OUTLINE:

God is good.
God knows good.

Pastor Mark Dever
God defines what is good. Goodness or righteousness is not an external standard that God effortlessly and perfectly conforms to; rather, goodness is a way of describing God and all his actions and commands.

Pre-Fall vs. Today
Is it really good…
- To celebrate heroes and idols?
- To celebrate perverted “love” (eg. same-sex marriage)?
- To “protect” a mother by promoting abortion?
- To live licentiously under the auspices of “grace”?

Mt 7:22-23
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

Matthew Poole on Gen 2:9
To man, who by the use of it would know, to his cost, how great and good things he did enjoy, and might have kept by his obedience, and how evil and bitter the fruits of his disobedience were to himself and all his posterity.

Matthew Poole on Gen 2:9
So it seems to be an ironical denomination: q.d. You thirsted after more knowledge, which also the devil promised you; and you have got what you desired, more knowledge, even dear-bought experience.

“knowing good and evil”
This implies an intimacy that was unknown/inexperienced by humanity before the Fall. The serpentine lie was that it was “good” to “know good and evil,” to live in it, to abide in it, to forfeit the so-called “ignorance” of the purity of faith/worship.

2Co 11:3
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

It Is NOT “good” to…
- Seek a definition for “good” anywhere than from the Word of God
- Accept the world’s definition for “good” in any way, shape, or form
- Accept criticism for your beliefs as “viable alternatives”
- Accept “evil for good” or “good for evil” (ala Is 5:20)

Is 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

The “Good” Litmus Test
It is very sobering to analyze our own definitions for “good”. We might quickly realize that what we think and even act upon as “good” really isn’t. A good litmus test is to observe what we esteem/celebrate in ourselves/others.

General vs. Special Revelation
- General: God’s witness of Himself through creation (Ps 19:1-6)
- Special: God reveals Himself directly (e.g., Holy Scripture, Christ’s incarnation, dreams/visions, acts) (Ps 19:7-14)

Divine Providence
This is a part of General Revelation as described in the Bible. The fact that “nature” provides for us is indicative of God’s intrinsic goodness. “He did not leave Himself without witness” (Ac 14:17).

The Divine Nature
Is “not…like gold or silver or stone” (Ac 17:29), even though man might tend to label such things as “good”. The goodness of God transcends such things.

Ro 1:20
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Ro 10:18
But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “THEIR VOICE [ref. “the heavens” - Ps 19:4] HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.”

The simple fact is…
EVERY person who’s EVER lived has KNOWN that God exists at some point in their lives.

1Ti 2:4
[God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Man’s Conscience & Creation
Someone might argue that beholding God’s creation is one thing, but understanding it in the context of salvation is another thing altogether; but they’d be wrong. They presuppose that God hasn’t instilled a conscience in man (ability to discern right and wrong - ala Ro 2:14-16).

General Revelation
- God witnesses to Himself through creation
- God creates man with a conscience (ability to know right/wrong)
- God “sets eternity in [man’s] heart”

God Saves!
He purposely reveals His own glory through creation to creatures (man) that have the God-given faculties to comprehend it. To the humble man, this is the “repentance” part of the Gospel. The “faith” part is in Christ, our Redeemer (Job 19:25).

General revelation is NOT the Gospel.
People are not saved by it.
(Ro 10:5-17; 1Co 1:18-2:5)