Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who biddest the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
 (Eternal Father, Strong to Save)

See C H Spurgeon's comments God's attribute - Eternal

As someone has said God is the great I Am, not the great I was! A W Tozer adds that...

In God there is no was or will be, but a continuous and unbroken is. In Him history and prophecy are one and the same. Whatever God is He is infinitely.

The great Puritan writer Stephen Charnock wrote that..

The eternity of God is nothing else but the duration of God, and the duration of God is nothing else but his existence enduring.

It is indeed a high and holy mystery to contemplate that God existed before He created anything. Time dwells within God. He causes, affects, and controls it, and yet does so without time exerting any control or hold on Him. Everything about God is "always" and "I Am". No hour glass can be turned over for the Creator of time, for He is not subject to time!

Ps 102:12 Thou, O Lord, dost abide forever and Thy name to all generations. (Spurgeon's Commentary)

 God’s nature is without beginning and without end, free from all succession of time. God dwells in eternity. Eternity is not just “extended time” but rather is existence above and apart from time. God contains in Himself the cause of time! Time has no control over God and He does not have to work within the strictures of time unless He so pleases. Being eternal, He is free to bestow eternality on His creation in His good pleasure. All of God’s attributes bask in His eternality. Since eternity neither wears out nor runs out, neither do His attributes.

Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? (Listen to the Song - Do You Not Know?) The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

Man's life is short and the universe too is perishable but God is eternal. Be encouraged dear suffering saint. The night is almost over and your day is at hand. Take heart, for you will soon spend eternity with the Eternal God!

God, being the Author of time, is in no way conditioned by it. He is free to act in relation to time and is equally free to act outside its limitations. Acting in time He said to Abraham,

“Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son” (Ge 18:14).

Thus, again

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son” (Gal 4:4).

Anyone existing before time began at the creation is eternal. And only God is eternal.

Norm Geisler describes God's eternality this way:

The Bible declares that God is eternal. He was before time, and he created time. Hence, he cannot be a part of time, though he can relate to time as its Creator in the way a cause relates to its effect. Many verses of Scripture support God’s eternality: “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’ ” (Ex 3:14)..."The theological grounds for God’s eternality are found in several other attributes. For example, immutability implies eternality, for an immutable being cannot change. But whatever is in time changes. Hence, God cannot be in time. God’s eternality can also be inferred from his infinity. An infinite being has no limits, whereas a temporal being has limits. Hence, God is not a temporal being. Pure actuality is also a ground for eternality. Pure actuality (Geisler explains elsewhere that "pure actuality means that God is actuality and has no potentiality whatsoever. Everything He could be, He is and always was and always will be. He exists but has no potential not to exist) has no potentiality, but whatever is temporal has potentiality. Hence, God is not temporal but eternal." (Now are you really confused???) (from Why I am a Christian: Leading Thinkers Explain Why They Believe)

Ps 90:1-2 Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. (Spurgeon's Commentary on Ps 90:1, Ps 90:2)

Spurgeon comments

God was, when nothing else was. He was God when the earth was not a world but a chaos. If God himself were of yesterday, he would not be a suitable refuge for mortals. The eternal existence of God is here mentioned to set forth, by contrast, the brevity of human life." (from his Treasury of David)

Warren Wiersbe writes that

There is a difference between being immortal and being eternal. Man is immortal—that is, his soul will never die; but God is eternal—He has neither beginning nor ending. God existed before the mountains (the most durable thing known in Moses’ day); in fact, He gave birth to the mountains. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become a part of eternity and possess eternal life." (Wiersbe, W. W. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)

Our God, Our Help In Ages Past
by Isaac Watts
Click to play

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

Henry Morris in the Defender's Study Bible commenting on "from everlasting to everlasting" writes

To the skeptical question as to who made God, the only answer that satisfies all the facts of both science and human reason is that God is "from everlasting." He is the Creator of time as well as space and all things that exist in time and space. This is beyond our mental comprehension, but there is no other rational explanation for our existence, and it is surely compatible with the intuitions of our spiritual comprehension. God satisfies the heart regardless of difficulties conjured in the mind.

Adam Clarke in "Christian Theology" describes God's eternal existence this way --

All time is as nothing before Him, because in the presence as in the nature of God all is eternity; therefore nothing is long, nothing short, before Him; no lapse of ages impairs His purposes, nor need He wait to find convenience to execute those purposes. And when the longest period of time has passed by, it is but as a moment or indivisible point in comparison of eternity.

Eternity is God’s signature—it is who He is

Isaiah 63:16 Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Thy name

His name “I Am,” expresses clearly His unconditional and independent existence and encompasses the idea of His continuous presence (Ex 3:14) because He simply “is.” Unlike His creatures who are bound by time with life that is brief and fleeting, the Creator is eternal. Everything in existence is dependent upon Him (Col 1:15, 16, 17 -see notes Col 1:15; 16; 17), always has been and always will be!

For God to be God, He, of necessity, must have always existed. Because God is infinite and exists outside of time, the past, present, and future are all one—the now to Him.

When man says that God is eternal he is saying something positive about the being of God even though, as far as his own conceptualization is concerned, he cannot think of this eternity otherwise than in terms of the passage of years.

God is eternal and not transitory like the fleeting strength of armies and nations.

Spurgeon wrote that

Man’s thoughts are for a time, and his ways but for a season; God is eternal: when he thinks his thoughts abide for ever, and when he acts his ways are everlasting

Spurgeon on the relationship between God's love and His eternality:

Do you not know that God is an eternal, self-existent Being, that to say He loves now, is, in fact, to say He always did love, since with God there is no past, and can be no future? What we call past, present, and future, He wraps up in one eternal NOW. And if you say that He loves you now, you thereby say that He loved you yesterday, He loved you in the past eternity, and He will love you for ever; for now with God is past, present, and future. Those who talk of God’s beginning to love His people know not “what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” They might speak of man beginning to love; they might speak of angels beginning to love; but of God we never can, since He, without beginning, had a deathless love in His heart; He has an affection which has no source except in Himself, He could not begin, for He is without beginning of years, and without end of days. From everlasting to everlasting He is God; and from everlasting to everlasting His mercies extend to His people. (from his sermon "Christ's Prayer for Believers")

Ge 21:33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

Here this Divine name, El Olam,  assured Abraham of the unbreakable and everlasting nature of the covenant God had made with him, notwithstanding his being only a resident alien and a sojourner in the Land.

Ps 102:7 Thou art the same and Thy years will not come to an end (See Spurgeon's Commentary on Ps 102:7)

Isaiah 41:4 Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’

Revelation 1:8 (see note) I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever (dwells in eternity), Whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Eternality is the attribute associated with God alone, because God has no beginning point and no ending point. Furthermore, eternality applies only to God for only God is "uncaused".

LEAD ON, O KING ETERNAL
by Ernest Shurtleff
(Play hymn)

Norm Geisler addresses a question skeptics often ask about God's eternality...

The Eternality of God: ETERNITY: Scriptures: Ge 21:33; Ps 90:1, 2; Is 40:28; 1Ti 1:17; Re 1:8.

Eternity means much more than is commonly thought. It includes three ideas. It means that...

(a) The nature of God is without beginning or end

(b) God is free from all succession of time and

(c) God contains within Himself the cause of time

We should not consider time and space as antecedent to God. They are among the “all things” made by Him (Ps 90:1, 2; Jn 1:3; Heb 1:3 [literally, “through whom He made the ages”]). Thus we see that eternity means far more than endless time. We may speak of eternity without end, and of an eternity past without beginning, but this is not yet the eternity of God. To Him there is no past, present, or future. He does not live in time, but beyond it in eternity and, as the eternal God, He is not subject to time (Dt 33:27; Isa 40:28; 57:15).

God sees all events from creation to the last judgment in one glimpse. God is the eternal “now”; He is the “I AM” (Ex 3:14). This does not mean, however, that to God there is no objective reality of time. He recognizes that time exists and that we live in it. To Him, past, present, and future are one eternal now, not in the sense in which there is no distinction between them, but only in the sense that God sees that past and future as vividly as the present. There are two ways to view a parade: one who stands at his door by the street as it passes, and sees first the those in the lead, then others, and finally the last. But one who is at the top of a high tower sees the whole parade with one glance. Nevertheless, that person sees that in the procession there is order and progress. Thus it is with God. This is evident from Isaiah 46:10 and Acts 15:18.

Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

Acts 15:18. Says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.

The eternity of God, as the Eternal I AM, is a part of His self-existence. He is uncaused and must therefore be without beginning. As such, He transcends the whole chain of causes and effects and, as He is without beginning, so He can never cease to be.

How does the eternity of God affect one’s life? For all of us as human beings, life is full of surprises. We never know exactly what lies around the corner, but while we do not know what the future holds, as believers in Christ, we do know Him who holds the future and for Whom nothing is a surprise. Since nothing ever surprises God, no problem I face slips up on the Lord who sees the future as clearly as the present.

Lam 5:19 Thou, O LORD, dost rule forever; Thy throne is from generation to generation.

Isaiah 26:3-4 The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in Thee. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

Psalm 90 is a psalm in which Moses reflects on man’s temporality and sinfulness (Ps 90:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) in the light of God’s eternality (Ps 90:1, 2 ).

As the eternal One, regardless of the generation in which we may live with all its surprises, God is our Dwelling Place, our Place of Refuge and Fortress (cf. Ps 90:1 with Ps 91:1, 2). What then is our need? To know that regardless of the brevity of life (generally maybe seventy or even eighty years, vs. ten), we must know that God has a special purpose for each of us. As believers, we are a special part of the plan and purpose of God. In that regard, our need is to pray that we might number our days to bring in a full harvest of God’s wisdom (Ps 90:12) and seek God’s blessing on our lives to experience His joy and the confirmation of the work He has designed for us to do (Ps 90:13,14, 15, 16; Ep 2:10-note)."

Trust the Eternal
by William P McKenzie
(Play Hymn).

NAVE'S TOPICAL BIBLE: For the greatest benefit from the following Scriptures, read the text, not passively but instead consciously and actively "interrogating" the text (interrogate with the 5W'S & H), making a list in your life journal of what the Spirit of Christ (Ro 8:9-note) teaches you (1Jn 2:27, Jn 14:26, 16:13) about God and about man. Obey any instructions or commands you encounter, as you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and to "cultivate faithfulness" (NAS, Ps 37:3-see note). Then offer prayers and praise to your Father for graciously teaching you these profitable, eternal truths (cp 2Ti 3:16, 17-notes).

RELATED RESOURCES

Attributes of God - The Eternity of God - by Dr S Lewis Johnson - Recommended Resource - includes Mp3, page Pdf or MS Word document. This is only one study out of over 100 in depth lectures by Dr Johnson on Systematic Theology including studies of the doctrines of God, Christ, the Spirit, Prayer, Salvation, etc. (click for this extensive list)

What God Is Like by J. Hampton Keathley III

From Everlasting to Everlasting by Richard L. Strauss

Discourse On the Eternity of God by Stephen Charnock (from his classic work "The Attributes of God")

The Eternity of God by Thomas Watson

The Eternity of God by

Eternal by C H Spurgeon

The Eternal God Devotional - Richard De Haan (see multiple other resources )

See word study - Faithful - pistos

God tests our faith so that we may trust His faithfulness.1Pe 4:19 (note)

C H Spurgeon reminds us that...

We must be tried or we cannot magnify the faithful God, who will not leave His people.  (For more by C H Spurgeon click notes on Faithful)

Click to play the great old hymn GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.

Webster defines faithfulness as

firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty

Faithfulness is God's attribute of UTTER DEPENDABILITY, the antithesis of everything fickle and fluctuating.

Ray Pritchard asks...

How many people do you know who do exactly what they say? Before you answer, let me rephrase the question? How many do you know who do exactly what they say every single time? Now before you answer, let me rephrase it again. How many people do you know who do exactly what they say every single time and do it with such thoroughness and perfection that you never have to worry about anything they say or do? Again, before you answer, let me ask it one more time: How many people do you know who, no matter what the circumstances and no matter how they feel, will always do exactly what they say they will do every single time and do it with the same thoroughness and perfection that you never have to worry about anything they say or do because you know if they say it, they will definitely do it without fail, without change and without excuse?...

God's faithfulness means that because he is the truth, everything he says and does is certain. That means he is 100% reliable 100% of the time. He does not fail, forget, falter, change or disappoint. In the words of Lewis Sperry Chafer:

He not only advances and confirms that which is true, but in faithfulness abides by his promises, and executes every threat or warning he has made.

He says what he means and means what he says and therefore does everything he says he will do. (Read the entire message Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Ray Pritchard)

Thomas Manton

The Doctrine: That in all ages God ever showed Himself a true God, and faithful in all His promises...God's faithfulness relates to some promise wherein He hath engaged Himself to His people (He 11:11-note)...His truth depends upon his unchangeable nature, but it is confirmed to us by experience (He 6:17, 18-note)... If a promise can be made out to be of God, we have no more reason to doubt of it than of the nature and being of God. Yet, it is confirmed by experience: (Ps 18:30-Spurgeon's note)...

Application - Let us be then more firmly persuaded of God's faithfulness that we may depend upon it both for His preserving the church and ourselves in the way of our duty, till we enjoy our final reward.

1. For the preservation of Christ's kingdom, God's faithfulness chiefly appears in the government of His church or spiritual kingdom, and this is a kingdom that cannot be moved when all things else are shaken: (Heb 12:28-note), 'Having received a kingdom that cannot be shaken.' Christ cannot be a head without members, a king without subjects. And we are told, (Matt 16:18), 'That the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.' Many disorders happen, but let us depend upon the faithful God. The world was well guided before we came into it, and other generations have had experience of God's faithfulness, though we complain that we see not our signs, nor any tokens for good.

2. For the preservation of our bodies to the heavenly kingdom. We have many discouragements within and without, but while we persevere in our duty, God will not fail us; his word is as sure as the earth: (2Th 3:3), 'The Lord is faithful, who shall establish and keep you from evil.' God has promised not only to give us our final reward, but to secure and defend His people by the way, that they be not overcome by the evils they meet with in their passage (Read Manton's full sermon   - God's Faithfulness from Generation to Generation

William Hendriksen rightly observed that...

Divine faithfulness is a wonderful comfort to those who are loyal. It is a very earnest warning for those who might be inclined to become disloyal.

In (2Ti 2:13 - see note) Paul says that faithfulness is a corollary of His self-consistency.

Because God is faithful, His promises are infallibly reliable (see note Hebrews 10:23). 

Forgiveness is rooted in God's faithfulness (1Jn 1:9), as is the child of God's certain victory over even the most difficult trials & testing (1Cor 10:13; 1Pe 4:19-note, 1Th 5:24-note).

Faithfulness exhibits God's character as worthy of the love and confidence of man and assures us that He will certainly fulfill His promises as well as execute His threats against sin.

God's faithfulness applies to His...

Temporal blessings (1Ti 4:8; Ps 84:11; Isa 33:16, Spurgeon)

Spiritual blessings (1Co 1:9)

Support in temptation (1Cor 10:13)

Support in persecution (1Pe 4:12, 13-notes; Isa 41:10 Spurgeon)

Sanctifying discipline (He 12:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12-see notes)

Direction in difficulties (2Chr 32:22; Ps 32:8)

Enabling of His own to persevere (Jer 32:40)

Bringing to glory (1Jn 2:25).

As very God of very God, our Lord Jesus Christ is fittingly designated FAITHFUL in every way...

(1) THE FAITHFUL ONE

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war (See note Revelation 19:1)

(2) THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (He 2:17-note)

(3) THE APOSTLE

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. (He 3:1-See notes He 3:1; 2)

(4) THE WITNESS

Jesus Christ, the faithful WITNESS, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood  (Re 1:5-notes)

The Amen, the faithful & true WITNESS, the Beginning of the creation of God  (Re 3:14-note)

><>><>><>

John MacDuff...

THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - "Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds." Psalm 36:5

It has been well said, that "the universe around is a parable of grace." "Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects his people, both now and forever." But more stable than even these types of immutability in the kingdom of nature, is the word of a Covenant-keeping God in the kingdom of grace. These mountains (nature's best emblems of steadfastness) may depart, and the hills be removed, "but," says their almighty Maker, "my kindness shall not be taken from you!" We can look upwards to the stars of night, and see the "faithfulness" of God "established" in the material heavens- "They continue, to this day, according to your plans; for all are Your servants." But these are feeble types and symbols of brighter constellations in the spiritual firmament- the declarations of an unchanging God- "Your word is forever settled in heaven!"

What a gracious assurance amid our own unfaithfulness, "The Lord is faithful!"- that the unfaithfulness of the believer never alters, and can never alter– the faithfulness of God. My soul, anchor yourself on this rock of the Divine veracity. Take hold of that blessed parenthesis which has been, to many a tossed soul, as a polar star in its nights of darkness- "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end." He loves them in life- loves them in death- loves them through death- loves them into glory!

Are you not at this hour a monument of God's faithfulness? Where would you have been, had not the magnet of His grace kept you, and drawn your fugitive affections towards Himself? From how many temptations has He rescued you- laying hold of you on the precipice, when about to plunge headlong down; employing, sometimes constraining grace, at other times, restraining grace- making this your brief history– "Kept by the power of God," and overruling all- ALL for His own glory, and your own good?

I love to think of Your faithfulness, O "Tried stone," "laid in Zion." You were tried by the Law- by Justice- by the fierce assaults and temptations of Satan- by the mockings and revilings and cruelties of wicked men; and yet You remain faithful! You have been tried in another sense by Prophets and Apostles; by Martyrs and Saints; by youthful sinners, and aged sinners, and dying sinners- and You have been found "faithful," by all and to all; and You are faithful still!

Reader, never suppose, amid the faithlessness of earth's trusted friends, that you are doomed to thread your way in loneliness and solitude. There is more than one 'Emmaus journey'. The "abiding" Friend is still here! He is always the same. "He faints not, neither is weary!" His faithfulness is a tried faithfulness. His word is a tried word. His friendship is a tried friendship. He is always better than His word. He pays 'with interest'!

"Oh! who could bear life's stormy doom,
Did not Your word of love
Come brightly bearing through the gloom
A peace-branch from above!
Then sorrow touched by You, grows bright,
With more than rapture's ray,
As darkness shows us worlds of light
We never saw by day!"

When I think that at this very moment the eye of that faithful Savior God is upon me– "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 (From -  THE NIGHT WATCHES by John MacDuff)

GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

PART OF GOD'S CHARACTER
Isa 49:7; 1Cor 1:9; 1Th 5:24
Dt 7:9, 9:5 1Ki 8:56 Ps 36:5, 89:1, 105:8
1Cor 1:9 Hebrews 6:18 1Pe 4:19

DECLARED TO BE
Great - Lamentations 3:23
Established -Psalms 89:2
Incomparable -Psalms 89:8
Unfailing -Psalms 89:33; 2 Timothy 2:13
Infinite -Psalms 36:5
Everlasting -Psalms 119:90; 146:6

Should be pleaded in prayer -Psalms 143:1

Should be proclaimed -Psalms 40:10; 89:1

"Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds." Psalm 36:5 (Spurgeon's note)

It has been well said, that "the universe around is a parable of grace." "Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects his people, both now and forever." But more stable than even these types of immutability in the kingdom of nature, is the word of a Covenant-keeping God in the kingdom of grace. These mountains (nature's best emblems of steadfastness) may depart, and the hills be removed, "but," says their almighty Maker, "my kindness shall not be taken from you!" We can look upwards to the stars of night, and see the "faithfulness" of God "established" in the material heavens- "They continue, to this day, according to your plans; for all are Your servants." But these are feeble types and symbols of brighter constellations in the spiritual firmament- the declarations of an unchanging God- "Your word is forever settled in heaven!"

What a gracious assurance amid our own unfaithfulness, "The Lord is faithful!"- that the unfaithfulness of the believer never alters, and can never alter– the faithfulness of God. My soul, anchor yourself on this rock of the Divine veracity. Take hold of that blessed parenthesis which has been, to many a tossed soul, as a polar star in its nights of darkness- "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end." He loves them in life- loves them in death- loves them through death- loves them into glory!

Are you not at this hour a monument of God's faithfulness? Where would you have been, had not the magnet of His grace kept you, and drawn your fugitive affections towards Himself? From how many temptations has He rescued you- laying hold of you on the precipice, when about to plunge headlong down; employing, sometimes constraining grace, at other times, restraining grace- making this your brief history– "Kept by the power of God," and overruling all- ALL for His own glory, and your own good?

I love to think of Your faithfulness, O "Tried stone," "laid in Zion." You were tried by the Law- by Justice- by the fierce assaults and temptations of Satan- by the mockings and revilings and cruelties of wicked men; and yet You remain faithful! You have been tried in another sense by Prophets and Apostles; by Martyrs and Saints; by youthful sinners, and aged sinners, and dying sinners- and You have been found "faithful," by all and to all; and You are faithful still!

Reader, never suppose, amid the faithlessness of earth's trusted friends, that you are doomed to thread your way in loneliness and solitude. There is more than one 'Emmaus journey'. The "abiding" Friend is still here! He is always the same. "He faints not, neither is weary!" His faithfulness is a tried faithfulness. His word is a tried word. His friendship is a tried friendship. He is always better than His word. He pays 'with interest'!

"Oh! who could bear life's stormy doom,
Did not Your word of love
Come brightly bearing through the gloom
A peace-branch from above!
Then sorrow touched by You, grows bright,
With more than rapture's ray,
As darkness shows us worlds of light
We never saw by day!"

Great Is Thy Faithfulness from The Joy of Knowing God by Richard L. Strauss, Ph.D. published in 1984 by Loizeaux Brothers, Inc.

Since God’s faithfulness is part of His essence, it affects everything He says and everything He does. Several specific applications of His faithfulness are made in the New Testament. First of all, He is faithful in assuring our salvation....Secondly, He is faithful in providing for our victory. God wants us to enjoy victory over sin and triumph through trials, but He has not left us on our own to achieve it. He offers us help....In the third place, He is faithful in forgiving our sins. Unfortunately, most of us only use God’s resources for victory intermittently, and as a result we sin. But God’s faithfulness reaches us even then....Finally, God is faithful in sustaining us through suffering. One of the times we are most tempted to doubt God’s faithfulness is when suffering strikes our lives. It often makes no sense to us and we see no reason for it. We may search our lives, and although we find some sins which we have previously overlooked, we still cannot believe we deserve what God has allowed to happen to us. We begin to think that He has forgotten us or really does not care about us....God will not only be faithful in assuring our salvation, providing for our victory, forgiving our sins, and sustaining us through suffering, but He will also be faithful in keeping every promise He has ever made. That is the greatest encouragement we could possibly have. The Bible contains thousands of precious promises from God, and at least one of them will have application to every conceivable situation we can possibly encounter—financial reversal, terminal illness, the loss of a loved one, family tensions, or anything else. A faithful God can be trusted to keep every promise. The writer to the Hebrews encouraged his readers with these words: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (He 10:23-note)." (See Great Is Thy Faithfulness  for full discussion) .

God's Faithfulness:
Do you have a "Rushmore Reminder"?

These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever. --Joshua 4:7

In 1941, sculptor Gutzon Borglum completed his work on Mount Rushmore. The 60-foot-high granite heads of four US Presidents now stand like sentinels of democracy over the Black Hills of South Dakota. The imposing likenesses of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt remind visitors of our nation's heritage and history. God told Israel's leader, Joshua, to take 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River for a similar purpose (Josh. 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,20, 21, 22, 23, 24). The Lord wanted future generations to have a memorial to their national history. He wanted them to remember that as He parted the Red Sea to get them out of Egypt, He also parted the Jordan to get them into the Promised Land. He wanted them to live not only in the present, but with the reminder of the values, faith, and experiences of their founding fathers: Moses, Aaron, and Joshua. God understands our human nature and knows that "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" occurs all too often in our spiritual lives. We need physical reminders of spiritual truths. We need to pile up stones, write journals, and tell family stories to help us remember the miracle of God's provisions that neither we nor our children can afford to forget. --M R De Haan II (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Think About It -- How has God shown Himself to be faithful to you and your family in the past? How can you make sure you'll remember? With whom can you talk about it today? Precious memories of yesterday can be precious moments today.

Man's Fickle Feelings &
God's Forever Faithfulness

"Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." - Ps 36:5

When I was in college, my roommate was engaged to a woman who lived 800 miles away. He was a worrier and a pessimist, so he was constantly questioning the closeness of their relationship. He would worry that they were drifting apart. If a day came without a letter, he would convince himself that she didn't love him any longer and was about to break up with him. I would get so fed up with his worrying that I would insist he call her. He always discovered that nothing had changed and that she was not wavering in her love. Greatly relieved, he would kick himself for having doubted, and he would promise not to worry again--which lasted about 3 days! Although we sometimes falter in our faith and question God's love for us, He remains faithful. Even when we doubt His promises, or don't feel close to Him, or choose to sin, His faithfulness still "reaches to the clouds" (Ps 36:5). We can be sure God will do all He said He would do (1Th 5:24; 2Th 3:3). His promises are backed up by His flawless character. In those times when you don't feel close to God, remind yourself that His feelings for you haven't changed. It's not a matter of how you feel at the moment, but the fact of the rock-solid faithfulness of God. --D C Egner  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

NAVE'S TOPICAL BIBLE: For the greatest benefit from the following Scriptures, read the text, not passively but instead consciously and actively "interrogating" the text (interrogate with the 5W'S & H), making a list in your life journal of what the Spirit of Christ (Ro 8:9-note) teaches you (1Jn 2:27, Jn 14:26, 16:13) about God and about man. Obey any instructions or commands you encounter, as you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and to "cultivate faithfulness" (NAS, Ps 37:3-see note). Then offer prayers and praise to your Father for graciously teaching you these profitable, eternal truths (cp 2Ti 3:16, 17-notes).

ALMIGHTY FATHER OF MANKIND

CAST THY BURDEN ON THE LORD

GOD OF THE CHANGING YEAR

GOD SAVED HIS PEOPLE FROM DISTRESS

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

HE SUPPLIETH ALL OF MY NEED

HE’LL WALK WITH ME ALL THE WAY

I WILL NOT FORGET THEE

LORD, THOU HAST BEEN OUR DWELLING PLACE (Gill)

MY SONG FOREVER SHALL RECORD

O GOD, THOU FAITHFUL GOD

O GRACIOUS GOD, FORSAKE ME NOT

THOU WILT REMEMBER ME

RELATED RESOURCES
FAITHFUL
FAITHFULNESS

The Faithfulness of God by A. W. Pink

The Faithfulness of God by A. W. TOZER

Faithful to Finish His Work in You - Php 1:6 (note) by Ray Pritchard

God is Faithful - devotional from Our Daily Bread

Faithfulness of God - devotional from Our Daily Bread

Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Ray Pritchard

The Faithfulness Of God by David Legge

Knowing Your God by David Legge

The Faithfulness of God - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Is He still faithful when I am suffering? John Piper has over 40 messages on various aspects of SUFFERING indexed @ "Suffering"

Sustained By the Faithfulness of God by John Piper

God's Faithfulness from Generation to Generation (Ps 119:90) by Thomas Manton

Thomas Constable commenting on God's foreknowledge in 1Peter 1:2 (see notes) writes that

God’s foreknowledge has an element of determinism in it because whatever really happens that God knows beforehand exists or takes place because of His sovereign will. Therefore when Peter wrote that God chose according to His foreknowledge he did not mean that God chose the elect because He knew beforehand they would believe the gospel (the Arminian position). God chose them because He determined beforehand that they would believe the gospel (the Calvinist position; cf Ro 8:29, 30-see notes Ro 8:29; 30; Ep 1:3, 4, 5, 6 -notes Ep 1:3; 1:4; 1:5; 1:6; 1Th 1:4-note; 1Pe 5:13-note).

Warren Wiersbe says that

Foreknowledge does not suggest that God merely knew ahead of time that we would believe, and therefore He chose us. This would raise the question, “Who or what made us decide for Christ?” and would take our salvation completely out of God’s hands. In the Bible, to foreknow means “to set one’s love on a person or persons in a personal way.” Commenting on Judas' betrayal of our Lord, Wiersbe writes that "before He chose His 12 Apostles, Jesus spent a whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12, 13, 14, 15, 16), so we must believe that it was the Father’s will that Judas be among them (John 8:29). But the selection of Judas did not seal his fate; rather, it gave him opportunity to watch the Lord Jesus closely, believe, and be saved. God in His sovereignty had determined that His Son would be betrayed by a friend, but divine foreknowledge does not destroy human responsibility or accountability. Judas made each decision freely and would be judged accordingly, even though he still fulfilled the decree of God (Acts 2:23)." (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos comments on Luke 22:14)

Paul writes about foreknowledge in Romans 8:29

For (anytime you see "for" ask what it's there for? Here Paul is explaining how it is that God can work all things out for good for those who love Him) whom He foreknew (proginosko from pro = before + ginosko = know = to know about something before it happens, cf related Greek word prognosis - word study), He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren". (See Commentary)

The truth is that the salvation of every believer is known and determined in the mind of God before its realization in time. This is "heavy" theology and I believe cannot be fully comprehended by finite men. Instead of complaining that God is not fair (as some who think too much on this attribute do) we should bow to the incredible truth that in eternity past, before Adam and Eve even sinned, God planned the redemption of undeserving sinners through Jesus Christ. Stated another way, the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden did not take God by surprise. He knew it would happen and He also knew and had planed what He would do in view of it and that His only Son would carry out His plan. The ultimate cause of Jesus’ death was God’s plan and foreknowledge.

1Peter 1:20 (see notes) teaches that Christ, the Lamb, was

was foreknown before (proginosko) the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you" 

Christ was foreknown because God had planned and determined in His eternal counsel to provide His Son as a sacrifice for His people. The point is God's foreknowledge means more than that God knew ahead of time that Christ would come and die.  God’s foreknowledge is the cause for His Son’s sacrifice–because He planned and decreed it.

In other words...

This modern school of so-called "scholars" ("open theists") believe among other things that God’s foreknowledge is limited, because of the limitations He has placed upon Himself in giving man free will. How incredible that finite men would dare describe any limitation to the infinite, omniscient, sovereign God. This website takes the conservative, classic approach as summed up nicely by Easton's dictionary which says that foreknowledge is

Job alludes to God's foreknowledge declaring

Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with Thee, and his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass." (Job 14:5, cf Ps. 139:16 - Spurgeon's commentary)

God’s foreknowledge is much more than foresight. God does not know future events and human actions because He foresees them but He knows them because He wills them to happen. As Job states, not only is our life short but even our days and months are determined by God, with time limits beyond which no one can go. God knows and has determined the life span of every person every born! The fact that God knows and controls (sovereignty) our life span should not lead to despair but to the contrary should lead to assurance and hope, that our times are in His hands (Eccl 3:1, 2, 11a).

Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary explains that

NAVE'S TOPIC: For the greatest benefit from the following Scriptures, read the text, not passively but instead consciously and actively "interrogating" the text (interrogate with the 5W'S & H), making a list in your life journal of what the Spirit of Christ (Ro 8:9-note) teaches you (1Jn 2:27, Jn 14:26, 16:13) about God and about man. Obey any instructions or commands you encounter, as you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and to "cultivate faithfulness" (NAS, Ps 37:3-see note). Then offer prayers and praise to your Father for graciously teaching you these profitable, eternal truths (cp 2Ti 3:16, 17-notes).

RELATED RESOURCES
FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD

The Foreknowledge of God by A. W. Pink

Resources on The Foreknowledge of God - John Piper)

Foreknowledge - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Foreknowledge -  Holman Bible Dictionary

Foreknowledge - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

The Rejection of the Classical Doctrine of God And What It Says About the State of the Evangelical Movement by David Wells

Jonathan Edwards on Foreknowledge Pt 1 ; Pt 2 by Sam Storms

The Foreknowledge of God by Bob DeWaay

God's Foreknowledge by Loraine Boettner

Romans 8:29 Sermons/Notes

Word Study on proginosko - foreknown

Word Study on prognosis- foreknowledge

Romans 8:29 Notes

Romans 8:29-30: The Ultimate Security of Our Salvation

When was the last time you paused to ponder the goodness of God? Would you consider taking a moment today from your busy schedule, finding a quiet place, turning off your cell phone, and choosing to purposefully set your mind on the things above rather than the things of this earth, which is passing away, and even it's lusts?

Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Ro 2:4-note)

Then Moses said, "I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!" And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. (Exodus 33:18,19)

Have adverse circumstances caused you to struggle with whether you really believe God is good? Beloved, if this describes you (and it probably describes all of us from time to time if we are honest), then try this exercise over the next few days (cp Ps 27:13, 14,). Ponder (cp Meditate; Primer on Biblical Meditation) the following passages (you will derive the most value by reading them in context) that relate to the goodness of God. Make a list of your observations (observation), as you ask simple questions (interrogate with the 5W'S & H - eg, What must I do to understand God's goodness? Ps Ps 86:5, 34:8 Who can expect to be the beneficiary of God's goodness? Ps 31:19; How long can we expect to bask in His goodness? Ps 23:6 When will the Lord's goodness cease? Ps 100:5 - you get the idea! Simple questions that yield profound answers!)

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.
(Play hymn - cp Ps 135:3)

Ask God to lead you into all the truth about His goodness, yielding yourself to the truth He illuminates (Ps 119:68). The truth of His great goodness can be ignored (cp Ne 9:35).  Let the water of His Word wash over you and renew your mind (cp effect on one's heart, our "control center" - 1Ki 8:66). Truth always demands a response. What shall we say to the goodness of God? Trust and obey. Turn the truths you glean into a time of worship,  praising and thanksgiving to Him for His infinite, eternal goodness poured out richly through Christ Jesus our Lord (cp David's declaration in Ps 16:2).

Therefore my songs, my Savior,
E’en in this time of woe,
Shall tell of all Thy goodness
To suff’ring man below;
Thy goodness and Thy favor,
Whose presence from above
Rejoice those hearts, my Savior,
That live in Thee and love.
(Play hymn)

Pastor Ray Pritchard says that...

God's goodness is the answer to the question: Is this a friendly universe? The answer is yes; when we come to the end of our thinking we find that behind the vastness of this universe stands a God who cares about what he has made. He is not indifferent (as in stoicism) or undecided (as in dualism) or absent (as in atheism), but he is fully involved for the good of the universe because he himself is a good God. (God is So Good - Recommended Sermon - Dr Pritchard discusses numerous practical ways that God is good to the unsaved and the saved)

Some passages to ponder on God's goodness: For the greatest benefit from the following Scriptures, read the text, not passively but consciously and actively "interrogating" the text (interrogate with the 5W'S & H), making a list in your life journal of what the Spirit of Christ (Ro 8:9-note) teaches you (1Jn 2:27, Jn 14:26, 16:13) about God and about man. Obey any instructions or commands you encounter, as you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and to "cultivate faithfulness" (NAS, Ps 37:3-see note). Then offer prayers and praise to your Father for graciously teaching you these profitable truths (cp 2Ti 3:16, 17-notes).

Ex 1:20, 18:9, 33:18, 19, 34:6 Dt 30:9 2Sa 2:6 1Ki 8:66 1Chr 16:34; 2Chr 5:13; 7:3, 7:10 Neh 9:25,35 Ps 16:2, 17:7, 23:6, 25:7, 8, 9, 10, 27:13, 31:19; 33:5, 34:8, 36:7, 52:1,9; 65:4, 68:10, 19, 69:16, 73:1, 86:5, 100:5, 106:1, 107:1, 109:21, 118:1,29, 119:64, 68, 135:3, 136:1, 139:17,18; 143:10; 144:3; 145:7, 9, 145:7, 8, 9, Isa 63:7 Je 31:14, 33:11 La 3:25, Ho 3:5, Na 1:7, Mt 19:17, Mk 10:18, Lk 1:53, 18:19, Ro 2:4; 11:22; Titus 3:4; Jas 1:5,17

Father of everlasting grace,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we praise,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we prove;
Thou hast, in honor of Thy Son,
The gift unspeakable sent down,
The Spirit of life, and power and love.
(Play hymn)

Thee will I praise among thine own;
Thee will I to the world extol,
And make Thy truth and goodness known:
Thy goodness, Lord, is over all;
(Play hymn)

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
(Play hymn)

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
(Play hymn)

God is the source of all good and goodness, and He alone defines what is good. All that He is and all that He does is good. This truth transcends the capacity of our minds to fully comprehend, but one day we will see Him in all His supreme, majestic goodness...

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. (1Cor 13:12)

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. (Ps 27:13, 14)

Most of us often mistakenly equate the goodness of God with the “rightness” of our circumstances. We’re like the little girl who, when she got what she wanted, exclaimed, “God must really like me!” Or conversely, when things aren't going our way, we say, “Why is God punishing me like this?”But our circumstances are not an accurate reflection of God’s goodness. Whether life is good or bad, God’s goodness, rooted in His character, is the same. As John Blanchard so ably phrased it...

Nothing good comes except from God and nothing except good comes from God.

Count your many blessings,
Name them one by one,
And it will surprise you
What the Lord has done

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology...

God's goodness is a bedrock truth of Scripture. His goodness is praised in the psalms (Ps 25:8; 34:8; 86:5; 100:5; 118:1; 136:1; 145:9). Jesus affirms the Father's goodness when speaking to the rich young ruler (Matt 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). In 1Peter 2:3 Peter echoes the language of Psalm 34:8: "Taste and see that the Lord is good!"'

Although we might discuss God's goodness in some abstract philosophical sense, in Scripture his goodness appears most clearly in his dealings with people. He is not only good in general, but he is good to us (Ps 23:6-note; Ps 68:10-note; Ps 73:1-note; Ps 119:65-note; Ps 145:9-note; La 3:25; Luke 6:35; Ro 2:4-note; Ro 11:22-note; Eph 2:7-note; Titus 3:4-note). Human goodness is modeled on divine goodness (Mt 5:48-note). For human beings goodness involves right behavior, expresses itself in kindness and other praiseworthy qualities, includes avoiding evil, and springs from the inner person.

It is nearly impossible to think about goodness in the abstract. In Scripture goodness always involves particular ways of behaving. Because God is good, he is good to his people; when people are good they behave decently toward each other, based on God's goodness to them. Moses' invitation to Hobab expresses this emphasis: "Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel" (Nu 10:29). The general biblical words for "good/ goodness" include this idea of right behavior, although the idea is often expressed by means of a more specific term like "upright/uprightness" or "righteous/righteousness." (See full article - Good, goodness)

Edward Carnell (in his book Christian Commitment) rightly reminds us that...

God never urges himself to be good, because He is good.

John Piper comments on Carnell's declaration...

EASTON'S BIBLE DICTIONARY: GOODNESS OF GOD

A perfection of His character which He exercises towards His creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps 145:8,9; Ps 103:8; 1Jn 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of His creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favor on the unworthy it is grace.

Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes merciful and sometimes just, but he is eternally infinitely just and merciful."

God is infinitely and unchangeably good (Zeph 3:17), and his goodness is incomprehensible by the finite mind (Ro 11:35, 36-notes).

High in the heavens, eternal God,
Thy goodness in full glory shines;
Thy truth shall break through every cloud
That veils and darkens Thy designs.
--Isaac Watts

><>><>><>

God is good in Himself; that is, He is perfectly holy; but this is not the goodness which comes into consideration here. It is God's goodness in action, which reveals itself in doing well unto others, that is now under contemplation. It may be defined as that perfection of God which prompts Him to deal bounteously and kindly with all His creatures. It is the affection which the Creator feels toward the sentient creatures as such. As manifested towards His rational creatures, it is sometimes called His love of benevolence or His common grace, to designate the fact that its bounties are undeserved. The Bible refers to it in many places, such as Ps 36:6-note; Ps 104:21-note; Ps 145:8, 9, 16-note; Mt. 5:45-note; Mt 6:26-note; Acts 14:17. (Louis Berkhof - Manual of Christian Doctrine)

Good when He gives, supremely good,
Nor less when He denies,
E'en crosses from His sovereign hand
Are blessings in disguise.
--James Hervey

><>><>><>

God's goodness appears in two things, giving and forgiving. When God gives it is a reflection of His goodness and conversely anything that is truly good comes from the hand of the good God. It was Matthew Henry who said that "He who feeds his birds will not starve his babes." And so it is only appropriate as one person has said that God's giving rightfully deserves our thanksgiving.

His love has no limit,
His grace has no measure,
His power has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!
Annie Johnson Flint

><>><>><>

Ray Stedman commenting on Ps 23:6-note has said that goodness and mercy are God's "sheep dogs"...

In referring to the goodness and mercy of God, he is referring to the sheep dogs that nip at the heels of the flock and keep them in line, driving them into place. "Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life," nipping at my heels, humiliating me, turning me back from that which looks good but is really evil, keeping me from getting what I think I need, and what I think I want. But in the end we must name these what God names them -- goodness and mercy!" (from Love's Disciplines)

Sinclair Ferguson phrased it this way...

God is Good Not Just Powerful from Knowing God Through The Whole Bible  by Radio Bible Class Ministries

In our world, absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. But not with God. Our all-powerful God is full of goodness. His goodness is expressed in everything He does. Even His acts of judgment are part of His goodness. When He created our world, everything He made was good....Because God is good, we conclude that:
 

The goodness of God is the expression of both His love and righteousness to His creatures in general. It is that aspect of God’s character that promotes the happiness of His creatures. Goodness includes God’s kindness as seen in mercy and grace. God’s goodness includes His benevolence, mercy, and grace.

Scriptures: Ex 34:6; Ps 25:7, 8; 33:5; 68:10; 145:7; Neh 9:25; Ro 2:4; 1Ti 4:4.

Thy goodness, Lord, our souls confess,
Thy goodness we adore:
A spring, whose blessings never fail,
A sea without a shore.
(Play)

RELATED RESOURCES
GOODNESS

Attributes of God - The Goodness of God and the Existence of Evil - by Dr S Lewis Johnson - Recommended Resource - includes Mp3, Pdf or MS Word document. This is only one study out of over 100 in depth lectures by Dr Johnson on Systematic Theology including studies of the doctrines of God, Christ, the Spirit, Prayer, Salvation, etc. (click for this extensive list)

Note by C H Spurgeon on the Goodness of God

The Goodness of God by A.W. TOZER

Exodus 33:18-23 God's Glory and His Goodness sermon by C H Spurgeon

Good, Goodness in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary

God Is So Good! - Psalm 107:1 by Ray Pritchard

Goodness of God by Barry Horner

"Thanks to our 'Always Good' God"  - Bethany Bible Church

God is Good - Devotional by Anne Cetas

Joy On The Journey - Vernon C. Grounds

Drifting Away - Devotional by Joe Stowell

God is Good - Devotional by Herbert Vander Lugt

God is Good, God is Great - Devotional by Julie Ackerman Link

Taste And Say! - Devotional by Joanie Yoder

His Good Purpose - Devotional by Joanie Yoder

The Goodness of God Series at Bible.org

Let Me See Thy Glory - A Study of the Attributes of God by Bob Deffinbaugh

The Goodness of God by A. W. Pink

Suffering many messages on this topic by John Piper

Why Would A Good God Allow Suffering? Brief Biblically based booklet on this oft difficult to understand and accept doctrine from Radio Bible Class, Discovery House Publishing

God Is So Good  from The Joy of Knowing God by Richard L. Strauss

Excerpt: Sit down with someone close to you and rehearse some of the good things God has done for you through the years. Then respond to Him with thanksgiving and praise. If you are presently facing some trial, think of some of the good things God could be teaching you through it.

O THOU FROM WHOM ALL GOODNESS FLOWS
by Thomas Haweis
(Play Hymn)

Holy, Holy, Holy
by Reginald Heber
(Play Hymn)

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Pastor Ray Pritchard writes that...

Before we can understand what it means to be holy, we must understand what it means to say that God is holy. In many ways holiness is God's central attribute. One writer actually defines it this way. "Holiness is that which makes God God." Dr. Reginald Showers calls it "the foundational truth of revelation."

How important is it? Holiness is the only attribute of God mentioned in triplicate. Two times the Bible tells us that God is holy, holy, holy (Is 6:3, Rev 4:8). Think about that for a moment. If God says something about his character once, that's enough to settle it. When he says it twice, that's emphasis. But when he says it three times, that means it's of supreme importance. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love or mercy, mercy, mercy, or justice, justice, justice. But it does say that he is holy, holy, holy.

A Definition- Let's begin by working toward a definition. I agree with those writers who say that holiness is the most difficult attribute to define because it deals with the essence of God's character. Defining holiness is like defining God! It can't be done completely. We can describe holiness and find ample illustrations of it, but we can't define it entirely. This is what makes God God!

The word itself means "to be set apart." A thing is holy if it is set apart for a special use. Other words you might use are words like distinctive or different. Applied to God, holiness is that characteristic that sets him apart from his creation. There are many verses that speak of God being "on high," "reigning," "in his holy temple," "sitting on the throne." These verses all picture God as separate from creation and reigning over it.

Holy Bible, Holy Land, Holy Angels - We can go a step farther and say that anything is "holy" that is "set apart" for God. That's why we call the Bible the Holy Bible-it contains the Word of God. We call Israel the Holy Land because it is the land he chose for his own people. The angels are holy angels because they belong to God. The sabbath is holy because he set it apart for himself. And when Moses stood before the burning bush, he was told to take off his shoes because he was standing on "holy ground"-ground that God had set apart for himself.

There is a second important meaning of the word holy: "Utterly pure, separated from sin." The Bible tells us that God hates sin, that he cannot sin nor will he tempt others to sin. God is so pure that he cannot tolerate sin in any form in his presence. One day he will destroy sin forever.

That leads to an important implication: holiness and sin cannot coexist. If you want to be holy as God is holy, you must adopt his attitude toward sin. You must abhor it as he does. If you coddle sin or excuse it or dabble in it, you cannot be holy as he is holy.

Three Case Studies- In the reminder of this message, I want us to consider what God's holiness means for you and me. Let's look together at three episodes where mortal men encountered a holy God. From these three stories we will glean crucial spiritual truth for ourselves. (Read the rest of Dr Pritchard's practical message Holy, Holy, Holy)

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

One does not define God. Similarly, the idea of holiness is at once understandable and elusive. Nevertheless, there is not term equal to the fullness inherent in holiness. All of heaven's hosts, Israel, and the church ascribe praise to a holy God because that idea sets him apart from everything else (Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8). Holiness is what God is. Holiness also comprises his plan for his people...

The God who revealed Himself to Israel and the church does so in an instructive manner. Progressive revelation is evident in the methodical way in which God shows himself to be both Holy and Love. Those ideas, though never exhausted by the human mind, become the essential terms for biblical faith. All else about God is comprised in and issues from his holiness. The believer is invited to live in his holy presence but only if that includes living with others who desire nothing less than God's holiness (Heb 10:19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26). Once a person begins to comprehend the heart of holy love, then there is no response other than an outward orientation, in worship and service (Heb 12:10,14). Both Testaments attest that nothing less than holiness will fully satisfy the nature of God. Thus, redemption is not complete in deliverance alone. The believer is set free in order to become like the One who redeems. It is his will that his own would be like him in every respect.  (Holy, holiness)

Tozer in The Attributes of God noted

that when Leonardo DaVinci painted his famous Last Supper he had little difficulty with any of it except the faces. Then he painted the faces in without too much trouble except one. He did not feel himself worthy to paint the face of Jesus. He held off and kept holding off, unwilling to approach it but knowing he must. Then in the impulsive carelessness of despair, he just painted it quickly and let it go. “There is no use,” he said. “I can’t paint Him.” I feel very much the same way about explaining the holiness of God. I think that same sense of despair is on my heart. There isn’t any use for anybody to try to explain holiness. The greatest speakers on this subject can play their oratorical harps, but it sounds tinny and unreal, and when they are through you’ve listened to music but you haven’t seen God." Realizing then that any attempt to define "holiness" of God is fraught with potential for flaw and error, we note that the venerable Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines "holy" as "Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions. We call a man holy, when his heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts. Hence, holy is used as nearly synonymous with good, pious, godly."

God is so holy that He cannot even look on sin (Hab 1:13). Holy is the antithesis of wickedness.

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You, I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shining in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy
(Play)

Tozer goes on to add that

when you talk about the holiness of God, you have not only the problem of an intellectual grasp, but also a sense of personal vileness, which is almost too much to bear...Each one of us is born into a tainted world, and we learn impurity from our cradles. We nurse it in with our mother’s milk, we breathe it in the very air. Our education deepens it and our experience confirms it — evil impurities everywhere. Everything is dirty; even our whitest white is dingy gray....This kind of world gets into our pores, into our nerves, until we have lost the ability to conceive of the holy...Holiness means purity, but “purity” doesn’t describe it well enough. Purity merely means that it is unmixed, with nothing else in it. But that isn’t enough. We talk of moral excellency, but that isn’t adequate. To be morally excellent is to exceed someone else in moral character. But when we say that God is morally excellent, who is it that He exceeds? The angels, the seraphim? Surely He does — but that still isn’t enough. We mean rectitude; we mean honor; we mean truth and righteousness; we mean all of these — uncreated and eternal. God is not now any holier than He ever was. For He, being unchanging and unchangeable, can never become holier than He is. And He never was holier than He is, and He’ll never be any holier than now. His moral excellence implies self-existence, for He did not get His holiness from anyone nor from anywhere. He did not go off into some vast, infinitely distant realm and there absorb His holiness; He is Himself the Holiness. He is the All-Holy, the Holy One; He is holiness itself, beyond the power of thought to grasp or of word to express, beyond the power of all praise. Language cannot express the holy, so God resorts to association and suggestion. He cannot say it outright because He would have to use words for which we know no meaning. He would have to translate it down into our unholiness. If He were to tell us how white He is, we would understand it in terms of only dingy gray. God cannot tell us by language, so He uses association and suggestion and shows how holiness affects the unholy. He shows Moses at the burning bush before the holy, fiery Presence, kneeling down to take his shoes from his feet, hiding his face, for he was afraid to look upon God." (Ex 19:9, 10, 11f) "All the trumpeting and the voice and the fire and smoke and shaking of the mount — this was God saying by suggestion and association what we couldn’t understand in words."

Tozer gives an illustration of God's unspeakable holiness

James Ussher, the 17th-century Irish archbishop, used to go out to the riverbank, kneel down by a log and repent of his sins all Saturday afternoon — though there probably wasn’t a holier man in all the region. He felt how unutterably vile he was; he couldn’t stand the dingy gray which was the whitest thing he had set over against the unapproachable shining whiteness that was God.

In light of the awesomeness of God's holiness Tozer ends his discussion with this prayer:

Oh God, time is running, flying like a frightened bird. The bird of time is on the wing and has a little way to flutter. The wine of life is oozing drop by drop, and the leaves of life are falling one by one. Soon, before the Ineffable every man must appear to give an account for the deeds done in the body. Oh, Father, keep upon us a sense of holiness that we can’t sin and excuse it, but that repentance will be as deep as our lives. This we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.

Is God's Holiness Essential? by David F. Wells (excerpt from "No Place For Truth") -

God is Holy by A. W. Tozer

Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is. Because He is holy, His attributes are holy; that is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy. God is holy and He has made holiness the moral condition necessary to the health of His universe. Sin's temporary presence in the world only accents this. Whatever is holy is healthy; evil is a moral sickness that must end ultimately in death. The formation of the language itself suggests this, the English word holy deriving from the Anglo-Saxon halig, hal, meaning, "well, whole." (From his book "Knowledge of the Holy") 

><>><>><>

John MacDuff...

THE HOLINESS OF GOD - "You only are holy." Rev. 15:4

What a sublime perfection is this! It would seem to form the loftiest theme for the adorations of saints and angels. They cease not day nor night to cry, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" It evokes from the Church on earth her loudest strains- "Let them praise His great and terrible name, for it is Holy!"

Holy, Holy, Holy Three!
One Jehovah evermore!
Father! Son! and Spirit! we,
Dust and ashes, would adore
Lightly by the world esteemed,
From that world by You redeemed,
Sing we here with glad accord.
Holy! Holy! Holy Lord!"

Reader, seek, in some feeble measure, to apprehend the nature of God's unswerving hatred at sin! It is the deep, deliberate, innate opposition of His nature to moral evil, which requires Him to hate it, and visit it with impartial punishment. It is not so much a matter of will as of necessity.

But what pleasure can there be in meditating on so awful a theme? The contemplation of a God "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity"- in whose sight "the heavens are not clean!" Jesus! Your glorious atonement is the mirror in which we can gaze unappalled on this august attribute. Your cross is, to the wide universe, a perpetual monument and memorial of the Holiness of God. It proclaims, as nothing else could, "You love righteousness and hate wickedness!" Through that cross the Holiest of all Beings becomes the most gracious of all. "Now, we can love Him," says a saint who has entered on his rest, "not only although He is holy, but because He is holy."

Gaze, and gaze again on that monumental column, until it teaches the lesson, how vain elsewhere to look for pardon; how delusive that dream; on which multitudes peril their eternal safety, that God will be at last too merciful to punish! Surely, if any less awful vindication could have sufficed- or had it been compatible with the rectitude of the Divine nature, and the requirements of the Divine law, to dispense pardon in any other way, Gethsemane and Calvary, with all their awful exponents of agony, would have been spared. The Almighty victim would not have voluntarily submitted to a life of ignominy and a death of woe, if, by any simpler method, He could have "cleared the guilty." But this was impossible. If He was to "save others," Himself he could not save!

Believer, seek that some faint and feeble emanations from this Divine attribute of Holiness may be yours. Let "Holiness to the Lord" be the superscription on your heart and life. Abounding grace can give no sanction or encouragement to abound in sin. 'His mercy,' says Reynolds, 'is a holy mercy which knows how to pardon sin, not to protect it; it is a sanctuary for the penitent, not for the presumptuous.'

Or, are you tempted to murmur under the dealings of your God? What are the sorest of your trials in comparison with what they might have been, had this Holy God left you to know, in all the sternness of its meaning, how "Glorious He is in Holiness?" Rather marvel, considering your sins, that your trial has been so small- your cross so light. Blessed Jesus! into this sanctuary of "holy mercy" which you have opened for me, I will flee. I can now "give thanks at the remembrance of God's holiness." Deriving, even from this august attribute, one of the 'songs in the night'– "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 (From  -  THE NIGHT WATCHES by John MacDuff)

TORREY'S TOPIC:
HOLINESS

Is incomparable - Ex 15:11; 1 Sam 2:2

EXHIBITED IN HIS
Character -     Ps 22:3; Jn 17:11
Name -Isa 57:15; Luke 1:49
Words -Ps 60:6; Jer 23:9
Works -Ps 145:17
Kingdom -Ps 47:8; Mt13:41;Rev 21:27;1 Cor 6:9,10

IS PLEDGED FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF
His promises -Ps 89:35
His judgments -Am 4:2
Saints are commanded to imitate -Lev 11:44; 1 Pe 1:15,16
Saints should praise -Ps 30:4
Should produce reverential fear -Rev 15:4
Should produce reverential fear -Rev 15:4
Requires holy service -Joshua 24:19; Ps 93:5
Heavenly hosts adore -     Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8
Should be magnified -1Ch16:10; Ps 48:1; 99:3,5; Rev15:4

The Holiness of God by A. W. Pink writes that God

HOLINESS Scriptures:  Ex 15:11; Ps 99:5, 8, 9; Isa 6:3; 57:15; 1Pe 1:15,16; Re 15:4.

"Holiness occupies a place second to none among the attributes of God. Scripture places a chief emphasis on God’s holiness. In fact, He is described by the word “Holy” more than any other. It is the most central, epitomizing attribute of God’s being. As an epithet to God’s Name, “Holy” is what you find most, not “His mighty name,” or “wise name.” Occasionally you read “His great name,” but most of all, it is either “My holy name,” or “His Holy Name.” It is this perfection of God’s being and none other that is celebrated by the Seraphim in Is 6:3. Undoubtedly, because holiness gives a fuller expression of the central feature of God’s being than any other, God Himself said, “once have I sworn by my holiness” (Ps 89:35). He could have sworn by any of His perfections, but He swore by His holiness because it is this attribute which gives the greatest meaning to all the rest. So we are exhorted to sing and give thanks at the remembrance of God’s holiness (Ps. 30:4, KJV).

To be adequately grasped, the holiness of God must be described negatively and positively.

Negatively: Holiness is that perfection in God that totally separates Him from all that is evil and defiling and common. As we call gold pure when it is free from any dross or impurities, or a garment clean when free from any spot, so the nature and actions of God are free from any impurity or evil of any kind whatsoever.

Positively: Holiness refers to the absolute integrity and purity of the nature of God. It means He is always absolutely pure and so distinct from all others. God is pure light (1Jn 1:5).

Holiness is an essential and necessary perfection of God. It is not maintained by an act of His will. He does not choose to be holy because He wants to be. Holiness is an essential and inherent part of His Being. Only God is absolutely holy because only God is God. “There is no one holy like the Lord” (1Sa 2:2). The words “there is no” represents a Hebrew word that properly means, “nothing, nought.” It may deny existence absolutely which certainly is the meaning here. Who can be holy like God? Absolutely no one. So God only is absolute holiness. Men and angels only have derived holiness from Him. Re 15:4 says, “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed.”

(1) God’s holiness means He can never approve of any evil, but perfectly, necessarily, universally, and perpetually abhors all evil. God cannot hate one sinner and indulge another. He can have no respect of persons (Ro 2:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

(2) God’s holiness means He desires holiness in all His creatures (1Pe 1:15, 16).

(3) God’s holiness is the glory and beauty of all of God’s perfections (see Ps 29:2 and Ps 96:9 in the NIV or KJV). As God’s power (arm) gives strength and validity to each of His attributes, as immutability guarantees the continuance of each unchanged, so His holiness gives moral beauty and purity to each: His power is a holy power (Ps 98:1), His word or promise is a holy promise (Ps. 105:42), His name which stands for all His attributes is a holy name (Ps 103:1), and His throne, is a holy throne (Ps 47:8). And so it is with each of God’s attributes, His wisdom, knowledge, mercy, grace, love, goodness, etc., all operate in concert with God’s perfect holiness.

In the outworking and manifestation of God’s holiness there are two other attributes that, though distinct, still seem to function as branches of God’s holiness. There is the legislative or executive branch—God’s righteousness, and the judicial branch—God’s justice. Holiness has to do more with the pure character of God Himself while righteous and justice express that character in God’s dealings and government in the affairs of His creatures, angels, and mankind. So think of the next two perfections of God as the outworking of God’s holiness in God’s government in the universe.

Men do not sufficiently contemplate the character of God (Read his entire sermon The Holiness Of God)

Comment: Beloved, does this not say it all?! The modern church tragically (to a large extent, although not true of all pulpits) ignores the God of the Old Testament (few seem to preach expositionally through the OT books like Leviticus, Ezra, Chronicles, the minor prophets, etc), choosing rather to focus on the NT and God's glorious attribute of love, but missing the balancing attributes such as His justice, holiness, etc. Let us pray that the modern church will heed the timeless warning of Jehovah through His "mouthpiece" (prophet) Jeremiah....

Puritan John Owen writes some thought provoking words

A right understanding of the infinite purity, the glorious essential holiness, of the nature of God, of his absolute eternal righteousness as the Lord and judge of all, will teach men what apprehensions they ought to have of any thing done in them or by them. "our God is a consuming fire." (Heb 12:29-note) "a God of purer eyes than to behold evil," (Hab 1:13) "who will by no means clear the guilty," (Ex 34:7) "whose judgment it is, that they which commit sin are worthy of death," (Ro 1:32-note) "He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins" (Jos 24:19). Whilst the dread and terror of the excellency of his holiness and righteousness is before men, they will not easily betake themselves and their trust unto a righteousness of their own." Therefore as Jeremiah says "Who would not fear Thee, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Thy due! For among all the wise men of the nations & in all their kingdoms, There is none like Thee." (Jer 10:7)

Elsewhere Owen writes that

NAVE'S TOPICAL BIBLE: For the greatest benefit from the following Scriptures, read the text, not passively but instead consciously and actively "interrogating" the text (interrogate with the 5W'S & H), making a list in your life journal of what the Spirit of Christ (Ro 8:9-note) teaches you (1Jn 2:27, Jn 14:26, 16:13) about God and about man. Obey any instructions or commands you encounter, as you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and to "cultivate faithfulness" (NAS, Ps 37:3-see note). Then offer prayers and praise to your Father for graciously teaching you these profitable, eternal truths (cp 2Ti 3:16, 17-notes).

RELATED RESOURCES
HOLINESS OF GOD

Attributes of God - The Holiness of God (The Attribute of Attributes)- by Dr S Lewis Johnson - Mp3, Pdf or MS Word document. This is only one study out of over 100 in depth lectures by Dr Johnson on Systematic Theology including studies of the doctrines of God, Christ, the Spirit, Prayer, Salvation, etc. (click list)

The Lofty One Whose Name Is Holy by John Piper (Is 57:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)

Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Lord of Hosts by John Piper

The Holiness of God by A W Pink

Whatever Happened To God? by James Montgomery Boice - He laments that many in the church have lost a sense of Who God is because they have virtually no appreciation for His attributes (He discusses sovereignty and holiness of God)

The Holiness of God by A. W. TOZER

The Holiness of God by Thomas Watson

The God of Holiness by Octavius Winslow

The Holiness of God (MP3) by Jerry Bridges

 Pursuing Holiness - Part 1 (MP3) by Jerry Bridges

 Pursuing Holiness - Part 2 (MP3) by Jerry Bridges

 Pursuing Holiness - Part 3 (MP3) by Jerry Bridges

Holiness of God by Barry Horner

Holy, Holy, Holy by Ray Pritchard

The Holiness of God from "Let Me See Thy Glory - A Study of the Attributes of God" by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M. Biblical Studies Press 1995

Is God's Holiness Essential? by David Wells

The Holiness Of God by David Legge

A W Tozer on Holiness, Parts 1-3 - Mp3's Online

Hymns Related to God's Holiness
 

FATHER ALL HOLY

FATHER, THINE ELECT WHO LOVEST

HOLY AND REVEREND IS THE NAME

HOLY AS THOU, O LORD, IS NONE

HOLY FATHER, CHEER OUR WAY

HOLY FATHER, GOD ALMIGHTY

HOLY GOD, WE PRAISE THY NAME

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD (Wordsworth)

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD OF HOSTS

MY GOD! HOW PERFECT ARE THY WAYS!

O MY GOD, I FEAR THEE!

ROUND THE LORD IN GLORY SEATED

WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS
 

Holiness Quotes - Tozer, Moody, Spurgeon, O. Chambers, et al

LET ME SEE THY GLORY
A Study of the Attributes of God
by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M.

Preface to the Attributes of God

Exploring the Excellencies of God

The Power of God

The Goodness of God

The Wisdom of God

The Holiness of God

The Righteousness of God

The Wrath of God

The Grace of God

The Sovereignty of God in History

The Sovereignty of God in Salvation - (Romans 9:1-24)

The Nearness of God (Exodus 33:1-16; 34:8-10; Deuteronomy 4:1-7)

The Immutability of God

The Joy of God

The Invisibility of God (Genesis 32:22-30; Exodus 24:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:17)

The Forgiving God

The Truth of God

The Love of God