Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”
There seems to be no end to the distractions of this world. We have more opportunities at our fingertips than the world used to have in a lifetime. More news, good and bad reports, fads, temptations, sports, and everything else under the sun is available at a touch.
What you dwell upon ultimately determines what you act upon. For those who place their mind on things above, they live for a Kingdom that has no end. If dwelling on the Word of God is part of your daily ritual, then instruction in wisdom, knowledge, and righteousness guides and directs your path.
The Bible gives a clear view of what truly constitutes life and how to live it to the fullest. It also warns of the dangers that lurk, pitfalls that lead to trouble and paths that lead to ruin. Heed the warnings and as a faithful pilgrim many of the errors and difficulties of life can be avoided. Ignore the warnings and like a fool, hardship should be the expectation.
There is a good way and it guides and directs those who earnestly seek it and a way that leads to death. Search the book of life and you will see why the good way is so good and you will be wise.
Goodness Defined
For those who desire a right understanding, they need look no further than the Word of God. The One who sees the end from the beginning is the One who holds the power to complete the work He began.
Isaiah 45:7 “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.’”
When Moses stood before the burning bush and heard God’s call to deliver Israel, the Lord reminded Moses of His power. The rod Moses held turned to a snake and then back to a staff. Moses’ hand became full of leprosy and then was restored. A poisonous serpent or a strong shepherd, disease or health…the Lord has authority over all these things.
In one of David’s greatest poems, Psalm 23 painted a picture of the Shepherd leading His sheep. Not only does He go before His people by leading them to green pastures and still waters, but He also leaves a legacy of goodness and mercy in their wake.
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
What many forget is even though the Lord leads His people to green pastures and still waters, He also leads them through the valley of shadow and death.
In all God does, His attribute of goodness shines through.
Goodness by its very definition implies perfection.
A Perfect God
Goodness is an attribute that is exclusive to God. When Jesus asked the self righteous young man why he called Him good in Luke 18, He proclaimed that God alone is truly good. It must have been a shocking reversal of course for someone who was determined to earn eternal life to then get a quick lesson on God’s nature. What the young man didn’t understand is that to earn eternal life it required perfection and only God possessed that trait.
The Moral law is the standard of God’s perfection that none have attained. To be counted as good is to have lived without sin. Since all have fallen short of the glory of God, not one person has earned salvation….it must be given by God.
Matthew 25:21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”
In Jesus’ parable of the talents, He reflected on the Kingdom of Heaven and the attributes of His people.
Good People
When a person who stands guilty before God in sin tries to justify themself, the focus is towards works they thought were good. They might come up with all sorts of examples such as rescuing animals, helping a neighbor, or not cheating on their taxes. Unfortunately, their position as a Moral law breaker keeps them in a position of judgement before God.
When the sinner hears and responds to God’s call to believe and repent, they are called to accept Christ as the substitutionary atonement for their sin. Repentance is more a result of belief but gives evidence of a heart change.
Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
When Paul reminded Roman christians of the way to salvation, he didn’t include anything other than confession and belief.
Before Paul ever entered on a missionary journey, Peter had preached to the people of Jerusalem and encouraged them how to respond to the gospel in repentance.
Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
In some ways, the message reflected the culture and for others, the moment.
Roman citizens were expected to acknowledge Caesar as a god. Paul reminded them that Jesus stood alone and the necessity of believers to profess their allegiance to Christ openly also was a reflection of their heart of belief.
Jewish followers had come to the Temple to offer sacrifices but first they had to be purified by ritual cleansing. Peter reminded them that true purity came through the blood of Christ and forgiveness was not through sacrifice but by the Lamb of God.
In both cases, it was the goodness of God that brought salvation from sin and death.
Good people act faithfully before God in obedience. It is the Spirit of God who leads them into good acts of service, but it is their faith in God that is credited to them as righteousness.
For those who squander what God has given, judgement should be the expectation.
Matthew 25:29-30 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Does God cease to be good in judgement?
To the contrary, it is because of God’s goodness that judgement is required.
A Good Judge
Because God is Holy, His name, His goodness, and His glory are Holy.
Zephaniah 2:1-3 “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger.”
Why is God’s wrath poured out so fiercely upon wicked nations? Why is the Lord so angry with rebellious people?
Could it be that having trampled upon God’s goodness, the wicked have ignorantly blasphemed God’s name?
Does ignorance exempt people from judgement?
The way we look at life, the manner in which we approach Creation and ultimately the way we respond to God’s sacrifice of His Son, determines how God responds to us.
He has given us everything we need to come to Him. The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Earth displays His handiwork. The testimony of the Apostles, the Prophets, and the Saints of God echo throughout time while the greatest act of love in history resonates in Jesus’ sacrifice upon the cross. The Moral law showed us our faults, and then Jesus fulfilled the law through His atoning sacrifice.
Yet the world attributes luck and circumstance to Creation, it exalts mankind as the center of the universe and finds a multitude of ways to form god’s in their own image. Mankind makes truth relative to what they want it to be and yet evil continues unabated in their lives.
For all who have rejected so many of God’s reminders and so great of a call….they ultimately reject God’s love and embrace His judgement.
What happens to those who defile God’s goodness? —- WRATH!
Isaiah 5:16 “But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.”
The Lord will exalt His name over such insolence and the name they defiled will be honored before them in judgement.
How can anyone be saved?
Only because of Jesus….
God’s goodness is embraced by the redeemed and they will receive the Crown of Life in the end. God’s goodness that is rejected by the unbeliever will in the end show forth their egregious error.
Life and death are before us…choosing life is to choose Jesus.
Deuteronomy 30:19 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
Dwelling upon the goodness of God will either produce righteousness or rebellion. The position of the heart is what ultimately determines the response.
Will your heart be turned towards God or away from Him…it’s up to you.
U.T. 