By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sermon Text: Titus 3:4-7
Sermon Theme
The catechism says that God is “abundant in goodness.” God is completely good all the time. God in fact is incapable of doing evil. God, strictly speaking, cannot be selfish, deceitful or untrustworthy. The fundamental problem we have is that we don’t see God clearly. In our sinful perception we often blame God for things that are not God’s fault. God’s ultimate intention is to make us his people. This is our greatest benefit, indeed our highest good. The biggest obstacle we have to seeing God as good are the problems of suffering and judgment. How can a God who is good allow the terrible suffering we often see? How can a good God send people to hell? These questions are only resolved when we see the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Outline
- Character Scripture reminds us again and again that God is good. God is always truthful, always fair, always just, always kind. We must beware of the danger of confusing goodness with pleasure. Not all pleasure is good and not all goodness may be pleasant. Growing in faith, which is good, may not always be pleasant (just like exercise). God’s purpose is to be in relationship with us. God is our maternal Father (Isaiah 66:13); we are his children and Jesus Christ is our brother.
- Creation Scripture first presents God’s goodness in creation. Outside of God speaking the world into existence, we do not have a detailed picture of how God brought about our world and our universe. There is no essential conflict between the scientific evidence of evolution (as opposed to some of the conclusions people may tray to draw from that evidence) and the Biblical account of creation. The question inevitably arises, if God is good and creation is good, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? Suffering and evil are the result of sin. Sin arises from the misuse of that which is good, namely freedom of choice. This is as true of cosmic beings as it is of humans. The misuse of freedom creates chaos. God in his freedom may intervene to stop the chaos. This is the mystery of the cross. We can choose to destroy our freedom. God however will never take it away from us.
- Consummation God’s goodness is seen not only in the beginning of creation but in the final goal and end of the universe. In the new creation God’s purpose for the world will be fulfilled. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, sin, death and evil will be completely destroyed. God’s goodness will prevail everywhere. In this context people often raise the question of how can a good God send anyone to hell. Hell is not God’s choice. Hell is a fate that people emphatically choose for themselves. It already exists even in this world (Matthew 23:15; James 2:6). This is a mystery which is expressed in scripture in visions and symbols not in literal descriptions. Hell ultimately is the absence of God. God’s goodness in Christ appears in a world that has rejected God. Yet God has not rejected the world. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all (Titus 2:11).” Our lives have hope, confidence and assurance because God is good. He is always good.
Questions for Us
- What do we mean when we say that God is “abundant in goodness?” How can we distinguish between what is good and what is only pleasurable?
- What is our response to people who say to us, “How can God be good when there is so much pain and suffering in the world?”
- How can the truth that God is good sustain us in the failures and disappointments we face in life?
