It goes beyond simple theology to ask whether God is good and what that implies. More than we initially realize, it affects our lives.
How to decide who is good?
Do you have a good heart? Most individuals believe they are. Everybody can conceive of horrible people, and some of us can even think of people who are superior to ourselves. However, how do you determine who is good and who is bad? Because we hold ourselves up as the ideal of kindness, most of us seldom give that question much thought. Nevertheless, how did we determine that we are good? In reality, how can we tell if we are good or bad? Exists an objective definition of goodness?
Jesus points at God as good
Many people believed that Jesus was good when He was on this world. According to the Bible, Jesus was once approached by a man who knelt before him and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good?” after that. God alone is the only one who is good (Mark 10:17–18). Jesus refuted the claim that He was a bad teacher, pointing instead to God as the real source and benchmark of virtue.
God is the standard of goodness
God is in charge of everything because He created everything. He is the supreme arbiter of morality and the Lord and Master of the Universe. The only one who can judge what is right and wrong is God. He is the only one who determines right and wrong. In the end, no one can decide what is good or evil—not us, not society, not the government. Since God created everything and is in control of everything, He is the only one.
God’s goodness is reason for joy
Numerous scriptures encourage us to give thanks to God for his kindness. There is gladness in knowing a God who is not only almighty and omniscient, but also ultimately good! Take a look at Psalm 135:3, for instance: “Sing to the name of the Lord, for it is pleasant; praise him for his goodness.” or Psalm 100:4-5, which says, “Bless his name; give thanks to him!” Because the Lord is good and his love is steadfast, it never ends.
God is good and He does good
God is good by nature, and this kindness permeates all He does. “You are good, and you do good,” declares Psalm 119:68. It is impossible to separate these two. God declared the earth and everything on it to be “very good” after creating it (Genesis 1:31). A similar claim is made in 1 Timothy 4:4: “Everything created by God is good.” Likewise, the commandments that God has given his people are holy, righteous, and good. (See also Psalm 119:39; Romans 7:12)
God wants us to be good
The fruit of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22. It lists goodness after love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. These are the traits that, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, we will encounter and exhibit in our daily lives (albeit we will never attain perfection on earth). “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another,” the apostle Paul says, describing how he sees this “fruit” in the lives of believers. (Romans 15:14)
To know what’s good, we need to know God
To truly understand what is good, we must come to know the One who created goodness. Additionally, we learn about God through reading the Bible and seeing for ourselves what God does and does not do, as well as what God requires and what God condemns. We shall never fully comprehend God and his deeds, and to be honest, there are moments when it is hard to fathom God. However, if we put up the effort to know Him, we will gain a deeper understanding of goodness and the good God.
