God's Goodness

Q: What does the Bible say about God's goodness?

The Bible reveals that God's goodness is His love, mercy, and grace, which are fundamental aspects of His character. The goodness of God is central to His nature and is illustrated throughout Scripture. God's glory is attributed to His goodness, where we see His love, grace, and mercy being extended to undeserving sinners. Exodus 33:19 illustrates this, where God proclaims, 'I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.' This verse encapsulates the sovereignty of God's goodness, emphasizing that it is not based on human merit but rather on God's sovereign will to express His grace and mercy. The beauty of God's goodness is seen in His desire for relationship and communion with His people, highlighted by incidents such as the parable of the prodigal son, showcasing the joy of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Q: How do we know God's grace is true?

God's grace is affirmed through Scripture, particularly in the promises made in Christ, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to His people. The truth of God's grace is firmly established in Scripture, particularly in passages that highlight His unchanging nature and His promises. For example, Romans 4:16 explains that salvation is by grace through faith, ensuring that the promise of God is certain to all who believe. Additionally, grace is exemplified in the history of biblical figures like Moses and Noah, who recognized their acceptance before God based solely on His grace. The assurance of grace is rooted in God's sovereignty, as He is free to choose whom He bestows grace upon, thus reinforcing the idea that grace cannot be earned or deserved. This profound truth calls believers to rest in the assurance that their salvation is secure in Christ alone, making God's grace undeniably true.

Q: Why is God's presence important for Christians?

God's presence signifies His love, favor, and assurance for believers, essential for spiritual guidance and empowerment. The presence of God is vitally important for Christians, as it represents His love, acceptance, and guidance. As Moses expressed in Exodus 33:15, without God's presence, he felt unqualified to lead the people, indicating that true leadership and spiritual effectiveness depend on God's accompanying presence. God's presence comforts believers and reassures them of His faithfulness. It is also a source of strength in trials, just as David reflected in Psalm 23, saying, 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me.' This assurance of God's presence is not just for individual believers but extends to the Christian community, encouraging fellowship and mutual support through a shared awareness of God's guiding presence among them.

went out unto the tabernacle
of the congregation, which was without the camp." Let me distinguish
between this tent and the tabernacle in which they offered the sacrifices. They are not the same. This is
far off from the camp. The tabernacle in which the priests
ministered was in the midst of the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses
went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up,
and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses
until he was gone into the tabernacle. It came to pass, as Moses entered
into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at
the door of the tabernacle. And the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy
pillar stand at the tabernacle door. And all the people rose
up and worshiped every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake
unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friends. And
he turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son
of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. Now here Moses begins to call
upon God and to pray. And Moses presents a threefold
petition to the Lord. As I read it, I want you to underline
these three requests. underlined it in your Bible. And we learn something here about
true prayer. Before I read this, I'll comment
on what I saw and see if you see it as we go through here
about prayer. First of all, we pray alone to
God. There's no saints or intercessors or mediators
between. Now Christ is our mediator, you
understand. But I'm talking about, we don't
pray to Mary or Jude or Christopher. Moses spake to God face to face,
and God spake to Moses. So prayer, when we pray, we pray
alone to God. Enter your closet and shut the
door. private, personal, individual
prayer. I hear them talking about, don't
take prayer out of the schools. You can't take true prayer out
of any place. The very fact that they innovate
you can take it out indicates it's not prayer. Prayer is not a bunch of people
getting together saying words. Prayer is communion with God
Almighty between the heart from my heart to the heart of God.
Isn't that right? And that's the only prayer there
is. We're not heard for our much speaking. We're not heard for
our eloquence. We're not heard for our repetitious
phrases. We're heard in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ because he loved us and gave himself for
us and for the sincerity of the heart. Call on God. Pray. Alone to God. Now you'll see that here Moses
prayed about spiritual matters. He prayed about spiritual matters.
He talks about God. He talks about your way, your
presence, and your glory, not I, me, and mine. Our Lord condemned that kind
of praying. He said, You ask and receive
not, because you ask amiss. that you may consume it on your
lust, on your wants and desires. That's the reason prayers, our
prayers, many of them are not what we call prayers not answered.
They're selfish prayers. We pray for ourselves, our bodies,
our bellies, our lusts, our desires, our wants, instead of His presence,
His glory, and His way. You're going to see that here.
Let's get weaned. John said that in his prayer.
Wean us, deliver us from the world, from the cares and confusion
of the world. Set our hearts and affection
on things above. What Moses asked, here he received,
because it was a spiritual prayer. Let me show you something else.
He prays humbly. No, no cockiness here. He says,
he keeps saying, Lord, now if I found grace in your son, you
will notice it. If I found grace in your son,
you don't owe it to me. I don't deserve it. If I found
grace. And then Moses prayed big. I
read the other day some old writer, he says, pray big. God said, ask me and I'll show
you great and mighty things you've never seen. Pray big! I don't know which queen. Maybe
it was Queen Elizabeth, but... Ronnie, you have to correct me
afterwards if I get this wrong. I read things and I read where
Sir Walter Raleigh was a a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, or one of
those queens. I think it was Elizabeth. But
one time she said to him, Raleigh, when are you going to quit asking
for things? He said, when your majesty is
unable to give them. Boy, that's good, isn't it? You
reckon that she cared after that? And I'll quit asking when my
God is unable to deliver. Nothing's too hard for God. Is
anything too hard for God? Pray big. All right, let's look
at his prayer then. Moses, verse 12, said to the
Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and thou
hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast
said, I know thee by name. and thou hast also found grace
in my sight. Now therefore I pray thee, if
I have found grace in thy sight, underscore these words, show
me now thy way, that I may know thee. Show me thy way, that I
may know thee. that I may find grace in thy
sight, continue to find grace in thy sight, and consider that
this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall
go with thee. The Lord said, My presence will
go with thee, and I'll give thee rest. And Moses said to him,
underscore this, second request, If thy presence go not with me,
carry us not up hence. If you don't go with us, don't
let us go. Verse 16, For wherein shall it
be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy
sight? Is it not in that thou goest
with us? Isn't that the evidence that
we're thy people, that you're with us? Wouldn't that be the
evidence we're not your people if you're not with us? So shall we be separated, distinguished,
I am thy people from all the people that are upon the face
of the earth." Your presence distinguishes us. And the Lord said to Moses, I'll
do this thing also that thou hast spoken. For thou hast found
grace in my sight, and I know thee by name of mine. One more request. And Moses said,
Lord, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And God said, I'll make all my
goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the
Lord before thee, and I will be gracious to whom I will be
gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Now here are the three requests,
and I want to look at them just briefly. First Moses prayed,
and he prayed big. He said, Lord, show me your way
that I may know thee. We all know something of the
way of men, don't we? It's called the broad way. Our
Lord said broad is the way, broad is the gate, broad is the way
that leads to destruction, and many there be that go in there
Because straight is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth
to light. You there be that find it. Know something about that
way. It's called the way that seems right to men. Says in the
word of God two or three times, there's a way that seems right
to men. It's the way of death. And then
God called it your way. Pointing to me too, your way.
He said my ways are not your way. My thoughts are not your
thoughts. And it's called the way of Cain.
The way of the flesh. But Moses said here, he prayed,
Lord, show me Your way. Show me Your way. I tell you,
Moses calls it God's way because it's the way God purposed. It's
the way that God Himself provided. It's the way God Himself purchased
with His own blood. It's the way that glorifies Him. It's the way that enables Him
to be just and justifier. Isn't that right? It's the way
that glorifies His name. It's the way that is compatible
to the Scripture. I told my Sunday school class
this morning, I said, if we don't believe this gospel
of the grace of God, please tell me what gospel we do believe.
Give me a gospel that's true to the scriptures, other than
this gospel. Show me a way that glorifies
God more than the way of grace, the way of Christ. Show me a
way that enables God to be just and justify sinners like you,
and show me a way that will save the chief of sinners and keep
him safe. Show me a way that will populate
heaven with a people just like Christ. Show me a way. This is
the only way. That's the reason the Apostle
Paul could say, if any man preach any other gospel than the gospel
which I've preached, let him be accursed. Turn to Romans 4
a minute. Moses says, show me your way.
It's not the way of men. It's the way of God. And I'll
tell you something about this way. It's a sure way. It's a sure hope. It's a sure
way. Listen to this verse in Romans
4, 16. Therefore, it is a faith. Salvation is a faith that it
might be by grace. Now watch this. To the end, or
for the cause, the promise might be sure. to all the seed. Not to that only which is of
the law, the Jew, but to that also which is of the faith of
Abraham, who's the father of us all. This way of God, this
way of Christ, this way of grace, is the only way that's sure.
If salvation is by anything other than the free gift and grace
of God, it's not sure. We may yet fall. And notice the foundation of
this request. He says, Lord, in verse 13, Now
therefore I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, if
I am an object of your grace, an object of your love, show
me your way, that I may know thee. What's the first time that
the word grace is used in the Bible, the very first time that
the word grace is used in this book? I'll tell you, it's in
Genesis 6, when it talks about the wickedness of the whole human
race, its departure from God, and then it says, but Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. God made a difference and showed
grace to Noah. This is what Moses is praying. if I've been made an object of
your grace. That's right. Lot prayed that. Let me show
you that in Genesis 19. Turn over there a minute. In
Genesis 19, when God was going to bring Lot out of Sodom, this
is the way he prayed in Genesis 19, verse 19. Listen to Lot. Behold now, thy servant hath
found grace in thy sight. and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me,
and saved in my life." Can't every one of us say that very
same thing? Behold now, thy servant hath
found grace in thy sight." That's why I am what I am, by the grace
of God. That's why I am where I am, by the grace of God. That's
why I know what I know, by the grace of God. That's why I have
the hope that I have, by the grace of God. That's right. You
have magnified your mercy, which you showed unto me in saving
my life. Oh, by Gideon. He said, Lord,
if I found grace in your sight, show me a sign. Show me a sign. I look back at this request one
more time, then I'll go to the next one. Verse 13, Now therefore
I pray thee, if I'm an object of grace, if I found grace in
your sight, show me now thy way. These two words are so important.
You show me your way. If God doesn't show it to us,
we'll never learn it. That's right. You show me your way that I may
know you. There is no other way to know
God except by revelation. No other way. David Brainerd,
the great David Brainerd who wrote that hymn that David Brainerd was a missionary
to the Indians up in the northeastern part of our country. David Brainerd
studied under Jonathan Edwards. David Brainerd, when God was
pleased to deal with him, he said he faced four things. Four things he faced. Number
one, God required of perfect obedience to His law. And Brainerd
said, I saw I couldn't fulfill it. Secondly, he said, I saw
that God required faith, and I couldn't produce it. Thirdly, he said, I saw that
God Almighty could give faith, that He could work faith in a
human that he, by his goodness, could
give a man faith to believe. And fourthly, he said, I saw
that God could give it to me or pass me by. It was all up
to his sovereign will. He said, that's what I saw. And
that's true. That's what Moses said to him,
Lord, I pray you. If I found grace in your sight,
you show me your way. Show it to me. Can you pray that? Can I pray that? Lord, show me
your way. Turn to 1 Corinthians 2, and
let's look at this for a moment. 1 Corinthians 2. I'm talking about revelation.
I'm talking about men by human wisdom And natural knowledge
do not know God. God is known by revelation. God
is known by Him revealing Himself in His Word. 1 Corinthians 2,
verse 8, listen. Paul's talking about the wisdom
of God. He says, which none of the princes of this world knew.
For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory. But it is written, I have not seen, ear hath not heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man the things that
God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him?
Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the
Spirit of this world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we may know the things that are freely given to us of God. Lord,
show me your way, that I may know thee. Reveal it to me. All
right, go back to the text. Here's the second request. He
said, Lord, if your presence, verse 15, if your presence go
not with me, carry us not him. Now let's talk first about His
presence. It really doesn't matter where I am. It really doesn't
matter what I have. It really doesn't matter who
I'm with. It really doesn't matter who I am, as long as God is with me. And if God is not with me, if
His presence is not with me, then his love is not with me,
his favor is not upon me, his acceptance is not with me. This
is what Moses is saying, Lord, if you, your presence, your presence
indicates his love, his acceptance, his favor, his fellowship, his
forgiveness, his blessings, his mercy, his will. And if you don't
go with me, just don't let me go. Verse 16, I just love this verse. He says, For this is the evidence
of your grace, is your presence. For when shall it be known here
that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not
that thy grace with us? Isn't that evidence? Isn't that
the indication that we've found grace in God's sight is His presence? His presence. I'll tell you something
else I noticed about this verse. Let's read it again in verse
15. And Moses said to the Lord, If
your presence go not with me, carry us not hence. Moses is speaking as the leader. If your presence go not with
me, I've got a responsibility. not only mine, but you elders,
you fathers, you mothers, you who have a responsibility laid
upon you by God. This is a prayer for me and for
you. Lord, if your presence is not
with me, then don't let me lead anybody
anywhere. What a responsibility. I see
that What a responsibility we who have some measure of the weight of a stewardship,
a father, a mother, a pastor, an elder, a business leader,
a schoolteacher. who are responsible to influence
people, and lead people, and teach people, and set an example
for people, and to speak for people. There are people here
all over this congregation who have responsibility to speak
for people, and to them, and lead them, and influence them. And Moses said, if you don't
go with me, Just don't let me go. Don't let me lead these people. Don't put this on me. Don't you
feel that way? Don't put this on me if you don't
go with me. Don't do it. But if you do go
with me, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil. If you go with me, for thou art
with me. thy rod and thy staff comfort
me." I believe I can identify with him here. Show me your way. I'm tired of
our way and my way and their way. I want to know your way,
that I may know thee. And then, Lord, give me your
presence. Your presence. And if your presence does not
go with me, then just don't let me move. Let me die. Let me be
buried. But don't let me move. Don't
let me move without your presence. Now, here's the third one. Well,
the Lord said in verse 17, Moses, I'll do this thing that I've
spoken, for you've found grace in my sight. I know you by name.
I know you by name. And he said,
Lord, then I beseech you, show me your glory. I've heard preachers
preach on the glory of God. And there's a tendency to wax
eloquent when we're talking about the glory of God. I heard a preacher
tell a story one time, a famous preacher, that he and his wife
went on vacation. And they were going through a
certain town in the south where a well-known black preacher pastored
a church. And he said to his wife, he said,
I want to, when we go through this town in this southern state,
I want to stop and some Sunday morning, or on Sunday morning,
hear this black preacher, well-known. We'll try to get there right
at church time, and we'll just slip in the back and hear him.
Well, they got there. And the church was packed. There were people standing on
the porch. They were standing all around the aisles and chairs
down, just packed with people. A little country church. And
this preacher and his wife parked their car, and they went around
looking for some place to try to hear this man. He had already
started his message. And this pastor said, we got
to a window, and he said, I could just see through the window there,
and I was standing there with my hand on the sill and looking
in, and there was that preacher up there in the pulpit preaching,
and on a long coat, bow tie, and white shirt. He's preaching
on the glory of God. And he said, where was God before
He made a man. And the people all said, where
was he? Where was he? He said, where was God before
he made the world? And they said, where was he?
And he said, where was God before he hung the stars and the moon
in place and put the clouds in the sky to float across the blue
heavens? Where was God? They said, where
was he? He said, where was God before the moon and stars sang
together? Where was God? They said, where
was He? He said, where was God, I say, before He made the angels
and the seraphims? Where was He? And they said,
where was He? He said, in His glory. That's
where He was. This preacher said, that's magnificent.
Well, it was, but He doesn't tell me what that glory is. I know He's in His glory, but
what is His glory? That's what Moses said here,
show me your glory. Just show it to me. Now, all
right, God said in verse 19, I will, I will. Ask of And I'll show you mighty
things. I will. That's what the leper
said when our Lord came down from the mountain. He stood pale
at his feet and said, If you will, you can make me clean.
Our Lord said, I will. He said to Moses, I will. Well,
now how is he going to show Moses his glory? Will he show him his
power and make a mountain move? Watch Moses move the mountain
like he moved the sea. Now Moses had seen that. Will
he make a mountain disappear or maybe create a new star? Moses had seen a lot of those
things. Will he show Moses his wisdom
by revealing his thoughts? I know what you're thinking,
Moses. You know what I'm thinking? Oh, that's wonderful. Omniscience. Will he show Moses his justice
and wrath by destroying the pagans and heathens and nations around
him? He showed him that down in Egypt. Wiped them out. Will he show
Moses the burning mountain that flashes with fire and brimstone
and the rolling clouds and the voice of God? He'd seen that.
Will he show him his glory by writing a law? He'd seen that. You're sharing His glory, all
right. You read verse 19, I'll make all my goodness pass before
you. That's God's glory, is His goodness. Did you know that? The glory of God is His love,
His goodness, His mercy, His grace in Christ. That's the glory
of God. He says, I'll make my goodness
pass before you. I'll proclaim the name of the
Lord before you, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. I'll be merciful to whom I will
be merciful. Tell me. Tell me When is that Father, when is
the true character and the glory of that Father, the Father of
the prodigal son, when is it seen in its greatest glory? When he's given out his inheritance
to his sons, oh, he's a good father, he's saved all this money
and these things and given it to his boys generously. Maybe
it's when he's building that farm up, you know, and showing
his wisdom and intelligence in accumulating all these great
things more powerful than his neighbors. No, I'll tell you,
I'll tell you. When that father's chief glory is when he sees that
boy coming across that mountain that's wasted his substance and
used up his money and wasted his inheritance and lived like
a fool and a rebel. And here he comes in his dirty
rags across that hill and walks down that path, and that father
runs to meet him and throws his arms around him and kisses him.
That's his glory, his goodness. And you and I want to glorify
God. That's the best way you can glorify
God, by loving, forgiving, and being gracious. That's his glory.
That's right. God's goodness is His glory. David said, Lord, if you should
mark the nick with the hood, stand. Everybody knows that. I think preachers, sometimes
people say, boy, he preaches hellfire and brimstone. Well,
he doesn't preach God's glory then. Boy, he sure stomped on our toes.
Then he didn't preach God's glory. Because God's glory comforts
the heart. Boy, he sure let them have it
today. Then he didn't preach God's glory. God's glory is his
goodness. Isn't that something? We're just
opposite. We're just opposite. I'll be gracious. But now watch
this, and let me close with this. Don't separate his goodness from
his sovereignty. I'll be gracious to whom I will
be gracious. I'll be merciful to whom I will
be merciful. If men earn it or deserve it,
it's not grace. It's not glory. That's right. If men earn it or deserve it,
it's not grace. It's not mercy. If I pay you
what I owe you, that doesn't bring any glory or honor to me. But if I give you what you don't
deserve, and forgive you if you don't deserve it, and be gracious
to you when you've been unkind to me, now then, he's some kind
of feller. And he is. I don't mean to be. But he is some kind of feller. He's gracious to whom he will
be gracious. I'll tell you something else. Don't forget this, and
we'll come to a close. His goodness and grace and mercy
cannot be separated from His holiness. That's the reason Christ
is essential. That's the reason His obedience
and His death and His blood is essential to enable God to be
gracious to the undeserving. That's right. And forgive us,
for Christ died for us. A man, let me give you this illustration.
Spurgeon visited a man who was dying. When Spurgeon was a very
young preacher, He went to visit this man who was dying, and he
asked him, what is your hope? And the man said, well, I'm going
to heaven. And Spurgeon said, what makes you believe that you're
going to heaven? You've never been interested
in going to heaven before. And the man replied, I'm going
to heaven because God is good. And Spurgeon says, yes, my friend,
God is good, but God is just. And God said He will not clear
the guilty. God is good, but God said the
soul that sinneth shall surely die. And the man said, No! No! God is good! God is merciful! God is gracious! And Spurgeon
said, He is indeed in Christ. In Christ. He is indeed. Oh,
I will be merciful. to whom I will be merciful, I
will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious." Well, that's our
prayer. And Lord, show me your way. I believe He has. I believe He
has. Christ said, I am the way, the
truth, and the life. If your presence does not go
with us, don't let us go. His presence is certainly with
us. It is. And I believe we've seen
in our Lord Jesus Christ God's matchless glory. Don't you? I
want to see more. I want to know more of His way,
more of His presence, and more of His glory by His grace. All right, Mike. Let's sing our
closing hymn and we'll go home.

God's Goodness

What does the Bible say about God's goodness?

How do we know God's grace is true?

Why is God's presence important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

God's Goodness

What does the Bible say about God's goodness?

How do we know God's grace is true?

Why is God's presence important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book