God is Good - #211

The goodness of God is often sung about, spoken of, and even used in response when good or bad things happen in our lives. Yes, God is indeed good. However, it is not because He is doing or not doing things for us, but simply because that is who He is.

Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at  http://www.thepuritycoach.com

Transcript

Have you ever felt unworthy of love? Have you struggled with the weight of past mistakes, wondering if you could ever truly be forgiven? If so, you're not alone. We all grapple with these feelings at times. In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, there's a profound truth in Scripture that can anchor our souls: God's love for us is steadfast, enduring, and unchanging. This love isn't dependent upon our actions or worthiness – it's a fundamental part of who God is.

Welcome to The Point of Purity Podcast. A powerful weekly study filled to the brim with the all the tools from Scripture you will ever need to build a lasting life of Biblical purity and godliness. I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #211 entitled “God is Good.”

The goodness of God is often sung about, spoken of, and even used in response when good or bad things happen in our lives. You have probably expressed this truth yourself. Someone avoids a horrific accident due to car trouble or a delayed flight and we respond, “Isn’t God good?” Or a family member is blessed with a financial gift in a time of need, and we talk about how good God is.

Yes, God is indeed good. However, it is not because He is doing or not doing things for us, but simply because that is who He is. In Mark 10:18 Jesus is talking with a man who just called Him “Good Teacher” to which “Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.’” (Mark 10:18)

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

However, I want to submit that God’s goodness is something we tend to take for granted. And I think that is largely because we do not fully understand it, so – as a result – we do not fully appreciate it. Consider this: God doesn’t just do good things, He is good. God’s goodness is part of His character. He cannot be anything except good. If He ceased to be good, He would cease to be God.

“The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” (Psalm 145:9)

Let me remind you of a question I asked in last week’s episode. How many times already today have you sinned? How many times today have you chosen to reject God in favor of King Me? How many sins have you committed this week? This month? This year? During your lifetime? How many times have you deserved God’s anger, His wrath, His judgment, and His punishment? And how many times has God extended to you His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness, His steadfast love?

Psalm 100:4-5 commands us to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” (Psalm 100:4-5)

You do understand that even in the midst of your battle with temptation, God has been good to you – right? Even though you have repeatedly turned your back on God, choosing to live for King Me instead, your Heavenly Father has been so good to you. Even though you have worshiped yourself over and over again, even though you do not fully trust Him, “The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.” (Psalm 25:8)

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.” (Psalm 86:5 ESV)

Let me make it clear, though, that the “goodness of God” is not necessarily limited to how we define “goodness.” When used of God, the word “good” refers to kindness, gentleness, generous, beneficial; but it also includes such truths as perfect, complete, and holy.

“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 106:1)

“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.” (Psalm 31:19)

Even now, in the midst of your battle for godliness, you can cry out to Him, “Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me” (Psalm 69:16).

OK. Now listen closely as I quote to you Psalm 25:8-10. “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.” (Psalm 25:8-10)

I love the fact that Scripture declares that God “instructs sinners in the way” and here’s why. It does not say He instructs only the righteous, nor does it say He instructs just those who do good and never sin. No, He instructs sinners in the way. That would be me. That would be you. That would be every one of us—men and women / young and old who are guilty of any sin committed against a holy God. “For all [of us] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

The almighty, sovereign, all-powerful creator of the universe has chosen to teach you and direct you—a sinner, one who has repeatedly wronged Him—in the way of purity, godliness and truth.

God is our teacher. Life is our classroom. The Bible is our textbook. You see, “[God’s] word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). Every time you open your Bible, every time you read God’s Word, every time you hear it preached, you are being instructed in the way God wants you to live. He is shining a light on your path. He is saying to you, “This is the way to godliness; this is the way to joy, peace, happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction; this is the way, so walk in it.” And every time you choose not only to listen to what God says, but also walk in humble, worshipful, obedience to your heavenly Father you are walking in His perfect light. You will not give up, you will not give in, you will not worship King Me, you will not sin.

“For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.” (Proverbs 6:23)

Never lose sight of the fact that it is God who “keep[s] my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28). Through the leading of the Holy Spirit as He guides you through Scripture, God will instruct you on how to live, how to make the right choices, how to be a man or woman of integrity, purity, and godliness. You must choose to keep your way godly by guarding it according to God’s Word.

God uses Scripture to teach you. This is why I urge you to never deviate from daily reading your Bible and hiding it in your heart. Everything God says in His word is perfect, reviving the soul, making wise the simple. Everything God says in His word is right, rejoicing the heart. Everything God says in His word is pure, enlightening the eyes. When you not only read God’s Word, but do God’s Word, there is great reward (see Psalm 19:7-11).

The next thing I want us to focus our attention upon is the fact that “[God] guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9)

I toyed around once with writing a book on humility but couldn’t settle on a title. I struggled between Humility and How I Achieved It, or The Five Most Humble Men in the World, and How I Met the Other Four.” Somehow, I just couldn’t make it happen. I keep bumbling in the humbling department. By the way, I did not actually think about writing that book—I’m just trying to make a point. It is not about me. It is not about you. It is ALWAYS all about God!

In a previous episode we have seen how “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). We have discovered together that “the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We’ve discussed together that when you “humble yourselves before the Lord ... he will exalt you” (James 4:10).

Yet we still struggle with humility because King Me refuses to give up the throne. God has promised to equip us with everything we need to live a life that glorifies and honors Him (2 Peter 1:3). However, if real change is going to happen, the first thing we need to do is stage a military-style spiritual coup. We need to change governments—that is, we need a different spiritual leader sitting behind the big desk in the oval office of our heart. We must choose to remove the “I” from life. (I’ll talk more on this near the end of this episode).

For now, let me point out that in Isaiah 42:8 God says, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.” (Isaiah 42:8) And then in Isaiah 48:11 He says, “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.” (Isaiah 48:11)

In other words, as I’ve said before, this life is not about you, it’s not about me. It never was. It never will be. You need to dethrone the reigning king and allow God to sit in your place—His rightful place. Whomever is reigning in your heart will be calling the shots in your life. 

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16)? When King Me is on the throne, you will live for King Me. When God is reigning in your heart, He will rule in your life.

I quoted Psalm 25:8-10 a bit earlier in this episode, but I want to draw your attention to it again. You see, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.” (Psalm 25:8-10)

Three times in Psalm 25, the psalmist talks about God’s way. David was familiar with the command of Deuteronomy 28:9 to “keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways.” He understood that he was to “be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded ..., to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

David had read the command in Genesis 18:19 to “keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.” This is why he prays, “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow” (Psalm 25:4).

David understood the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 10:12-13 which say, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”

This is why he cried out, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name” (Psalm 86:11). This is why he declared to God, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

It is vital to your godliness, it is essential to your spiritual growth, it is critical to your ongoing purity, that you choose daily to “walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). There’s a slight problem though. You see, God’s “thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, … and [God’s] ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so [God’s] ways are higher than your ways and [God’s] thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

I point this out because if you are going to “walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice” (Proverbs 8:20), you must choose to cry out to the Lord, “Please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight” (Exodus 33:13). “Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me” (Psalm 27:11).

OK. So, let’s review what we’ve covered the last couple of episodes. To begin: I have a question for you. Have you ever felt unworthy of love? Have you struggled with the weight of past sins, wondering if you could ever truly be forgiven? If so, you're not alone. Truth is, we all grapple with these feelings at times. In a world that often seems chaotic and uncertain, there's a profound truth in Scripture that can anchor our souls: God's love for us is steadfast, enduring, and unchanging. This love isn't dependent upon our actions or worthiness – it's a fundamental part of who God is.

Many of us struggle with the weight of our past failures, the shame of our sinful choices, and the fear that we're somehow beyond redemption. I submit that the reason we feel that weight is because we understand, on some level, the gravity of our sinful choices. We know that God is holy, righteous, and just. As we saw earlier in this episode, the book of Nahum reminds us that "The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! Who can stand before his fierce anger? Who can survive his burning fury? His rage blazes forth like fire, and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence" (Nahum 1:2, 6).

Yes, God does indeed hate sin with a perfectly righteous and holy hatred, yet His love for us remains unshakeable. The critical distinction is this: God is angry at our sin, not at us. He's angry because our sinful choices create a barrier between us and Him, robbing us of the good things He wants to pour into our lives.

This is where the Biblical truth of God's "steadfast love" comes into play. God's love endures forever. It is a love that remains constant regardless of our fickleness or failures. As I shared a moment ago, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

But God's character isn't just defined by His steadfast love – He is also inherently, unwaveringly good. As Jesus Himself said, "No one is good except God alone." (Mark 10:18) This goodness isn't just about God doing nice things to and for us; it's an essential part of who He is. Even when we repeatedly turn our backs on Him, God remains good.

Understanding God's goodness and steadfast love should transform how we look at and choose to approach life. It should fill us with gratitude, prompting us to "Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name." (Psalm 100:4)

Psalm 25:8-9 tells us, "The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way."

This is a staggering thought: the almighty Creator of the universe chooses to teach and direct us – sinners who have repeatedly sinned against Him – in the way of truth and godliness. He uses His Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (see Psalm 119:105), showing us how to live lives that honor Him and bring us true fulfillment.

However, there's a key requirement on our part: humility. Pride keeps us from truly hearing and applying God's instruction. It's only when we humble ourselves, recognizing our need for God's guidance, that we can fully benefit from His teaching.

This humility involves daily dethroning "King Me" – our natural tendency to put ourselves at the center of everything – and allowing God to take His rightful place on the throne of our hearts. As Isaiah 42:8 reminds us, God says, "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols."

When we truly grasp the depth of God's love, the extent of His goodness, and the wisdom of His ways, it should prompt us to cry out like David, "Teach me your way, O Lord, I will walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name." (Psalm 86:11)

OK, I’m going to hit the pause button here until next week’s episode. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin), be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com

One of those resources I would like to highlight for you here is my book entitled “Removing the ‘I’ from L.I.F.E. – the Dethroning of King Me” available on Amazon.com. Let’s face it, life gets messed up when King Me is sitting on the throne of your heart. You know I’m right. To become the man or woman who is living a life that consistently honors God in all you say and do, you must first remove the “I” from your life. It’s not about you. It never was. It never will be.

In this interactive Bible Study, “Removing the ‘I’ from L.I.F.E.” examines such questions as: Why do I keep doing the things I don’t want to do? Why can’t I gain victory over the stupid issues in my life? Why can’t I be consistent in living a life that glorifies God? How on earth do I live a life that is fully surrendered to God? The answers to these questions, and many more, are found in Scripture, and my book “Removing the ‘I’ from L.I.F.E.” helps you unpack them and understand how to apply them to your life.

So, if real change – lasting change – is going to happen, you need a different leader sitting behind the big desk in the oval office of your heart. Whomever is reigning in your heart will be calling the shots in your life. You must choose to remove the “I” from L.I.F.E. and allow God to take your place – His rightful place.

So head on over to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Removing the ‘I’ from L.I.F.E. – the Dethroning of King Me” today.

And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!

So, until next time this is author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach Steve Etner for The Pure Man Ministry reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.