Trustworthy: Just and Good

God is sovereign we said in the last article; God is sovereign and tempered with wisdom. Along with both of these come a myriad of other qualities that God is, but let’s look at how He is just and good. God is just, he is right and fair. Good is good and he overflows in goodness toward us, he is excellent and pleasant, agreeable toward us.

God is just

He rightly treats us. He has made us in his image, so we know what is right and what is wrong. I know that part of me is saying ‘what is right by definition?’. And really, when it gets down to asking that question, we have to devolve into giving examples which means we are splitting hairs on the specific issue. We know within what is right and what is wrong. We know deep within that all of us have failed to obey God in the most perfect manner. Adam and Eve weren’t perfect, and neither are we. God deals with us justly, through consequences and punishment. He could have introduced death immediately to Adam and Eve, wiped them away and started over. Instead he was merciful, and they lived, had children, and continued to walk with God.

He not only dishes out punishment and mercy but has also richly rewarded his saints and extended us mercy. Romans 2 addresses this theme nicely, but verse 6 sums it up in saying, ‘God will repay each person according to what they have done.’ We are richly rewarded for our life in Christ (Matt 16:27, 2 Timothy 4:8). The law that is written on hearts come from God himself, reflecting his character. It is living out this reflection that we are called to: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). God is just in punishment and in reward, he is just in mercy and he is good in grace.

God is good

Jesus himself declared that no one is good except God alone (Luke 18:19). God is good, which means that all that flows from him is done with our good; his motivation and intention for us is good. We do a fantastic job of messing up his goodness. But He is good, all the time. Genesis began with each act good, laying the foundation; it was all good. He set out the skies, land, seas, plants, and animals, all in preparation for our needs. He prepared all we need in advance of our creation, he prepared it all good. For us. From the beginning, His every action has been good toward us, benevolent and pleasant. This is what ‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all,’ means, he is good. Where God is, there is goodness, light. Where he is not, is darkness and evil.

Perhaps the most remarkable show of this goodness is His grace, the unmerited favor that he has bestowed upon us in the Son (Ephesians 2:8-9). The defeat of death (brought by Adam and Eve) is extended to us as a good gift through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We no longer have to work to be accepted or overcome our failings, but we have to accept the gift of Christ, the gift of reconciliation. Goodness flows from him, ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights’ (James 1:17).

Trustworthy

Trustworthy is almost too paltry a word when I consider God. He is sovereign and wise, but his goodness and justice are far surpassing of mine. How could I ever consider withholding my trust of him? Yet, I do. I would guess that you do, too. As in Mark 9:24, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’