SUBJ: The goodness of God seen as in reserve forever in the interest of those who trust Him

AIM: That we might rejoice in it and avail ourselves of it, but especially that we should wonder at it.

INTR: In the same sense that God has made our salvation to be eternal in Him, His goodness has been laid up to continue forever for those who trust Him.
1. Human thoughts about being good tend to be relative and perhaps see God as better than anyone else of the best we know. None of this is wrong, it is rather insufficient – David wondered at the goodness of God (“How Great…”)
2. The goodness of God is truly seen in redemption, it manner and what is obtained in it. All of our comfort and provision comes as a result of redemption. – Think of inadequate nest eggs
3. The goodness of God is here understood in the widest sense of being the best and the thought leaves David in awe of what he has experienced, what he knows and even what he doesn’t know but is assured of for the future.

THESIS: It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance: 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? It is from the stores of His goodness that every need is supplied to His people.

I. Of Goodness and its greatness
1. The word “great” speaks to us of both quantity and quality
2. Consider the wonder of His goodness employed for us:
1) As we consider what we deserve (a question: would we be good to us – I did not always want to do good for my children)
2) As we fail to realize the true extent of our needs
3. The knowledge of the existence of God’s goodness becomes to us assurance in the past, present and future as we look to Him and trust Him.
4. By innumerable evidences and manifestations he secures our faith to us.
5. Thus, He enables a sense of wonder in us, as in David. We are able to make magnified observations. – Psalms 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

II. The Goodness of God laid up
1. Albert Barnes saw this as “treasured up.”
2. What is important is Who has laid it up and where it is laid up and for whom it is laid up.
1) Goodness is a matter of the heart and it is no different with God.
2) He goodness is secured in the will of God
3) His goodness is displayed in the purpose of God
4) See: Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
3. It (His goodness) is kept in store for every need:
1) For trials and the difficulties encountered in this world
2) To deal with the rigors of spiritual challenges we face daily.

III. Goodness that was wrought for them that trust in Him
1. What was done in redemption – adapted from John Gill
1) The Law was fulfilled
2) Divine justice was satisfied (Indignant justice stood in view…)
3) True righteousness was brought in
4) Peace was made forever
5) Pardon was procured once and forever
6) Salvation was fully obtained
7) All obstacles to the manifestation of His goodness were removed
2. Compare Paul’s prayer for expanded knowledge to the Ephesians: Ephesians 1:19-20 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places…
3. He has made us to be partakers of the divine nature and the recipients of His goodness by virtue of what He wrought for us and what He wrought in us.

IV. Goodness before the sons of men
1. The determination of God to do good to His people was put on display for the world to see when His only begotten went to the cross to obtain their salvation
2. Two views suggested by the commentators I read:
1) That the reference was to the public nature of the crucifixion
2) That the testimony of we who benefit is given before the sons of men
3. In any event the testimony of the cross (the source of glory for His people) is begun and continued before the sons of men.
4. The hand of God is seen in its effect on those that trust Him: Ezra 8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.