Below is the outline from the presentation. In addition to the outline below, I collected links to several articles related to "the problem of evil." For those interested, I will post those links in a separate post.
"The
goodness of God and the benefits of being His follower."
Part 1 – Goodness of
God
The Attributes
of God by A.W. Pink “11. The Goodness of God”
"The goodness
of God endureth continually" (Ps. 52:1) The "goodness"
of God respects the perfection of His nature: "God is light, and
in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). There is such an
absolute perfection in God’s nature and being that nothing is
wanting to it or defective in it, and nothing can be added to it to
make it better.
He is originally
good, good of Himself, which nothing else is; for all creatures are
good only by participation and communication from God. He is
essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s
good is a superadded quality, in God it is His essence. He is
infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God
there is an infinite ocean or gathering together of good. He is
eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is;
as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him.
(Thos. Manton). (taken 2013 10 01 from
http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Attributes/attrib_11.htm)
A. How we define good and
goodness is important.
What would really
satisfy us would be a God who said of anything we happened to like,
"What does it matter so long as they are contented?" We
want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in
heaven — a senile benevolence who, as they say, "liked to see
young people enjoying themselves" and whose plan for the
universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each
day, "a good time was had by all" (from The Problem of
Pain, by C.S. Lewis. Quote taken from
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis).
If we are looking for a good or
goodness that is really less that good and more self-serving or
self-gratifying, then I will find God far from what I am looking for.
But if I am looking for what is truly good, then only God fits the
bill. As Jesus said, “No one is good but God” (Matthew 19:17;
Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19).
Definition of
goodness:
GOOD'NESS, n. The
state of being good; the physical qualities which constitute value,
excellence or perfection; as the goodness of timber; the goodness of
a soil.
1. The moral
qualities which constitute christian excellence; moral virtue;
religion.
The fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith. Gal.5.
2. Kindness;
benevolence; benignity of heart; but more generally, acts of
kindness; charity; humanity exercised. I shall remember his goodness
to me with gratitude.
3. Kindness;
benevolence of nature; mercy.
The Lord
God--abundant in goodness and truth. Ex.34.
4. Kindness;
favor shown; acts of benevolence, compassion or mercy.
Jethro
rejoiced for all the goodness which Jehovah had done to Israel.
Ex.18.
"goodness."
Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language.
2013. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/goodness (29 September 2013).
Definition of
good:
good - adjective,
bet·ter, best.
1. morally
excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious: a good man.
2. satisfactory in
quality, quantity, or degree: a good teacher; good health.
3. of high
quality; excellent.
4. right; proper;
fit: It is good that you are here. His credentials are good.
5. well-behaved: a
good child.
Further understanding of good. “To
love” in the following statement could also be stated as “to seek
the good of”. To love one person at the expense of another is not
true love. True love cares for the whole community. God seeks your
good but not at the expense of others.
B. his nature – God is
good in his very nature.
God is described in the Bible.
Psalm 119:68
You are good, and do good. Teach me your statutes.
1 John 4:7-11
[7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and
everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. [8] He who
doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. [9] By
this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and
only Son into the world that we might live through him. [10] In this
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God
loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
Exodus 34:5-7
[5] Yahweh descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and
proclaimed Yahweh’s name. [6] Yahweh passed by before him, and
proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to
anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, [7] keeping
loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience
and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s
children, on the third and on the fourth generation.”
Creation: This also reveals his nature
(goodness). We see his goodness in the order of creation, in its
wonder, in its benefits to us, including the enjoyments that are a
part of nature (ie. Food, procreation, etc.).
Genesis 1:31
God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very
good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Romans 1:18-25
[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness, [19] because that which is known of God is revealed
in them, for God revealed it to them. [20] For the invisible
things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting
power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. [21]
Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave
thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart
was darkened. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, [23] and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the
likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and
four-footed animals, and creeping things. [24] Therefore God also
gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their
bodies should be dishonored among themselves, [25] who exchanged the
truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Questions about God's goodness and his
nature:
God is also
a consuming fire
(Hebrews 12). Does
this contradict his goodness? Why not? We must consider what it means
to be a consuming fire, and what God as a fire consumes.
Hebrews
12:28-29 [28] Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be
shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably,
with reverence and awe, [29] for our God is a consuming fire.
C. His dealings with us –
We see the goodness of God is his dealings with mankind in general
and with us specifically.
Psalm 33:5
He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the loving
kindness of Yahweh.
Psalm 103:1-5
[WEBBE] [1] Praise the LORD, my soul! All that is within me, praise
his holy name! [2] Praise the LORD, my soul, and don’t forget
all his benefits; [3] who forgives all your sins; who
heals all your diseases; [4] who redeems your life from
destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender
mercies; [5] who satisfies your desire with good things,
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Exodus 18:8-9
[8] Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh
and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had
come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them. [9] Jethro
rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in
that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
The goodness is the world can be
attributed to God, while evil can be attributed to us.
Ecclesiastes
7:29 [ESV] See, this alone I found, that God made man upright,
but they have sought out many schemes.
We see the goodness and love of God is
his sending his Son to die for us while we were yet sinners and
enemies of God.
Romans 5:6-10
[6] For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. [7] For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps
for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. [8] But God
commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, being now justified by
his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. [10] For
if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the
death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved
by his life.
Questions about God in relation to his
dealings with us:
God is not just the Father, he is also
a judge. As a judge, he does things that may seem out of place
for a father. While a good father disciplines, a good judge judges
rightly and punishes rightly. This goes back to our definition of
God, and what we are really looking for.
Romans 2:5-9
[5] But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are
treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and
of the righteous judgment of God; [6] who “will pay back to
everyone according to their works:” [7] to those who by
patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility,
eternal life; [8] but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t
obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and
indignation, [9] oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who
works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Another question that is brought up is
“The problem of evil.” If God is good, why doesn't he do
away with evil? There are several assumptions made and conclusions
drawn that (in my opinion) do not add up. What is the defintion of
evil here and how are we defining good? This assumes that God is
almighty and so able to eradicate all evil, which further assumes
(much further down) that we are not almighty. If God is such and we
are not, when face to face with God, who will really be calling whom
to account for himself? Do we really want God to eradicate all evil?
What about the evil within myself? The Bible provides an amazing plan
to eradicate all evil, which makes provision for those who might
otherwise be eradicates to repent and be saved from such destruction.
1 John 3:8
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the
beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.
D. His goodness as seen in his
promises and the paths to reach them. I only mention this to
give you something to consider. This is seen in Romans 2:5-9, and at
the same time in Romans 5:6-10. This is seen in 2 Peter 1:2-11
"The goodness of God and the benefits of being
His follower."
Part 2 – The Benefits
of being his follower
Mark 10:28-31
[28] Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all, and have
followed you.” [29] Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there
is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake
of the Good News, [30] but he will receive one hundred times more
now in this time, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children,
and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal
life. [31] But many who are first will be last; and the last
first.”
A. What does it mean to be his
follower?
Caleb and Joshua are examples from the
OT, and are compared to the rest of the men of Israel. Note the
comparison.
Numbers
32:10-13 [10] Yahweh’s anger was kindled in that day, and he
swore, saying, [11] ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of
Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I
swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not
wholly followed me, [12] except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the
Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have followed
Yahweh completely.’ [13] Yahweh’s anger was kindled against
Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness
forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in the sight
of Yahweh, was consumed.
We must look to the Bible to find out
what it means to be a follower of God and Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians
5:15 He died for all, that those who live should no longer
live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died
and rose again.
Matthew
16:24-28 [24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone
desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me. [25] For whoever desires to save his
life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will
find it. [26] For what will it profit a man, if he gains the
whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in
exchange for his life? [27] For the Son of Man will come in the glory
of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone
according to his deeds. [28] Most certainly I tell you, there are
some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see
the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Being a follower of Jesus Christ has
everything to do with how I treat my wife, how I raise my children,
my business practices, my attitude toward friends and my attitude
toward the unfriendly. It has to do with worshiping God with other
Christians, and it has to do with how I get along with those other
Christians.
B. Benefits and Counting the
Cost. The whole-hearted follower of Jesus is promised
benefits in this life and the next. These benefits come at a cost. We
are called to count the cost, to weigh out the cost with the promised
benefits, to see if bearing the cross is indeed worth it.
Luke 14:25-32
[25] Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to
them, [26] “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard
his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes,
and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. [27] Whoever
doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my
disciple. [28] For which of you, desiring to build a tower,
doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has
enough to complete it? [29] Or perhaps, when he has laid a
foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to
mock him, [30] saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able
to finish.’ [31] Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king
in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with
ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
[32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an
envoy, and asks for conditions of peace. [33] So therefore whoever of
you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my
disciple.
2 Timothy 3:12
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer
persecution.
C. Benefits in this life.
- some of these are in part now, and fully realized in the next life.
1 Corinthians
6:9-11 [9] Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not
inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually
immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor
homosexuals, [10] nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit the Kingdom of God. [11]
Such were some of you, but you were washed. But
you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.
All who sin are slaves of sin (John
8:34). Jesus came to call sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17). He came
to destroy the works of the devil in us (1 John 3:8). Sin is a hard
master. Anyone who has been caught in sin can know the truth of this.
Jesus Christ came to set us free. He is able to set us free. But
freedom really means leaving slavery to sin and becoming a slave of
God. But being a slave of God is true freedom.
Romans 6:12-23
[12] Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you
should obey it in its lusts. [13] Neither present your members to sin
as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as
alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness
to God. [14] For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not
under law, but under grace. [15] What then? Shall we sin, because we
are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! [16] Don’t you
know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience,
his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of
obedience to righteousness? [17] But thanks be to God, that, whereas
you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to
that form of teaching to which you were delivered. [18] Being made
free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness. [19] I speak
in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you
presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness
upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to
righteousness for sanctification. [20] For when you were servants of
sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. [21] What fruit
then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now
ashamed? For the end of those things is death. [22] But now,
being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have
your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal
life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Matthew
11:28-30 [28] “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily
burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you
will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light.”
Genesis 5:21-24
[21] Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of
Methuselah. [22] After Methuselah’s birth, Enoch walked with God
for three hundred years, and became the father of more sons and
daughters. [23] All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five
years. [24] Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for
God took him.
Proverbs 3:17
Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.
D. Benefits in the next life.
Note the cost or the path that leads to
the benefit.
Hebrews 11:35
Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not
accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better
resurrection.
2 Timothy
2:11-13 [11] This saying is faithful: “For if we died with him,
we will also live with him. [12] If we endure, we will also
reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. [13] If we
are faithless, he remains faithful. He can’t deny himself.”
The Beatitudes. Jesus tells us the path
to blessedness or happiness and the end of that path. Do you desire
the end, then you must follow him on the path. Many have counted the
count and decided it was worth it. Have you?
Matthew 5:3-12
[3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom
of Heaven. [4] Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be
comforted. [5] Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit
the earth. [6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled [or satisfied]. [7]
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [8]
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [9]
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of
God. [10] Blessed are those who have been persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
[11] “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and
say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. [12] Rejoice,
and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Revelation
21:1-4 [1] I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.
[2] I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. [3] I heard
a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is
with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his
people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He
will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death
will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying,
nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”
Isaiah 25:7-10
[7] He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the covering that
covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. [8]
He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord Yahweh will
wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of
his people away from off all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken it. [9]
It shall be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God! We have
waited for him, and he will save us! This is Yahweh! We have waited
for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!” [10]
For in this mountain the hand of Yahweh will rest. Moab will be
trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the
water of the dunghill.
E. Conclusion.
Many benefits could be listed. Some can
be found from reading. Others can only be understood from experience.
Can you know the benefits that Enoch knew apart from walking with God
as Enoch walked?
Faith is necessary. God is good. The
path is narrow and cost is great, but the reward is far greater. May
we one day be able to say with the apostle:
2 Corinthians
4:16-18 [16] Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward
man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. [17] For
our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us
more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; [18]
while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but
the things which are not seen are eternal.
