“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).
“O, taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).
Goodness is an attribute of God, as we see from these verses above. But what does God mean by his “goodness?” And how do we as His image-bearer demonstrate “goodness.”
Good is one of those words that is used in several ways. We understand from the grammatical usage as an adjective that “good” is positive, but better is comparatively “more good” and “best” is superlative. So, is there something better than “goodness?” Is there a “bestness?” This is not what is meant by the verses above. Sometimes we characterize the function of a thing as good, meaning that it is working effectively and efficiently. For example, when you get your car serviced, the mechanic will say that your car is in “good working order.” Or when we finish with a project we might say “it is all good,” meaning that it is complete. This might be closer, but still not what we mean by “goodness.”
The Anglo-Saxon root from which the word God is derived means good. A. W. Pink adds, “His goodness is underived; it is the essence of His eternal nature.” God told Moses, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Exodus 33:19). Goodness truly is God’s essence: His sovereignty, justice, mercy, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; in fact, all his attributes both communicable and incommunicable, all combined in the one true God.
The Bible frequently links God’s goodness with our gratitude. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). The blessing of our childhood: “God is great, God is good; let us thank Him for our food” contains the most basic and profound theology. I am convinced It should be on our breath every day.
Paul tells us that as believers we must exhibit the spiritual fruit of goodness (Galatians 5:22-23). Peter has assured us that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness,” and he then instructs us: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge….” (2 Peter 1:3,5).
So, we must make every effort to demonstrate goodness. But how can we ever hope to imitate Christ’s goodness? The trouble is, as Paul Tripp writes in Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands (p. 16), “We are fundamentally unable to do what is right.” Only God can be good. In Matthew 19:17, Jesus says, “Why do you ask me about what is good?” and answers his own question thus: “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17).
As a student of biblical counseling, I was so encouraged by my professor who quoted the Apostle Paul: “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14). But still, I wanted to say, “Who, me?” The website Got Questions provides helpful advice:
“Goodness is virtue and holiness in action. It results in a life characterized by deeds motivated by righteousness and a desire to be a blessing. It’s a moral characteristic of a Spirit-filled person. The Greek word translated “goodness,” agathosune, is defined as “uprightness of heart and life.” Agathosune is goodness for the benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous.
Someone with agathosune will selflessly act on behalf of others. Confronting someone about a sin demonstrates goodness. So do giving to the poor, providing for one’s children, visiting the sick, volunteering to clean up after a storm, and praying for an enemy. Expressions of goodness are as varied as the Spirit is creative.
Goodness is not a quality we can manufacture on our own. James 1:17 says, ‘Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.’ This certainly includes a life characterized by goodness. In letting the Holy Spirit control us, we are blessed with the fruit of goodness. As others see our good works, they will praise our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).”
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
In Christ,
Judy
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