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.

Simplicity And Purity In The Garden
ALL MAN WAS CALLED TO DO was to keep on trusting his good God and Creator.

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.’”

Mt 7:22-23
Jesus was referring to divine “knowing”…a transcendent intimacy…a divine relationship.

“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.

The great deception throughout human history is that “goodness” is perversely defined.

The devil is temporarily the "god of this world", 2Co 4:4, and he is handsomely hissing at us each day; and he knows the seductive tone and even appearances that draw each one of us away.

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)

Ac 14:17
and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

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).

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.

General Revelation
God is saying to the world "I'm Sovereign, and you know it, and you need a Savior!"

Where did man even get the idea, or the word, "forever"??

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).

Feb. 7th-14th, 2016
Salvation/Deliverance Is From Our Creator/Redeemer

Ac 20:21
solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ

Revelation Is For Salvation
Our God is truly good, in all His intentions and actions. He reveals Himself to man, with great grace and patience, in hopes that man repents and sees the Light of Jesus Christ, and spends eternity with Him forever.