The Goodness of God - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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The Goodness of God

Romans 2:4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Intro: This chapter is following up the subject that Paul is dealing with in chapter 1. The text is dealing with the subject of the Judgment of God. (see 1:32)

In chapter 1, Paul refers to:

· the gospel of God in verse 1

· the Son of God in verse 3

· beloved of God in verse 7

· the will of God in verse 10

· the power of God in verse 16

· the righteousness of God in verse 17

· the wrath of God in verse 18

· the truth of God in verse 25

· the haters of God in verse 30

· the judgment of God in verse 32

He refers to the “judgment of God” in verse 2, 3, and 5.

He reminds them in verse 2 that the Judgment of God is according to truth – not bias or preference or anything else.

But right in the middle of this portion on the judgment of God, Paul references “THE GOODNESS OF GOD.”

That is what I want us to look at this morning.

I. The Goodness of God

When we talk about the goodness of God, we could easily cover a wide variety of aspects.

The child of God is more than familiar with the Goodness of God.

David said in Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…

A. We could talk about His Person

· Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

· Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

· Psalms 135:3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

· Psalms 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

· Jeremiah 33:11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

· Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

· Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

B. We could talk about the Goodness of His Performance

· Exodus 18:9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

C. We could talk about the Goodness of His Provision

Psalm 103

· 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

· 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

· 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

· 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

· Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

D. We could talk about the Goodness of His Promises

· Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

E. We could talk about the Goodness of His Pardon

· Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

All of these are tremendous displays of the goodness of God – without a doubt!

But that is not the context of these verses.

The context of these verses are not about God’s Performance, or His Provision, or His Promises, or His Pardon.

The context is about the PATIENCE of God.

Notice the verse - Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Paul is referring to the forbearance and the longsuffering of God.

He is warning them not to DESPISE the riches of God’s goodness.

What an irony!

DESPISE literally means to minimize, to look down on, to have contempt or disdain; to think little of or nothing of…

Imagine thinking nothing of the RICHES OF GOD’S GOODNESS!!!???

Forbearance: toleration

Longsuffering:patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance

The goodness of God is manifested in the fact that we are still here!!!

· Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

II. The Guidance of God

From Creation, God has been maneuvering mankind toward Himself.

He uses circumstances in their life to push them toward God.

Ever since God asked Adam in the Garden, “Where art thou…”, God has been leading and guiding man toward God.

God’s relationship with the unbeliever is to present Himself to them and guide, lead and draw them to God.

· John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Paul had to acknowledge the leading of God in his life.

· Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

III. The Goal of God

The Goal of God is simply for all of mankind to repent.

· 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Conclusion: Paul was preaching on the top of Mar’s Hill. His understanding of the goodness of God is vivid in this one statement:

· Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

WINKED AT:to overlook, take no notice of, not attend to

In our text in Romans 2, Paul was crystal clear – the patience of God would run out one day.

Look at the very next verse, verse 5:

· Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

The most foolish thing you could do is to take advantage of God’s goodness, His forbearance and His longsuffering for too long, and end up on the wrong end of His wrath and righteous judgment!!

· 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

· 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

· 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

· 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

· 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: