What does it mean that God is good?

Answer

Jesus declared, “No one is good—except God alone” «And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. », (Luke 18:19). First John 1:5 tells us that “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” To say that God is good means that God always acts in accordance with what is right, true, 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 He has 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 see Genesis 50:20. There is nothing unpleasant, evil, or dark in Him. The Bible teaches that God’s goodness extends from His nature to everything that He does «Thou art good, and doest good; Teach me thy statutes. », (Psalm 119:68). “The LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” «For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.», (Psalm 100:5).

Everything that God made was originally good: “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31;cf: 1 Timothy 4:4). God’s goodness is showcased in the Law He gave to Israel; the Law is holy, righteous, and good «Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. », (Romans 7:12). “Every good and perfect gift is from above” «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. », (James 1:17). God can create only what is good because He is fully good.

God did not create evil (Habakkuk 1:13; 1 John 1:5). Rather, evil is the absence of goodness; it is whatever God is not. Because of His goodness, God abhors sin and will judge it someday «But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; », (Romans 2:5). It is never the will of our good God for us to sin: “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone” «Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: », (James 1:13).

God’s goodness should lead to thankfulness on our part: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1; cf: 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 118:1; 136). However, people do not naturally want to follow or thank God. Instead, “people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” «And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. », (John 3:19). In the Old Testament, the Israelites repeatedly rejected God’s good Law, fForgot His goodness toward them and were unfaithful to Him: “They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them” «And forgat His works, And His wonders that He had showed them.», (Psalm 78:11).

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. God does not want “anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance” «The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.», (2 Peter 3:9), and it is “the goodness of God [that] leadeth thee to repentance” «Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?», (Romans 2:4, KJV).

There is only One who is fully and truly good—God. This good God invites us to seek Him and to “taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him” «O taste and see that the LORD is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.», (Psalm 34:8).