The Attributes of God - Part 1a

Updated: Sat, 04/06/2024 - 11:43 By admin

INDEX TO ATTRIBUTES

ETERNAL

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 - "the Navy Hymn")

God's very Name, El Olam: Everlasting God, assured Abraham (and us) of the unbreakable and everlasting nature of the covenant God had made with him.

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

COMMENT - The Hebrew word for Everlasting is olam which is translated by aionios. There are false teachers especially those who teach the false doctrine of universalism which holds the unbiblical belief that every soul ever born will be saved and saved forever. Obviously, universalists seek to distort and pervert the Biblical meaning of aionios as meaning something other than eternal. But if God is not the Everlasting God, then they have a major dilemma! They have to directly refute the inspired Word from God Himself. Here in Genesis He is saying that He is the Eternal God. There is simply no other way to interpret what He says about Himself. It follows that if "eternal" (aionios) does not mean eternal, then either God is confused or He is a liar, and of course He is neither (1 Cor 14:33, Nu 23:19, Titus 1:2+). He is the absolute Essence of Truth. Beloved, it could not be more clearly stated that God is eternal and hallelujah, those who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ will experience eternal life with Him in His glorious presence. But tragically and sadly, those who refuse to believe in Jesus will experience eternal death and "will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." (2 Th 1:9) Dear reader, if you have not yet placed your faith in the Eternal God Christ Jesus. the Messiah, the Lamb of God Who (Alone) takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29+), then do not put off this "decision of a lifetime," one that will immediately result in your being rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred (Col 1:13+) from the prospect of eternal death to the certainty of eternal life in Christ. May the Spirit of God draw you and grant you the grace to believe in Jesus Christ, "the Everlasting (Hebrew = olam; Lxx = aionios) God, the LORD, the Creator (Heb 1:2+, Jn 1:3+, Col 1:16+) of the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 40:28) Amen

Related Resources:

El Olam: Everlasting God

Digression on Eternal - The Greek Word Aionios

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? 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." (BORROW Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament

Our God, Our Help In Ages Past
Isaac Watts

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")

Scriptures alluding to the eternality of God

Ps 102:27 Thou art the same (IMMUTABILITY) and Thy years will not come to an end (ETERNALITY)

But thou art the same, or, "thou art he." As a man remains the same when he has changed his clothing, so is the Lord evermore the unchanging One, though his works in creation may be changed, and the operations of his providence may vary. When heaven and earth shall flee away from the dread presence of the great Judge, he will be unaltered by the terrible confusion, and the world in conflagration will effect no change in him; even so, the Psalmist remembered that when Israel was vanquished, her capital destroyed, and her temple levelled with the ground, her God remained the same self-existent, all-sufficient being, and would restore his people, even as he will restore the heavens and the earth, bestowing at the same time a new glory never known before. The doctrine of the immutability of God should be more considered than it is, for the neglect of it tinges the theology of many religious teachers, and makes them utter many things of which they would have seen the absurdity long ago if they had remembered the divine declaration, "I am God, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." And thy years shall have no end. God lives on, no decay can happen to him, or destruction overtake him. What a joy is this! We may lose our dearest earthly friends, but not our heavenly Friend. Men's days are often suddenly cut short, and at the longest they are but few, but the years of the right hand of the Most High cannot be counted, for they have neither first nor last, beginning nor end. O my soul, rejoice thou in the Lord always, since he is always the same. (Spurgeon's Comment on Ps 102:27)

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
Ernest Shurtleff

Lead on, O King eternal,
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal,
Till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords’ loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy
The heavenly kingdom comes.

Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted over us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.

Norman Geisler addresses a question skeptics often ask about God's eternality…

IF GOD IS ETERNAL, WHEN DID HE CREATE THE WORLD? This asks a confused question. Being in time, we can imagine a moment before the beginning of time, yet there really was no such moment. God did not create the world in time; He is responsible for the creation of time. There was no time “before” time. There was only eternity. The word “when” assumes that there was a time before time. This is like asking, “Where was the man when he jumped off the bridge?” On the bridge? That was before he jumped. In the air? That was after. In this question, “when” assumes a definite point for a process action. Jumping is the process of going from the bridge to the air. In the question about Creation, it tries to put God into time rather than starting it. We can speak of a creation of time, but not in time. (BORROW Norman Geisler When Skeptics Ask A Handbook)

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

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 ).

Spurgeon on Ps 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth. Before those elder giants had struggled forth from nature's womb, as her dread firstborn, the Lord was glorious and self sufficient. Mountains to him, though hoar with the snows of ages, are but new born babes, young things whose birth was but yesterday, mere novelties of an hour. Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world. Here too the allusion is to a birth. Earth was born but the other day, and her solid land was delivered from the flood but a short while ago. Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God, or, "thou art, O God." God was, when nothing else was. He was God when the earth was not a world but a chaos, when mountains were not upheaved, and the generation of the heavens and the earth had not commenced. In this Eternal One there is a safe abode for the successive generations of men. If God himself were of yesterday, he would not be a suitable refuge for mortal men; if he could change and cease to be God he would be but an uncertain dwelling place for his people. The eternal existence of God is here mentioned to set forth, by contrast, the brevity of human life.

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
William P McKenzie

Trust the Eternal, when the shadows gather,
When joys of daylight seem so like a dream;
God the unchanging, pities like a father:
Trust on and wait, the daystar yet shall gleam.

Trust the Eternal, for the clouds that vanish
No more can move the mountains from their base
Than sin’s illusive wreaths of mist can banish
Light from His throne or loving from His Face.

Trust the Eternal, repent in meekness
Of that heart’s pride which frowns and will not yield,
Then to thy child-heart shall come strength in weakness,
And thine immortal life shall be revealed.

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).

Genesis 21:33; Exodus 3:15; 15:18; Deuteronomy 32:40; 33:27; 1Chronicles 16:36; 29:10; Nehemiah 9:5; Job 36:26; Psalms 9:7; 33:11; 41:13; 55:19; 68:33; 90:1,2,4; 92:8; 93:2; 102:12,24, 25, 26, 27; 104:31; 111:3; 135:13; 145:13; 146:10; Proverbs 8:23, 24, 25; Isaiah 26:4; 40:28; 41:4; 43:13; 44:6; 46:4; 48:12; 57:15; 63:16; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:12; Lamentations 5:19; Daniel 4:3,34; Micah 5:2; Habakkuk 1:12; 3:6; Romans 1:20; 16:26; Ephesians 3:21; 1Timothy 1:17; 6:15,16; Hebrews 1:8; 9:14; 2Peter 3:8; 1John 2:13; Revelation 1:4,6; 4:8, 9, 10; 5:14; 10:6; 11:17; 15:7; 16:5

The Eternal God (Jeremiah 10:10)

If we stand on a street corner to watch a parade, our limited vision permits us to see the various floats and bands only as they come into view and pass by in succession. But if we were to hover high above in a helicopter, we would see the entire parade route and everybody and everything in it.

This helps us understand the way it is with God, the timeless One. He sees human events from a perspective that is so much broader than ours. He has an all-encompassing view and sees everything from start to finish.

The fact that God exists “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90.12) is not only a profound theological statement but a comforting and reassuring truth as well. Because “He is King” (Jeremiah 10:10), without beginning or ending, we have the confidence that He can be relied upon to keep His promises and complete all His plans to us.

Nothing in our lives, whether big or small, takes God by surprise. The eternal, all-knowing One is fully aware of everything that has already occurred, that is now taking place, and that will yet happen.

I’m glad we serve an eternal, all-knowing God, aren’t you? – Richard De Haan. (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Our earthly sight is limited,
The future we can’t see;
Let come what may, one thing we know:
Our God will faithful be.
– Hess

In a changing world, God’s changeless character gives us confidence.

(Click to go to the full devotional including a related picture and a link at the bottom of the page to one of their excellent devotional booklets. Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

The Best Is Yet to Come

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

Today's Scripture & Insight: Deuteronomy 34:1–12

Are the best days of your life behind or in front of you? Our outlook on life—and our answer to that question—can change with time. When we’re younger, we look ahead, wanting to grow up. And once we’ve grown older, we yearn for the past, wanting to be young again. But when we walk with God, whatever our age, the best is yet to come!

Over the course of his long life, Moses witnessed the amazing things God did, and many of those amazing things happened when he was no longer a young man. Moses was 80 years old when he confronted Pharaoh and saw God miraculously set His people free from slavery (Ex. 3–13). Moses saw the Red Sea part, saw manna fall from heaven, and even spoke with God “face to face” (14:21; 16:4; 33:11).

Throughout his life, Moses lived expectantly, looking ahead to what God would do (Heb. 11:24–27). He was 120 years old in his final year of life on this earth, and even then he understood that his life with God was just getting started and that he would never see an end to God’s greatness and love.

Regardless of our age, “the eternal God is [our] refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27) that faithfully carry us into His joy each day. By: James Banks

Reflect & Pray

O Lord my God, I praise You for all You have done in the past. I look forward with thankfulness for all You will do in the future. And I thank You for today and all Your blessings.

When we walk with God, the best is yet to come.

Our Eternal God

[Jesus said,] “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” —John 10:28

Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:13-16

Late one afternoon I stood at the stern of a ferry boat churning its way from New York City across the Hudson River to New Jersey. As the towering structures of Manhattan receded from sight, my mind suddenly recalled these words from a poem: “These all shall perish stone on stone, but not Thy kingdom nor Thy throne.”

A few years later the devastating terrorist attack on the World Trade Center left an ugly gap in that soaring skyline. Everything in the world around us is subject to decline. Beautiful flowers wither and die. Even California’s towering sequoias, hardy survivors for long centuries, are gradually being eaten away by the gnawing tooth of time.

As for our bodies, we grow older daily and lose the vitality of our younger years. God alone possesses immortality in Himself, which means that He abides forever (1 Timothy 6:16). The simple truth must be faced that nothing is permanent-only God is everlasting.

Yet by faith in Jesus Christ, we can receive life that will never end. He promised us, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. . . . and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). By: Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Reflect & Pray

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious-Thy great name we praise.
-Smith

To give your life to Christ now is to keep it forever.

The Eternal God

The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. —Jeremiah 10:10

Today's Scripture: Jeremiah 10:6-13

The fact that God exists “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2) is not only a profound theological statement but a comforting and reassuring truth as well. Because “He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jeremiah 10:10), without beginning or ending, we have the confidence that He can be relied upon to keep His promises and complete all His plans for us.

I’m glad we serve an eternal, all-knowing God, aren’t you? By: Richard DeHaan (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Reflect & Pray

Our earthly sight is limited,
The future we can't see;
Let come what may, one thing we know:
Our God will faithful be.
—Hess

In a changing world, God's changeless character gives us confidence.

AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. —Colossians 3:2 (See "Vertical Vision")

In the film Gladiator, General Maximus Decimus Meridius seeks to stir his cavalry to fight well in the imminent battle against Germania. Addressing his troops, he challenges them to give their very best. He makes this profound statement: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

These words from a fictional military leader convey a powerful concept that is of particular significance to believers in Christ. We are not just taking up time and space on a rock that’s floating in the universe. We are here with the opportunity to make an eternal difference with our lives.

Jesus Himself said, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:20). Having the perspective of living for eternity can make all the difference in this world.

How can we learn to set our minds “on things above”? (Col. 3:2). A good way to begin is to discover what our eternal God values. Throughout the pages of the Bible He reminds us that He values people above possessions and our character above our performance. Those are the truths that last forever. (ED: WHEN GOD TAKES THE MEASURE OF A MAN, HE DOES NOT PUT IT AROUND HIS HEAD TO SEE HOW MUCH HE KNOWS, BUT HE PUTS THE TAPE AROUND HIS HEART TO SEE HOW MUCH HE OBEYS! WOE!) Embracing them can bring an eternal perspective to our daily living. Bill Crowder (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

WHAT WE DO IN THIS LIFE ECHOES IN ETERNITY.
(READ THAT ONCE MORE SO THAT IT SOAKS IN!)

EVERLASTING ARMS

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms (play song). —Deuteronomy 33:27

After a rehearsal Randall Atcheson sat on stage alone. He had successfully navigated the intricate piano compositions of Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt for the evening programme, and he wanted to play one more piece for himself. What came from his heart and his hands was an old hymn: “What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.”

Those words echo the truth in the final blessing of Moses: “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:26-27).

What a gift we have in our own arms and hands—they can swing a hammer, hold a child or help a friend. But while our strength is limited, God’s boundless power on our behalf is expressed in His might and gentle care. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save” (Isa. 59:1). “He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom” (Isa 40:11).

Whatever challenge or opportunity you face, there is security and peace in His everlasting arms.

THE HEAVENLY FATHER’S ARMS NEVER TIRE OF HOLDING HIS CHILDREN.

David C. McCasland (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

A Stroll With God

Read: Psalm 56:1-4

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. —Deuteronomy 33:27+

Etty Hillesum was a young Jewish woman living in Amsterdam in 1942. During that time, the Nazis were arresting Jews and herding them off to concentration camps. As she awaited inevitable arrest, and with a fear of the unknown, she began to read the Bible—and met Jesus. She simply put her hand in God’s hand and found rare courage and confidence.

Etty wrote in her diary: “From all sides our destruction creeps up on us and soon the ring will be closed and no one at all will be able to come to our aid. But I don’t feel that I am in anybody’s clutches. I feel safe in God’s arms. And whether I am sitting at my beloved old desk in the Jewish district or in a labor camp under SS guards, I shall feel safe in God’s arms. For once you have begun to walk with God, you need only keep on walking with Him, and all of life becomes one long stroll.”

Etty was a living, courageous picture of the psalmist’s declaration: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. . . . What can flesh do to me?” (56:3-4). What a challenge for anyone plagued by fear!

As we sense the strength of God’s everlasting arms beneath us (Dt. 33:27), we can stroll through life with confidence, holding the hand of our unseen Companion.

You can be confident about tomorrow if you walk with God today.

By Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Our New Home

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city.Revelation 22:3

Today's Scripture & Insight:Revelation 22:1–5

As the first immigrant to the US to pass through Ellis Island in 1892, Annie Moore must have felt incredible excitement at the thought of a new home and a fresh start. Millions would pass through there afterward. Just a teenager, Annie had left behind a difficult life in Ireland to start a new one. Carrying only a little bag in her hand, she came with lots of dreams, hopes, and expectations of a land of opportunity.

How much more excitement and awe will God’s children experience when we see “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). We will enter what the book of Revelation calls “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem” (v. 2). The apostle John describes this amazing place with powerful imagery. There will be “the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (22:1). Water represents life and abundance, and its source will be the eternal God Himself. John says that “no longer will there be any curse” (v. 3). The beautiful, pure relationship God intended between Himself and humans will be fully restored.

How incredible to know that God, who loves His children and purchased us with the life of His Son, is preparing such an amazing new home—where He Himself will live with us and be our God (21:3). By: Estera Pirosca Escobar (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Reflect & Pray

What comes to mind when you think about heaven? How does this passage from Revelation encourage you?

Father, thank You for Your love! We’re excited as we wait for that day when we will live in peace with You and each other in heaven.

RELATED RESOURCES
ETERNAL

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 - J. Hampton Keathley III
From Everlasting to Everlasting - Richard L. Strauss
Discourse On the Eternity of God -Stephen Charnock (from his classic work "The Attributes of God")
The Eternity of God -Thomas Watson
The Eternity of God - A W Tozer
Eternal by C H Spurgeon
Hymns related to Eternal

FAITHFULNESS

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)

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 on Ps 119:90 - Sermon 95 on - 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 (Heb 10:23-note).

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 and 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-note; Ps 84:11; Isa 33:16, Spurgeon)
Spiritual blessings (1Co 1:9)
Support in temptation (1Cor 10:13-note)
Support in persecution (1Pe 4:12, 13-note; Isa 41:10 Spurgeon)
Sanctifying discipline (He 12:4-12-note)
Direction in difficulties (2Chr 32:22; Ps 32:8)
Enabling of His own to persevere (Jer 32:40)
Bringing to glory (1Jn 2:25-note).
In the Old Testament, God’s faithfulness and covenant love are closely related (Deut 7:9)

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)

TORREY'S TOPIC: 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

MANIFESTED

In his counsels -Is 25:1
In afflicting his saints -Ps 119:75
In fulfilling his promises -1Ki 8:20; Ps 132:11; Mic 7:20; He 10:23
In keeping his covenant -Dt 7:9; Ps 111:5
In executing his judgments -Je 23:20; 51:29
In forgiving sins -1Jn 1:9
To his saints -Ps 89:24; 2Th 3:3
Saints encouraged to depend on -1Pe 4:19
Should be magnified -Ps 89:5; 92:2

John MacDuff on the Faithfulness of God…

"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'!

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 (See MacDuff's related work The Faithful Promiser)

All Christians rest upon the faithfulness of God. Our unchangeable God who never falters, never fails in His promise (cp Josh 23:14, 21:43, 44, 45!) is the very foundation of our faith and the ground of our security. That is what gives stability and strength to our faith; we can count on it. We have the same God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had, that David prayed to and wrote his Psalms in praise of -- all this constitutes for us the bedrock of security that we rest upon it in every single day. Ray Stedman (from sermon "God's Faithfulness: Israel & the New Covenant")

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) .

Action To Take: Think back to a time in your life when you doubted God’s faithfulness. Now list the ways He has since proven Himself faithful, the things He has done which He promised in His Word He would do.

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. 4:1-7,20-24). 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. 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. --M R De Haan II (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

God Is Faithful - His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. —Lamentations 3:22-23 - At the end of every year, I set aside some time to review the previous 12 months and record God’s faithfulness to me and my family. I may leaf through a calendar, my appointment book, or prayer diary to jog my memory. Then, on a piece of paper labeled “God’s Faithfulness” I’ll write everything that comes to mind as evidence of God’s love and care. It’s a wonderful way to look back at the year and look forward to a fresh beginning. My list will certainly include instances of God’s grace and provision. But it will also chronicle God’s presence during times of difficulty and disappointment. And it must include my failures and sins, which He has been “faithful and just” to forgive (1 John 1:9-note). The prophet Jeremiah found that God’s trustworthiness appeared as a light during the darkness of desperate circumstances. In his lament over the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah wrote, “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses (plural) indeed never cease, for (term of explanation = explains why they never "cease") His compassions (plural) never fail. 23They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. ” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Today, why not take time to record God’s faithfulness to you and thank Him for it. —David McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Lord, help us bring to mind each day
Past blessings that You've sent our way;
And may these blessings from above
Remind us of Your faithful love.
—D. De Haan

Adding up your blessings
will multiply your joy.

The Father’s Faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23) - Hudson Taylor, the humble servant of God to China, demonstrated extraordinary trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote:

“Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning… He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all… Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

We may be faint and weary, but our heavenly Father is all-powerful. Our feelings may fluctuate, but He is unchangeable. Even creation itself is a record of His steadfastness. That’s why we can sing these words from a hymn by Thomas Chisholm: “Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.” What an encouragement to live for Him! Our strength for the present and hope for the future are not based on the stability of our own perseverance but on the fidelity of God. No matter what our need, we can count on the Father’s faithfulness.

He who abandons himself to God
will never be abandoned by God.

Feelings And Faithfulness - Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. —Psalm 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 (1 Th. 5:24; 2 Th. 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. (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Our God is God—He does not change;
His truth and love remain the same.
He's faithful to His matchless name,
For God is God—He does not change.
—DJD

Trusting God's faithfulness
dispels our fearfulness.

The Faithfulness Of God - Read: Mark 11:20-26

Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.” —Mark 11:22

Some of Jesus’ words to His disciples about having faith in God leave me wondering if I can ever exercise that level of trust and confidence in prayer. I can’t recall telling a mountain to relocate itself into the ocean and watching it happen.

Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to China, said that Jesus’ words in Mark 11:22, “Have faith in God,” could be translated,

“Hold on to the faithfulness of God.” (Ed comment: Don't you love it! But oh, it begs the question - to what are we clinging for comfort or security in this brief/temporal life? Only the infinitely, eternally faithful God will never let us down!)

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, former pastor of London’s Westminster Chapel, appreciated Taylor’s insight and said:

“Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong. Faith does not look at the difficulties. . . . Faith does not look at itself or at the person who is exercising it. Faith looks at God . . . . Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God and it praises God and it extols the virtues of God. The measure of the strength of a man’s faith, always, is ultimately the measure of his knowledge of God. . . . He knows God so well that he can rest on the knowledge. And it is the prayers of such a man that are answered.”

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations” (Ps. 119:89-90). - David McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Trust in Him, ye saints, forever—
He is faithful, changing never;
Neither force nor guile can sever
Those He loves from Him.
—Kelly

Life is not always fair,
but God is always faithful.

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)

Our God is God--He does not change;
His truth and love remain the same.
He's faithful to His matchless name,
For God is God--He does not change.
--DJD

Ge 6:18; 9:15,16; 21:1; 24:27; 28:15; 32:10; Exodus 2:24; 6:4,5; 12:41; 34:6; Leviticus 26:44,45; Deuteronomy 4:31; 7:8,9; 9:5; 31:6; 32:4; Joshua 21:45; 23:14; Judges 2:1; 1Samuel 12:22; 2Samuel 7:14,15,28; 22:31; 23:5; 1Ki 8:15,20,23,24,56; 2Kings 8:19; 13:23; 1Chronicles 17:27; 28:20; 2Chronicles 6:4-15; 21:7; Ezra 9:9; Nehemiah 1:5; 9:7,8,32; Psalms 9:10; 18:30; 19:9; 25:10; 31:5; 33:4; 36:5; 37:28; 40:10; 89:1,2,5,8,14,24,28,33,34; 92:1,2,14,15; 94:14; 98:3; 100:5; 103:17; 105:8,42; 111:5,7, 8, 9; 117:2; 119:65,89,90; 121:3,4; 132:11; 138:2; 146:6; Isaiah 11:5; 25:1; 42:16; 44:21; 49:7,16; 51:6,8; 54:9,10; 65:16; Jeremiah 29:10; 31:36,37; 32:40; 33:14,20,21,25,26; 51:5; Lamentations 3:23; Ezekiel 16:60,62; Daniel 9:4; Hosea 2:19,20; Micah 7:20; Haggai 2:5; Zechariah 9:11; Matthew 24:34,35; Luke 1:54,55,68, 69, 70,72,73; John 8:26; Acts 13:32,33; Romans 3:3,4; 11:1,2,29; 15:8; 1Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 2Corinthians 1:20; 1Thessalonians 5:24; 2Timothy 2:13; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:10,13-19; 10:22,23,37; 1Peter 4:19; 2Peter 3:9; 1 John 1:9; Re 6:10; 15:3

FAITHFUL
FAITHFULNESS

The Faithfulness of God by A. W. Pink (See his book Attributes of God)
The Faithfulness of God by A. W. TOZER
The Faithfulness of God by A. W. Tozer - Audio
Faithful to Finish His Work in You - Php 1:6 (note) by Ray Pritchard
Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Ray Pritchard
The Faithfulness Of God by David Legge
Knowing Your God by David Legge
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

Related Resources:

American Tract Society Faithful Faithfulness
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Faithfulness
Charles Buck Dictionary Faithfulness of God
Easton's Bible Dictionary Faithful
Holman Bible Dictionary Faithful
Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Faithfulness (2) Faithfulness
Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary Faithful
Vines' Expository Dictionary Faithfulness
Webster Dictionary Faithful
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Faithful; Faithfulness
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Faithful
Nave Topical Bible Faithfulness
Thompson Chain Reference Faithful Faithfulness
Torrey Topical Textbook Faithfulness Faithfulness of God, the

FOREKNOWS
FOREKNOWLEDGE

Foreknowledge describes God’s knowledge of future events, including future free human choices. In His omniscience God knows what the future holds both for individuals and for nations. He knows and sees everything in advance and His will is carried out in accord with His plans and purposes. Foreknowledge does not just describe the truth that God knew something would happen before it happened (although it is true that He did) but that He also gave prior consent to the happening. A common misconception is to conclude that God knew beforehand who would believe on His Son and then predestined those individuals for salvation.

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…

In His omniscience God knows what the future holds both for individuals and for nations. He knows and sees everything in advance and his will is carried out in accord with his plans and purposes… Foreknowledge is closely connected to election and predestination and to God's Sovereign rule of His universe. (Foreknowledge in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. See also Elect, Election; God; Predestination)

John Piper warns of…

An increasingly popular movement afoot today is called "open theism," which denies that God has exhaustive, definite foreknowledge of the. entire future. (Desiring God) (See Piper's online book Beyond the Bounds - in which he confronts the unsound doctrine of Open Theism)

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

one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to Him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite.

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

God’s foreknowledge is much more than foresight. God does not know future events and human actions because He foresees them; He knows them because He wills them to happen. Thus God’s foreknowledge is an act of His will. (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

John Macarthur comments on foreknowledge that

A common explanation of election is that the elect are chosen because God knew beforehand what they would do. That defines foreknowledge as foresight. I've heard it explained that God looked down through the eons of history, saw by virtue of His omniscience what you and I would do, and then chose or didn't choose us based on whether we did or didn't believe. That at first sounds like a good explanation--but it's not the truth. There are several reasons for wanting to believe that God's foreknowledge means foresight. Our fallen nature desperately want some responsibility for our salvation. Likewise our fallen perspective makes God's sovereign choice appear unfair. But because our minds are polluted by sin, we are in no position to exalt our pride and call ourselves virtuous, or pull down the justice of God and call Him unfair." (Read Dr Macarthur's interesting explanation of why many men want to believe that foreknowledge is simply foresight. Scroll down to the section entitled "Man's Decline") (Bolding added)

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).

1Sa 23:10, 12; Isa 42:9; 44:7; 45:11; 46:9,10; 48:3,5,6; Jer 1:5; Da 2:28,29; Mt 6:8; 24:36; Acts 15:18; Ro 8:29; 11:2; 1Pe 1:2

RELATED RESOURCES
FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD

The Foreknowledge of God by A. W. Pink (See his book Attributes of God)
Resources on The Foreknowledge of God - John Piper
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Foreknowledge
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Foreknowledge
Charles Buck Dictionary Foreknowledge of God
CARM Theological Dictionary Foreknow, foreknowledge
Easton's Bible Dictionary Foreknowledge of God
Holman Bible Dictionary Foreknowledge
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Foreknowledge
Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Foreknowledge
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Foreknow; Foreknowledge
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Foreknowledge
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

GOOD, GOODNESS

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.

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 "That is His nature always inclines irresistibly toward righteousness. God is never torn by evil motives. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1Jn 1:5). So He does not need to be reminded about the duty of His deity. No one needs to say, "Now today, God, mind Your manners, do what's right, avoid evil, remember the ten commandments." (Walk by the Spirit! Desiring God Christian Resource Library)

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 has two sheepdogs: Goodness and Mercy (Ps 23:6-note). He sends them to us from His throne of grace; sometimes to bark at us, to badger us; sometimes to woo us by persuading us that His will is good and perfect for our lives.

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:

(1) We can believe what He says to us.

(2) We can have confidence in waiting for His rescue.

(3) We can entrust our future to His care.

(4) We can rely on His wisdom and guidance.

(5) We can know that what He asks us to do is always the best for us…

(1) What are some examples of God's goodness to all people?

(2) Is God ever against you? How do you know?

(3) How is God's goodness expressed in His justice? In His mercy? In His love? In His anger?

(4) How have you responded to God's goodness in the last week?

(5) Have you personally experienced God's goodness as it is expressed in the salvation offered in Jesus Christ?

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)

For a somewhat more "rousing" song on the goodness of our great God, watch Don Moen sing - God is Good or if you want a bit of country listen to Keith Urban's God is Good or a young child singing God is So Good

TORREY'S TOPIC: GOODNESS:

Is part of His character-Ps 25:8; Nah 1:7; Mt 19:17
Great -Neh 9:35; Zec 9:17
Rich -Ps 104:24; Ro 2:4
Abundant -Ex 34:6; Ps 33:5
Satisfying -Ps 65:4; Jer 31:12,14
Enduring -Ps 23:6; 52:1
Universal -Ps 145:9; Mt 5:45

MANIFESTED:

To his Church -Ps 31:19; La 3:25
In doing good -Ps 119:68; 145:9
In supplying temporal wants -Acts 14:17
In providing for the poor -Ps 68:10
In forgiving sins -2Chr 30:18; Ps 86:5
Leads to repentance -Ro 2:4
Recognize, in his dealings -Ezra 8:18; Neh 2:18
Pray for the manifestation of -2Th 1:11
Despise not -Ro 2:4
Reverence -Jer 33:9; Hos 3:5
Magnify -Ps 107:8; Jer 33:11
Urge others to confide in -Ps 34:8
The wicked disregard -Neh 9:35

God Is Good - Read: Genesis 3:1-7

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. —Psalm 25:8

The phrase “God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good” is repeated by many Christians almost like a mantra. I often wonder if they really believe it or even think about what they’re saying. I sometimes doubt God’s goodness—especially when it feels as though God isn’t hearing or answering my prayers. I assume that if others were more honest, they’d admit they feel the same way.

The serpent planted a doubt in Eve’s mind about whether God had been good to her and had her best interest at heart. He said, “God knows that in the day you eat of [the fruit] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Satan tried to convince her to believe that God was holding out on her and not giving her something really good—more knowledge.

Do you feel as though God isn’t answering your prayers? Are you tempted to doubt His goodness? When I feel this way, I have to remind myself that my circumstances aren’t the barometer of God’s love and goodness—the cross is. He has shown how good He is by giving His only Son Jesus to die for our sin. We can’t rely on our feelings. But day by day as we choose to trust Him more, we learn to believe with confidence that God is good—all the time. - Anne Cetas (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

When you are tempted to deny
God’s goodness, love, and grace,
Look to the cross of Calvary,
Where Jesus took your place. —Sper

Circumstances aren’t the barometer of God’s love and goodness—the cross is.

Is He Good? - Read: Genesis 3:1-8

He said to the woman, “Did God really say . . . ?” Genesis 3:1

“I don’t think God is good,” my friend told me. She had been praying for years about some difficult issues, but nothing had improved. Her anger and bitterness over God’s silence grew. Knowing her well, I sensed that deep down she believed God is good, but the continual pain in her heart and God’s seeming lack of interest caused her to doubt. It was easier for her to get angry than to bear the sadness.

Doubting God’s goodness is as old as Adam and Eve (Gen. 3). The serpent put that thought in Eve’s mind when he suggested that God was withholding the fruit from her because “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Ge 3:5). In pride, Adam and Eve thought they, rather than God, should determine what was good for them.

Let's help each other see the truth that God is good.

Years after losing a daughter in death, James Bryan Smith found he was able to affirm God’s goodness. In his book The Good and Beautiful God, Smith wrote, "God's goodness is not something I get to decide upon. I am a human being with limited understanding." Smith’s amazing comment isn’t naïve; it arises out of years of processing his grief and seeking God’s heart.

In times of discouragement, let’s listen well to each other and help each other see the truth that God is good.

Lord, we will praise You in our difficult times like the psalmist did. You know us, and we turn to You because we know You are good.

For more on this topic, read Why Doesn't God Answer Me from Discovery Series.

INSIGHT:Today’s reading unveils one of the central strategies of our enemy, Satan. In addition to suppressing God’s truth, Satan uses Scripture for his own evil ends by tempting the believer to doubt its truth. When we experience doubts concerning the Word of God, we can follow our Lord’s example and cite Scripture with confidence (Matt. 4). Scripture is an offensive weapon against our enemy (Eph. 6:10–18).

A Good God Read: Psalm 46

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. —Psalm 9:9

When my brother-in-law was a missionary in Mali, West Africa, he was involved in a traffic accident. A man had wandered into the road in front of Chuck’s motorcycle. The cycle struck the man and sent Chuck and the bike sliding along the ground for more than 200 feet. Shortly after Chuck regained consciousness in the hospital, his doctor told him he had been “really lucky.” Chuck smiled and replied, “God is good.”

Later he thought about the day’s events. The man who was struck hadn’t received any permanent injuries, and Chuck would also recover from his injuries. But what if one of them had been killed? He thought, God would be no less good.

When we experience tragedy, we may wonder about God’s goodness. Is God always good? Yes, He is. He doesn’t promise that bad things will never happen to us, but He does promise to be “our refuge and strength” (Ps. 46:1). He doesn’t promise that we will never walk through heart-wrenching circumstances, but He promises that we won’t be alone (Ps 23:4).

God is good—no matter what suffering we are experiencing. Even when we don’t understand, we can say with Habakkuk, “Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab 3:18). - Cindy Hess Kasper (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

O taste and see that God is good
To all who seek His face;
Yea, blest the one who trusts in Him,
Confiding in His grace. —Psalter

God tests our faith so that we may trust His faithfulness.

I’m Good - Read: Matthew 19:16-26

[Jesus said,] “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” —Matthew 19:17

When someone asks, “How are you?” it has become common for the response to be, “I’m good.” When we say this, we are really saying, “I’m well” or “I’m doing fine,” speaking of our general well-being and not our character. I have answered with that response more times than I can count, but lately it has begun to bother me. Because, whether we realize it or not, we are saying something specific when we use the word good.

Jesus once encountered a wealthy young man who called Him “Good Teacher” (Matt. 19:16). The young man was right, for Jesus is both good (completely perfect) and the Teacher. He is the only One who can truly make that claim.

The Lord, however, challenged the man to think about what he was saying in using that term good. “So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments’” (Mt 19:17). Jesus wanted the man to understand that the assertion he was making needed to be taken seriously. Jesus can be called “good” because He is God.

Next time someone asks you, “How are you?” it is great to be able to say, “I’m well.” But remember, only Jesus is good. - Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Eternal with the Father, One,
Is Jesus Christ, His own dear Son;
In Him God’s fullness we can see,
For Jesus Christ is deity.
—D. De Haan

God is great and God is good, but without Him we are neither.

God Is Great, God Is Good - Read: Nahum 1:1-8

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power . . . . The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble. —Nahum 1:3,7

When we were children, my brother and I recited this prayer every night before supper: “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for this food.” For years I spoke the words of this prayer without stopping to consider what life would be like if it were not true—if God were not both great and good.

Without His greatness maintaining order in the universe, the galaxies would be a junkyard of banged-up stars and planets. And without His goodness saying “enough” to every evil despot, the earth would be a playground ruled by the biggest bully.

That simple childhood prayer celebrates two profound attributes of God: His transcendence and His immanence. Transcendence means that His greatness is beyond our comprehension. Immanence describes His nearness to us. The greatness of the almighty God sends us to our knees in humility. But the goodness of God lifts us back to our feet in grateful, jubilant praise. The One who is above everything humbled Himself and became one of us (Psalm 135:5; Philippians 2:8).

Thank God that He uses His greatness not to destroy us but to save us, and that He uses His goodness not as a reason to reject us but as a way to reach us. - Julie Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious—Thy great name we praise.
—Smith

When you taste God's goodness,
His praise will be on your lips.

God’s Good Heart - Read: Romans 5:1-11

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. James 1:2

Roger had been through a lot. He had open-heart surgery to repair a leaky valve. Then, within just a couple of weeks, doctors had to perform the surgery again because of complications. He had just begun to heal with physical therapy when he had a biking accident and broke his collarbone. Added to this, Roger also experienced the heartbreak of losing his mother during this time. He became very discouraged. When a friend asked him if he had seen God at work in any small ways, he confessed that he really didn’t feel he had.

I appreciate Roger’s honesty. Feelings of discouragement or doubt are part of my life too. In Romans, the apostle Paul says, “We can rejoice . . . when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation” (Ro 5:3-4 nlt). But that doesn’t mean we always feel the joy. We may just need someone to sit down and listen to us pour out our hearts to them, and to talk with God. Sometimes it takes looking back on the situation before we see how our faith has grown during trials and doubts.

Knowing that God wants to use our difficulties to strengthen our faith can help us to trust His good heart for us.

In what ways has God used trials in your life? Are you learning to trust Him more?

INSIGHT: In the letter to the Romans, Paul discusses what salvation means. Today’s passage twice mentions that we are justified, which means to be made right with God. In verse 1 Paul says that this happens by faith, and in verse 9 he writes that the blood of Christ justifies us. The sacrifice of Christ’s blood for us is what makes justification possible, and faith is how we receive that justification. Hebrews 9:22 tells us: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (niv). J.R. Hudberg

Joy On The Journey

Read: Psalm 145:1-21

The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. —Psalm 145:9

What the evangelist said shocked many in his audience: “Heaven is my home, but I’m not homesick.” He wasn’t downplaying the anticipation we should have for heaven. He was reflecting the truth that our heavenly Father wants us to enjoy with gratitude the good things He has provided for us in this world. This old Jewish proverb reinforces the idea: “In the judgment, a man will be held accountable for every blessing he refused to enjoy.”

For those who are near the end of life, are lonely or depressed, or whose bodies are weak and disease-ravaged, it is understandable that they long for the indescribable blessings of the land of no more heartache, pain, and tears. But as Christians, we certainly must not disregard the daily mercies and the rich bounties our Father gives to us. The Bible says that God “gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). His goodness is shown to all mankind in “rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). In other words, all of us, even non-Christians, are able to enjoy much of life’s goodness.

Yes, heaven awaits us, but God wants us to be glad and enjoy all His goodness as we journey homeward. By Vernon Grounds (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

The God who put us here on earth
Knows life is tinged with sadness,
And so He offers many things
That fill our hearts with gladness. —Hess

God is good to all people in some ways and to some people in all ways.

Drifting Away - Joe Stowell

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” Genesis 3:1

On a recent vacation, Tom was casually bobbing around on a raft just offshore. He closed his eyes, basking in the warm sun. Before he realized it, he had drifted too far from shore. He hopped off the raft to get back to the security of the sand, but the water was now over his head. He didn’t know how to swim.

The drift of our lives away from God is just as subtle. And just as dangerous. We drift one thought at a time, one small choice at a time, and often one damaging doubt at a time. In fact, our adversary is delighted to help our rafts drift from the protection and presence of God by casting doubt on God’s goodness to us. If you sense that your life has been set adrift—that God is not as close and precious as He used to be—then you may have just been in the riptide of an old trick of the enemy of your soul. The same trick he used to sever Eve’s heart from the joy of her relationship with her Creator.

Satan’s opening volley was not a blistering attack on God; it was a simply a question that he wanted Eve to think about. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1). Actually, God had said that she could eat of every tree but one. But Satan twisted the facts to suit his purposes and to lead Eve’s mind to the conclusion that God was not the generous God she had known Him to be, but rather a stingy, restrictive, joy killer. Once she had let her heart drift to the wrong conclusion, it was easy for her to believe Satan’s lie that God just wanted to keep her from being as knowledgeable as He is and that the threat of them dying was just God’s way of scaring them into compliance with His stingy ways.

Satan still sets us adrift by planting doubt about God’s Word and spinning the facts to his own evil advantage.

Once we begin to suspect God instead of trusting Him, we inevitably drift away from Him. So, beware! Your life is full of scenarios where Satan can put his deceitful twist on your experiences. He is the spin-doctor of hell, and as Jesus said, “When [Satan] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

With that in mind, keep a lookout for some of Satan’s favorite spins:

Lie #1: God is to blame for the evil that Satan has inflicted on our lives.

Lie #2: God has not rewarded me for being good. I’ve been used, not blessed!

Lie #3: God’s rules are restrictive and oppressive. He just wants to take the fun out of my life.

Lie #4: God is good to others but not to me. He must not love me!

And there are many other lies, all custom-made for your head and heart. If you believe them, you have begun to drift away from the safe shores of God’s love and protecting provision. You’ll soon discover that you are adrift in the middle of nowhere, bobbing dangerously over your head. And count on it, as Eve was soon to learn, Satan won’t stay around to make you happy and fulfilled. He’ll be slithering off to more interesting company, leaving you in the deep waters of shame and regret.

YOUR JOURNEY…

Are you drifting in a sea of doubt? Make an appointment to talk to a trusted pastor or friend and ask that person to help you find your way back to God.

Pray and ask God to reveal the lies that Satan is using in your life. Find Bible verses that contradict the lies and recite them when you are tempted to believe what is not true.

Do you suspect God, or do you trust Him? How can faith shield you from the pitfall of suspecting and doubting God? Read Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 6:16; Galatians 2:20; 1 Timothy 6:12; and Hebrews 11:1-40.

God Is Good

Read: Habakkuk 3:17-19

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! —Psalm 34:8

I have often joined in singing the chorus “God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He’s so good to me.” I could sing this with sincerity, thanking Him for my family, my fulfilling occupation, my many friends, and above all my salvation. But one day a feeling of guilt swept over me as I sang. Would I sing these words if I were living alone, felt unloved, and had little to eat?

I hope so. I am confident that the Lord, in whom I have placed my trust, would give me the same grace He’s given to millions who have nothing but Him. Imprisoned for their faith or undernourished or ostracized or painfully ill, they can rejoice in the Lord and declare His goodness.

A friend who has been working with Christians in India told me that hundreds of thousands of new converts reflect a joy and gladness that puts him to shame. Could it be that because they are desperately poor they focus more fully on Christ? This friend and I have Jesus Christ plus many earthly possessions and pleasures. They have Christ plus nothing. He’s all they need, and so they sing with greater fervor than I, “God is so good!”

Yes, God is good, no matter what our circumstances. It’s a lesson we all must learn sooner or later. By Herbert Vander Lugt (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

O taste and see that God is good
To all who seek His face;
Yea, blest that one who trusts in Him,
Confiding in His grace. —Psalter

Even when everything looks bad, God is good.

Taste And Say!

Read: Psalm 34:1-22

Taste and see that the Lord is good. —Psalm 34:8

Do you believe God is good, even when life isn’t? Mary did, and I gasped with amazement the day I heard her pastor share her story at her funeral. She, being dead, yet speaks!

Mary had been a widow, very poor, and totally housebound because of her ailments in old age. But like the psalmist, she had learned to praise God amid her hardships. Over the years she had come to savor with deep gratitude every good thing He sent her way.

Her pastor said he occasionally would visit her at home. Because of her crippling pain, it took her a long time to inch her way to the door to let him in. So he would call on the telephone and tell her that he was on his way and the time he would get there. Mary would then begin the slow, arduous journey to the door, reaching it about the time he arrived. Without fail, he could count on her greeting him with these triumphant words: “God is good!”

I’ve observed that those who speak most often about God’s goodness are usually those with the most trials. They choose to focus on the Lord’s mercy and grace rather than on their troubles, and in so doing they taste His goodness.

Mary not only challenges us to taste and see, but to taste and say that the Lord is good—even when life isn’t. By Joanie Yoder (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Though trials come, though fears assail
Through tests scarce understood,
One truth shines clear; it cannot fail—
My God is right and good. —Hager

Those who bless God in their trials will be blessed by God through their trials.

His Good Purpose

Read: Romans 8:28-39 | Bible in a Year: Isaiah 17-19; Ephesians 5:17-33

All things work together for good to those who love God. —Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28—how easily and how often this Bible reference rolls off our tongues! But perhaps we need to grasp more fully what this verse is really saying.

Randy Alcorn, in a book he has co-authored with his wife Nanci, offers some insights on Romans 8:28. He quotes the New American Standard Bible translation of this verse: “God causes all things to work together for good.” Randy points out that it doesn’t say each individual thing is good, but that God works them together for good.

Recalling his boyhood days, Randy tells how he often watched his mother bake cakes. One day when she had all the ingredients set out—flour, sugar, baking powder, raw egg, vanilla—he sneaked a taste of each one. Except for the sugar, they all tasted horrible. Then his mother stirred them together and put the batter in the oven. “It didn’t make sense to me,” he recalls, “that the combination of individually distasteful things produced such a tasty product.”

Randy concludes that God likewise “takes all the undesirable stresses in our lives, mixes them together, puts them under the heat of crisis, and produces a perfect result.”

Let’s look beyond our immediate circumstances and remember that God has an ultimate good purpose. By Joanie Yoder (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

God has a purpose in our heartaches,
The Savior always knows what’s best;
We learn so many precious lessons
In every sorrow, trial, and test. —Jarvis

When things look bad, don’t forget: God is good.

His Goodness

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. —Psalm 33:5

Today's Scripture: Psalm 33:1-11

One Saturday my life came perilously close to being permanently altered. My brother and my nephew stopped by to pick up a desk. After loading it on the truck, they chatted for a few minutes and then drove off. I went into the house while my husband Jay pulled our car into the garage. Moments later I heard a loud crash, so I raced out to the garage. Jay was staring at the overhead garage door, which had suddenly slammed down. If the spring had broken a few minutes earlier, someone would have been hit by the 200-pound door—and would have been seriously injured, or even killed.

It was not simply a matter of luck or coincidence that no one was hurt in that garage. God’s protective hand was there—one more reminder of His goodness.

I sometimes long for a dramatic display of God’s glory and power to show that He is with me. But He wants me to see Him in His little displays of goodness, which He demonstrates every day in hundreds of acts of mercy and compassion—just as He did in my garage that Saturday.

The psalmist reminds us that “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 33:5). May God open our eyes to His many acts of goodness so we’ll never doubt His presence and His love. By: Julie Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Reflect & Pray

As endless as God's blessings are,
So should my praises be
For all His daily goodnesses
That flow unceasingly! —Adams

If you know that God's hand is in everything, you can leave everything in God's hand.

Debtors Forever

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. —Psalm 23:6

Today's Scripture: Psalm 23

Occasionally it’s helpful to spend a few quiet moments looking back over our lives to review how indebted we are to God for His goodness and mercy. Of course, no two personal histories are the same. But we can all echo the words of David, the poet-king, in Psalm 23:6. He wrote, “Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” If we are trusting Jesus Christ, those few words sum up the whole of our experience in life.

God’s goodness imparts what we don’t deserve; His mercy withholds what we do deserve. In times of pain and sorrow, our heavenly Father faithfully meets our needs, comforts our hearts, and gives us strength to bear our burdens. Although we are believers, we still sin and fall short of the holy standard set by His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet He keeps on pouring His forgiveness into our souls as we confess our sins. We may think of ourselves as decent people, but we must still admit that “we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done” (The Book of Common Prayer).

May gratitude continually fill our hearts, because God’s goodness and mercy will follow us all the way to glory. We are indebted to Him forever. By: Vernon Grounds (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Reflect & Pray

When we stand with Christ in glory
Looking o'er life's finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then—how much I owe. —McCheyne

Because God gives us everything, we owe Him all our praise.

Poisoned Well

Read: Ruth 1:1-17

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness. —Psalm 107:8

One of the most beautiful confessions of love in all of literature is the one Ruth made to Naomi. In vowing to return to Israel with her, Ruth pledged, “Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried” (Ruth 1:16-17).

But suppose Naomi had said to herself, “Ruth’s just a gold digger. What she really wants is to get into Israel to marry a wealthy Hebrew. I’m just her passport in.”

If Naomi had doubted Ruth’s good intentions and rejected her kindness, she would have lost out on blessings she never could have imagined.

But that’s exactly what we do when we fail to trust God’s goodness. We stop believing He will do what is best for us. And as the saying goes, once the well is poisoned, all the water is contaminated.

James 1:16-17 states, “Do not be deceived . . . . Every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father.” Once we doubt God’s goodness, some of His best gifts—like trials that help us to mature—will seem like bad ones.

Don’t doubt God’s goodness and poison the wellspring of blessing He has for you. By Haddon W. Robinson (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Drink deep of God's goodness, His faithfulness too,
Leave no room for doubting and fear;
His Word is the Water of Life pure and true,
Refreshing and cooling and clear. —Hess

We poison the well when we don't think well of God's goodness.

Praising Through Problems

Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Job 2:10

Today's Scripture & Insight: Job 1:13–22

“It’s cancer.” I wanted to be strong when Mom said those words to me. But I burst into tears. You never want to hear those words even one time. But this was Mom’s third bout with cancer. After a routine mammogram and biopsy, Mom learned that she had a malignant tumor under her arm.

Though Mom was the one with bad news, she had to comfort me. Her response was eye-opening for me: “I know God is always good to me. He’s always faithful.” Even as she faced a difficult surgery, followed up by radiation treatments, Mom was assured of God’s presence and faithfulness.

How like Job. Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. But after hearing the news, Job 1:20 tells us “he fell to the ground in worship.” When advised to curse God, he said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (2:10). What a radical initial response. Though Job later complained, ultimately he accepted that God had never changed. Job knew that God was still with him and that He still cared.

For most of us, praise is not our first response to difficulties. Sometimes the pain of our circumstances is so overwhelming, we lash out in fear or anger. But watching Mom’s response reminded me that God is still present, still good. He will help us through hard times. By: Linda Washington (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Reflect & Pray

Lord, prepare me for the times when praise is most difficult to utter.

Is someone hurting? See this special edition of Our Daily Bread: Hope and Strength in Times of Illness at odb.org/hopeandstrength.

Even at our lowest point, we can lift our eyes to the Lord.

The Art of a Grateful Heart

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 118:1–14, 26–29

On our wedding day, Martie and I gladly vowed to be faithful “in good times as well as in bad, in sickness as well as in health, for richer or for poorer.” In a way it may seem strange to include vows about the bleak reality of bad times, sickness, and poverty on a cheerful wedding day. But it underscores the fact that life often has “bad” times.

So what are we to do when we face life’s inevitable difficulties? Paul urges us on behalf of Christ to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As difficult as that may sound, there is good reason why God encourages us to embrace a spirit of gratitude. Gratitude is grounded in the truth that our Lord “is good” and “his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1). He is present with us and strengthens us in the midst of trouble (Hebrews 13:5–6), and He lovingly uses our trials to grow our character into His likeness (Romans 5:3–4).

When life hits us with hard times, choosing to be grateful focuses our attention on the goodness of God and gives us the strength to make it through our struggles. With the psalmist, we can sing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:29).By: Joe Stowell(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Reflect & Pray

Lord, I realize that focusing on my troubles causes me to forget that even in the midst of trials You are good. Teach me the art of a grateful heart.

Thanksgiving is a virtue that grows through practice.

The Goodness Of The Lord

Oh, how I love Your law! —Psalm 119:97

Today's Scripture: Psalm 119:97-104

Some years ago I came across a short essay written by Sir James Barrie, an English baron. In it he gives an intimate picture of his mother, who deeply loved God and His Word and who literally read her Bible to pieces. “It is mine now,” Sir James wrote, “and to me the black threads with which she stitched it are a part of the contents.”

My mother also loved God’s Word. She read and pondered it for 60 years or more. I keep her Bible on my bookshelf in a prominent place. It too is tattered and torn, each stained page marked with her comments and reflections. As a boy, I often walked into her room in the morning and found her cradling her Bible in her lap, poring over its words. She did so until the day she could no longer see the words on the page. Even then her Bible was the most precious book in her possession.

When Sir James’ mother grew old, she could no longer read the words of her Bible. Yet daily, her husband put her Bible in her hands, and she would reverently hold it there.

The psalmist wrote, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (119:103). Have you tasted the goodness of the Lord? Open your Bible today. By: David H. Roper (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Reflect & Pray

The Bible, the Bible! more precious than gold; Glad hopes and bright glories its pages unfold; It speaks of the Father and tells of His love, And shows us the way to the mansions above. —Anon.

A well-read Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul.

Praising God’s Goodness

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 136:1-15

Someone in our Bible-study group suggested, “Let’s write our own psalms!” Initially, some protested that they didn’t have the flair for writing, but after some encouragement everyone wrote a moving poetic song narrating how God had been working in their lives. Out of trials, protection, provision, and even pain and tears came enduring messages that gave our psalms fascinating themes. Like Psalm 136, each psalm revealed the truth that God’s love endures forever.

We all have a story to tell about God’s love—whether we write or sing or tell it. For some, our experiences may be dramatic or intense—like the writer of Psalm 136 who recounted how God delivered His people from captivity and conquered His enemies (vv. 10–15). Others may simply describe God’s marvelous creation: “who by his understanding made the heavens . . . spread out the earth upon the waters . . . made the great lights— . . . the sun to govern the day . . . the moon and stars to govern the night” (vv. 5–9).

Remembering who God is and what He has done brings out praise and thanksgiving that glorifies Him. We can then “[speak] to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:19) about the goodness of the Lord whose love endures forever! Turn your experience of God’s love into a praise song of your own and enjoy an overflow of His never-ending goodness. By: Lawrence Darmani (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Reflect & Pray

Lord, thank You for the world You made and for the blessings on my life. Fill my heart with gratitude and put words in my mouth to acknowledge and appreciate You.

For all eternity, God’s love endures forever.

Good & Plenty - Read: Psalm 16

You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You. —Psalm 16:2

I have to admit that I’ve got a sweet tooth. Of all the candies I love, Good & Plenty is near the top of the list. Life is good when I have a handful of those luscious, sugar-coated licorice pieces!

There are a lot of good things in life. But like a feast of Good & Plenty, the goodness is soon over. Even the best of the good things can afterward leave us feeling empty and even regretful. So when the psalmist declares, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord, apart from You I have no good thing’” (Ps. 16:2NIV), I am intrigued. We all know that God is good. But when was the last time we embraced Him as the ultimate good in our life?

The psalmist explains just how good God really is: He is our preserver (Ps 16:1), our total goodness-giver (Ps 16:2), our counsel and instruction (v.7), and the One who makes known “the path of life” and fills us with joy in His presence (Ps 16:11). Now that’s what I call good!

Unfortunately, too often we let lesser “goods” eclipse our acceptance of the everlasting goodness of God in our lives. The fleeting nature of lesser goods will ultimately disappoint us—you can count on it. Only God is truly good! And there is plenty of Him for all we need. - Joe Stowell (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Oh, taste the goodness of the Lord
And savor all that He has done;
Draw close and give your praise to Him—
The holy, sovereign, faithful One.
—Sper

God alone is good. Don’t settle for second best.

RELATED RESOURCES
GOODNESS

Attributes of God - The Goodness of God and the Existence of Evil - by Dr S Lewis Johnson - one study out of >100 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
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Goodness
Baker Evangelical Dictionary Good, Goodness
Charles Buck Dictionary Goodness of God
Easton's Bible Dictionary Goodness of God
Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Goodness
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Goodness
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Goodness of God
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
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 (See his book Attributes of God)
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)

O Thou, from Whom all goodness flows,
I lift my heart to Thee;
In all my sorrows, conflicts, woes,
Dear Lord, remember me.

When groaning on my burdened heart
My sins lie heavily,
My pardon speak, new peace impart;
In love remember me.

Temptations sore obstruct my way,
And ills I cannot flee:
O give me strength, Lord, as my day;
For good remember me.

Distressed with pain, disease, and grief,
This feeble body see;
Grant patience, rest, and kind relief:
Hear and remember me.

If on my face, for Thy dear Name,
Shame and reproaches be,
All hail reproach, and welcome shame,
If Thou remember me.

The hour is near; consigned to death,
I own the just decree;
“Savior,” with my last parting breath
I’ll cry, “Remember me.”

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

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") -

Unless the evangelical Church can recover the knowledge of what it means to live before a holy God, unless in its worship it can relearn humility, wonder, love, and praise, unless it can find again a moral purpose in the world that resonates with the holiness of God and that is accordingly deep and unyielding-unless the evangelical Church can do all of these things, theology will have no place in its life. But the reverse is also true. If the Church can begin to find a place for theology by refocusing itself on the centrality of God, if it can rest upon his sufficiency, if it can recover its moral fiber, then it will have something to say to a world now drowning in modernity. And there lies a great irony. Those who are most relevant to the modern world are those most irrelevant to the moral purpose of God, but those who are irrelevant in the world by virtue of their relevance to God actually have the most to say to the world. They are, in fact, the only ones who having anything to say to it. That is what Jesus declared, what the Church in its best moments has known, and what we, by the grace of God, can yet again discover." Click for entire article.

The Holiness of God 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; Rev 15:4

The Holy One from "The Joy of Knowing God" by Richard L. Strauss, Ph.D. published in 1984 by Loizeaux Brothers, Inc. Action to Take: Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour from the guilt and penalty of sin? If so, thank God for cleansing you and imparting to you Christ’s holiness. Are there still sins in your daily life as a Christian? Confess them to God and trust His power for victory over them. Be in your daily practice what you are by virtue of your eternal position in Christ.

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

only is independently, infinitely, immutably holy… God’s holiness is manifested in His works… in His law… at the Cross… Because God is holy He hates all sin. He loves everything which is in conformity to His law, and loathes everything which is contrary to it… Unregenerate sinners cannot conceive of God’s holiness, much less begin to believe in it. Many, then, presume that God’s character is one-sided, that His merciful disposition will override everything else, and thus there is no cause for much alarm… They think only of a “god” patterned after their own evil hearts. Hence their continuance in a course of mad folly… The “god” which the vast majority of professing Christians “love” is looked upon very much like an indulgent old man, who himself has no relish for folly, but leniently winks at the “indiscretions” of youth… Because God is holy, acceptance with Him on the ground of creature-doings is utterly impossible… But blessed be His name, that which His holiness demanded His grace has provided in Christ Jesus our Lord. Every poor sinner who has fled to Him for refuge stands “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6-note). Hallelujah… Because God is holy the utmost reverence becomes our approaches unto Him… Because God is holy we should desire to be conformed to Him… Then as God alone is the Source and Fount of holiness, let us earnestly seek holiness from Him… " (for excerpts in context The Holiness of God) (See his book Attributes of 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.

(Source: For full discussion see: What God Is Like by J. Hampton Keathley III)

Charles Simeon "speaks volumes" in his opening comment on a sermon on Hab 1:13…

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…

Thus says Jehovah, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Je 6:16) (This charge begs the question dear reader - Is your soul at "rest"? If not, meditate on Jeremiah 6:16. E.g., ponder the five verbs that precede "rest for your souls").

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

"Wicked men would have God to be any thing but what he is; nothing that God is really and truly pleaseth them."

Ex 3:5; 15:11; Lev 11:44; 19:2; 20:26; 21:8; Dt 32:4; Josh 5:15; 24:19; 1Sa 2:2; 6:20; 1Chr 16:10 Job 4:17, 18, 19; 6:10; 15:15; 25:5; 34:10; 36:23; Ps 11:7; 18:30; 22:3; 30:4; 33:4,5; 36:6; 47:8; 48:1,10; 60:6; 89:35; 92:15; 98:1; 99:3,5,9; 105:3;108:7; 111:9;119:142;145:17; Pr 9:10 Isa 5:16; 6:3; 12:6; 29:19,23; 41:14; 43:14,15; 45:19; 47:4; 49:7; 52:10; 57:15 Jer 2:5; Lam 3:38; Ezek 36:21,22; 39:7,25; Da 4:8; Hos 11:9; Hab 1:12,13 Mt 5:48; 19:17; Mk 10:18; Lk 1:49; 18:19; Jn 7:28; 17:11; Ro 1:23; Heb 1:8; Js 1:13; 1Pe1:15,16; 1Jn 1:5; 2:20; Rev 4:8; 6:10; 15:4

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 (See his book Attributes of God)
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)
Knowledge of the Holy 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 - Bridges Mp3's are EXCELLENT!
The Pursuit of Holiness 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
Pursuing Holiness - Part 4 (MP3) by Jerry Bridges
Pursuing Holiness - Part 5 (MP3) by Jerry Bridges
Responding to Holiness 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

Holiness

See exposition of 2Corinthians 7:1
See Study Jehovah Mekeddeshem - LORD Who Sanctifies (makes holy)
Holiness Quotes - Tozer, Moody, Spurgeon, O. Chambers, et al
Holiness: word study on hagiasmos

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The Attributes of God - Part 1a

INDEX TO ATTRIBUTES

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