Good God” as if appealing to Him to do something about it. What is it about God that brings out the description of Him as being GOOD?

In the OT, the noun is about prosperity. Even today, we tend to associate “good things” with the blessing of God in our lives and His goodness. However, the Bible also reminds me that to enjoy that prosperity requires a faith relationship with Him. Many prosperous people are not happy, always wanting more, because they do not know the One who has blessed them with His goodness.

The adjective GOOD is used hundreds of times to describe goodness, beauty, and moral uprightness. God called all that He made “good” and Rebekah “fair” and David “handsome” using the same word. He also uses the same adjective as a warning, particularly to those who think that God is anything other than GOOD:

Isaiah 5:20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

God is described as good, especially in the Psalms with the words of Psalm 86:5 repeated in many places: “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” King David knew the Lord and declared in the familiar 23^rd Psalm:” Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

The NT uses different words for good, beautiful and kind. Because “good” is about God (Jesus said only God is good) the ideas conveyed with these words often overlap. Jesus is a good teacher and God uses all things together for good in my life. Everything He does is good and as James 1:17 says: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Not only that He finishes what He starts, as Philippians 1:6 affirms: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” He finishes well because along the way He equips me with everything good:

Hebrews 13:20–21. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:8. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Philippians 2:13. for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

One Greek word, used only in Paul’s letters, describes God as good and kind, notably in the Person of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Titus 3:4–6. “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. God’s goodness is in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Both are given to me so I can focus on the goodness of God who saved me and share that goodness as Jesus said. He wants me to “Let my light shine before others, so that they may see my good works and give glory to my Father who is in heaven.” In other words, be aware of the good that God is and the good that He is doing and let it affect who I am and what I do as a reflection of Him.