God is good? What does that mean?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The goodness of God means that He is the ultimate standard of what is good, unchanging in His nature and actions (Psalm 100:5; James 1:17). Scripture is filled with God’s mercy toward us, from His provision for the first human couple in Genesis to the justice Revelation indicates He will carry out on Judgment Day. The Bible shows His goodness in creation, forgiveness, provision, and faithfulness, calling us to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). God's goodness is perfectly displayed in Jesus Christ, who died for sinners and offers salvation to all who believe (John 3:16). God’s kindness, which is related to His goodness, leads us to repentance and empowers believers to reflect His goodness. Trusting in God's goodness transforms how we live, shifting our focus from worldly, fleeting, and deceitful pleasures to His eternal glory.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Every part of God’s creation of the universe was good (Genesis 1).
• God’s nature is good, and He cannot do anything that would contradict who He is. God is good, and all He does is good (Psalm 119:68).
• The LORD is good to His creation (Psalm 100:5, 107:1, 145:9).
• God’s goodness is manifested in His forgiveness of our sins (Psalm 86:5), healing of our sicknesses (Psalm 30:2), promises to be with us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:9; see also Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5), and help through our difficulties (Psalm 46:1; Isaiah 41:10). He is also faithful and loving to us: “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation” (Psalm 100:5).
• We are called to taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• God Himself is the perfect standard and measure of everything that is good. Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? Only God is truly good” (Luke 18:19).
• As the Creator of all, God defines what is good and what is evil because He is perfect, without sin, and full of light (1 John 1:5).
• God is holy, true, and faithful in all of His ways and works everything out for good for those who love Him and are chosen by Him (Romans 8:28).
• We are called to hate what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).
• The Bible tells us we can overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
• The fruit of the Holy Spirit includes goodness (Galatians 5:22-23).
• Every gift God gives is good (James 1:17).
• God’s kindness, which is related to His goodness, leads people to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
• God's goodness is seen in His perfect plan for the redemption of humanity through Jesus Christ. And God’s goodness, expressed in His kindness and patience toward humanity, is meant to lead us to repentance and salvation: “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4).
• The good news is that God sent His only Son, Jesus, to save the world of sin and death (John 1:29, 3:16, 4:42). Jesus died on the cross taking the penalty for sinful humanity; He then rose from the dead, defeating sin’s penalty and power (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Anyone who believes in Jesus as Savior for the forgiveness of sins is truly forgiven of all sin, given eternal life, and born again as a child of God (John 1:12, 3:16, Acts 13:38-39). God “does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Christians today often recite, “God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good.” This helps remind us of true goodness in a world that constantly tries to redefine good and evil (Judges 21:25; Isaiah 5:20-21). . What God has declared to be good will always be good, and what God has declared evil will always be evil. Believing that God is good changes how we live. Job said, “And this is what He [God] says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’” True wisdom is fearing the Lord and staying away from evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Christians should always be thankful for God’s goodness (Psalm 107:1, 136:1). Naturally, however, we seek to live for ourselves and our pleasures, even loving darkness and evil (John 3:19). In fact, we often take for granted the goodness of God. However, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live supernaturally in the power of the Holy Spirit and walk with God. As we do, we will see God’s goodness and express it as the fruit of the Spirit (Psalm 27:13, Lamentations 3:25, Galatians 5:22-23). Once we have tasted and seen that God is good, we realize that nothing in this world will ever satisfy us (Psalm 34:8). We can proclaim, as the famous hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

UNDERSTAND

• God is perfectly good in His nature, and all He does is good.
• Jesus Christ fully displays God’s goodness.
• Trusting God’s goodness transforms us to live righteously and reflect His character.

REFLECT

• How have you experienced God’s goodness in your life through His provision, forgiveness, or faithfulness?
• How does trusting in God’s unchanging goodness shape how you respond to challenges or uncertainties in your life?
• How can you "taste and see that the Lord is good" more intentionally in your daily walk with Him (Psalm 34:8)?

ENGAGE

• How does God’s unchanging goodness challenge the world's shifting definitions of good and evil?
• What can we learn from Jesus’ life and sacrifice about God’s goodness?
• How can believers reflect God’s goodness to others in a way that leads them toward repentance and faith?