What does it mean that God is good?
What Does It Mean That God Is Good?
A Baptist Theological Reflection on Divine Goodness
To say that God is good is not merely to affirm that He does good things, but to acknowledge that goodness is essential to His very nature. Goodness is not a standard above God to which He conforms—God Himself is the ultimate and eternal standard of goodness. All moral truth, beauty, and righteousness flow from His unchanging essence.
1. God's Goodness Is Foundational to His Nature
Luke chapter 18, verse 19:
"So Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.'"
In this verse, Jesus was not denying His own divinity but rather calling the rich young ruler to reflect on the implication of calling Him “good.” If God alone is good, and Christ is truly good, then Christ must be God incarnate.
First John chapter 1, verse 5:
"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all."
God’s goodness is pure, untainted, and absolute. There is no evil, injustice, or impurity in Him whatsoever.
2. God’s Goodness Means He Always Acts Righteously and Justly
Psalm 119, verse 68:
"You are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes."
Psalm 100, verse 5:
"For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations."
God’s goodness is not just an abstract quality—it manifests in His actions, His Word, His providence, and His redemptive plan. He is not good by accident or by comparison, but in essence and in demonstration.
3. God’s Creation and Gifts Testify to His Goodness
Genesis chapter 1, verse 31:
"Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
Everything God originally made reflected His good intention and wise design. Sin did not originate in Him but in the rebellion of created beings.
James chapter 1, verse 17:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
The unchanging nature of God means His goodness never fluctuates, regardless of our circumstances or feelings.
4. Evil Is Not Created by God—It Is the Absence of Good
Habakkuk chapter 1, verse 13:
"You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he?"
God did not create evil. Rather, evil is a privation—a lack of goodness, just as darkness is the absence of light. Evil entered creation through the free will of creatures who turned from God’s goodness.
First John chapter 1, verse 5 (again affirms):
"God is light and in Him is no darkness at all."
5. God's Goodness Is Evident in His Moral Law
Romans chapter 7, verse 12:
"Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good."
God’s Law reflects His character—it is a moral mirror that reveals what is right and good. When God gave the Law to Israel, it was not to burden them but to bless them with truth and justice.
6. God’s Goodness Demands a Response
Psalm 107, verse 1:
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
Thankfulness is the natural response to God’s goodness. But fallen humanity, in its sin, rejects this truth:
John chapter 3, verse 19:
"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Sinful man prefers darkness to light, self to God, autonomy to righteousness. This is why the goodness of God is both a comfort to the repentant and a terror to the rebellious.
7. God’s Goodness Leads to Salvation and Repentance
Romans chapter 2, verse 4 (KJV):
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
Second Peter chapter 3, verse 9:
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
The cross is the ultimate display of divine goodness—God gave His only begotten Son to redeem us, not because we were good, but because He is good.
John chapter 3, verse 16:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
8. The Goodness of God Is Everlasting
Psalm 34, verse 8:
"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"
Psalm 136, verse 1:
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
God’s goodness is not temporary or dependent on our merit—it is eternal and steadfast. Even when we do not understand His ways, we can trust His heart.
Conclusion: God Alone Is Good—Perfectly and Eternally
To say that God is good is to affirm that He is the moral center of the universe, the standard of truth, justice, mercy, and love. His goodness is not earned or inherited—it is intrinsic to His divine nature. From creation to redemption, from providence to final judgment, God is always and only good.
He invites us to taste and see, to trust and rest in His goodness, and to be conformed to it as His children. One day, all the redeemed will dwell in His perfect goodness forever, basking in His glory, where there will be no more sin, sorrow, or night.
