This is a lesson in the Crossroads programme, a discipleship programme written by Dr Kevin Smith and offered by the South African Theological Seminary <http: />. This lesson deals with the goodness of God.

2. The Doctrine of God 2
- Goodness

3. Introduction

4. Introduction
• In your mental
picture of God, what
is he like?
• If you were to
choose 10 words to
describe God, which
words would you
choose?

5. Introduction
• In your mental Labels are libels!
picture of God, what
• We have different
is he like?
emotional experiences
• If you were to of the same labels.
choose 10 words to • Therefore, even a
describe God, which word like ‘father’ can
words would you lead us to wrong
choose? images of God.

6. Labels are Libel
For some, this is their image of ‘father’.

7. Labels are Libel
But for others …

8. Introduction
You desperately need to
have a
biblical
balanced
benevolent
mental portrait of God

9. Exodus 34:6-7
And the Lord passed before him and
proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in
goodness and truth keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and
the children’s children to the third and the
fourth generation.”

10. Lesson Outline
God is holy
God is true
God is love

11. 1. God is Holy

12. God is Holy
We are going to look at:
A. The Meaning of Holiness
B. Its Relationship to Righteousness
C. Holiness in Action
D. Responding to God’s Holiness

13. The Meaning of Holiness
• The basic meaning of the word ‘holy’ is
separate.
• God is holy in the sense that he is separate
from creation; he is unique.
• God is holy in the sense that he is separate
from sin; he is pure.

14. The Meaning of Holiness
As a quality of God’s goodness, holiness
refers to the fact that he is completely
separate from sin. It refers to his absolute
moral purity and goodness (Erickson).

15. Its Relationship to Righteousness
Holiness is related to righteousness:
Holiness Righteous
State: God is holy Action: God does right
Relationship to evil Relationship to creation

16. Holiness in Action
Three dimensions of God’s holiness:
1. The Justice of God
2. The Wrath of God
3. The Fairness of God

17. Holiness in Action
Justice
Legal Side
Wrath Fairness
Emotional Side Relational Side

18. Holiness in Action
1. The Justice of God: 1 Peter 1:17
legal holiness
Since you call on a Father
who judges each man’s
work impartially, live your
lives as strangers here in
reverent fear.

19. Holiness in Action
1. The Justice of God: Romans 1:18
legal holiness
The wrath of God is being
2. The Wrath of God: revealed from heaven
emotional holiness against all the godlessness
and wickedness of men
who suppress the truth by
their wickedness.

20. Holiness in Action
1. The Justice of God: Acts 10:34-35
legal holiness
Then Peter began to
2. The Wrath of God: speak: “I now realize how
emotional holiness true it is that God does
not show favouritism but
3. The Fairness of God: accepts men from every
relational holiness nation who fear him and
do what is right.”

21. Responding to Holiness
1. We should approach God with reverence
and awe.
2. We should be motivated to live holy lives.
3. We should recognise our need for a Saviour.
4. We should find comfort and caution in the
wrath of God.

22. Responding to Holiness
5. We should be consoled in knowing there is
ultimate justice in this world.
6. We should find security in the assurance
that God always does what is right.
7. We should treat all people fairly and
impartially regardless of race, creed, gender
or social status.

23. 2. God is True

24. God is True
God is ‘true’ in
Genuine
three senses; he is
Honest
• genuine
Faithful • honest
• faithful
God is True

25. God is TRUE
Genuine Honest Faithful
True to True to True to his
himself reality word
God is truth God tells truth God lives truth
The one The God The trust-
true God of truth worthy God

26. 3. God is Love

27. Exodus 34:6-7
And the Lord passed before him and
proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in
goodness and truth keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and
the children’s children to the third and the
fourth generation.”

28. God is LOVE
A. He is merciful (‘merciful’)
B. He is gracious (‘gracious’)
C. He is patient (‘longsuffering’)
D. He is kind (‘goodness’)

29. God is Love
Mercy Grace Patience Kindness
God’s love in God’s love in God’s love in God’s love in
relation to relation to relation to relation to
suffering sin stubbornness success
God gives us God does not God hates to God loves to
what we do give us what curse bless
not deserve we do deserve

30. Conclusion

31. Summary
1. God is holy, which defines his relation
to evil.
2. God is true, which defines his relation to
reality.
3. God is love, which defines his relation to
people.