Luke’s account of Jesus calming the storm gives us insight into how to deal with suffering. Suffering is foreign to no one. In fact, as Christians, we are to expect suffering and persecution as we live a sanctified life in a world that hates Jesus. (2Tim 3:12) It is, therefore, essential to understand suffering biblically that it might be used for our spiritual benefit to bring glory to God. 

How do we go through suffering? 

We must be keenly aware of Jesus’ presence.

Even though Jesus was asleep, He was with His disciples in the boat. But in the face of the great storm, the disciples initially acted as though survival was up to them. Similarly, we often feel that God is distant from us during hardships. This is due to our sin and our lack of attention to His Word. In reality, a Christian never suffers alone. Jesus purchased us with His precious blood. He knows our name and is always near. We must stay humble to recognize God’s presence. When we are humble, we are able to have a right view of God in the midst of difficult circumstances. 

We must use the power of the gift of prayer. 

As the storm filled the boat with water, the disciples finally called out to Jesus in their distress. As we recognize that God is with us, we pray to Him. It is God’s command that we pray through suffering. (James 5:13) Prayer revitalizes us as we gain hope and peace from knowing Jesus is Lord of all. He is the God who hears and answers prayer in His infinite wisdom. 

Jesus suffered immeasurably more than anyone in the world, and He prayed without ceasing. Through prayer, He saw the joy before Him as He endured the cross. Even if circumstances do not improve, prayer can change our hearts and understanding as we understand who Jesus is. 

We must have faith.

After Jesus calmed the mighty storm by His word, He questioned His disciples on their faith. Faith is the only solution to suffering. It rises above circumstances and keeps us resting in the arms of Jesus. Faith involves an absolute trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, love for Him, and joyful obedience to Him. It has nothing to do with a person’s ability or skill but is a gift of God. 

God allows suffering to occur in our lives for a good purpose. Just as the disciples came to recognize Jesus’ deity as He calmed the storm, through suffering, Jesus becomes our only object of worship in all circumstances. The fire of suffering purifies us to see the biblical Jesus and to follow in His steps as He endured and overcame the greatest suffering for us.

In the midst of life’s storms, Christians put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the disciples learned that day facing a real storm in the Sea of Galilee. Jesus Christ who brought calmness amid a storm is the same Lord of the Old Testament. He gave up his glory in order to become man to fulfill the promise of the Father to bring salvation. Jesus was always the glorified God. How can we know that this Jesus is the same Lord written of in the Old Testament?

During the storm, when the disciples feared for their lives, “[Jesus] got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm” (v 25). As soon as there was a great calm, Jesus questioned the disciples, “Where is your faith”? This question, in essence, is more fearful than the raging sea the disciples experienced moments prior because only God is able to ask this sort of question that strikes the heart of man.

The disciples were amazed at Jesus because even the winds and the water obeyed His commands. After witnessing this wonder, the disciples were fearful and amazed because they recognized that Jesus is the Lord, whom the entire Scriptures wrote about.

There were many signs and wonders the disciples witnessed Jesus perform. However, seeing never resulted in faith. Rather, hearing Jesus’ words led them to have saving faith. Believing leads to seeing the God who is alive and continues to speak through the Word.

The only way to meet and experience Jesus is only through the Bible. Those that have faith in Jesus Christ do not wrestle between themselves and the Lord. Those that know and believe in God find delight in his Word and live according to it. And without the Bible, faith is impossible, and unable to meet him. Naturally, then, we must ask ourselves if we read the Bible.

As Jesus always depended on the written Word during his stay on earth, Christians must also read and put their faith in the Word of God. Jesus warned the Pharisees, who claimed to know the Scriptures, to seek understanding of the Scriptures through faith lest they crucify the Son of God. This warning is no different today than it was back then. Only the Bible can open the eyes of sinners to realize who they are and seek repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Neglecting the reading of Scripture is not a lack of time but not ridding of idols that cause us to be away from meeting the Lord through the Bible. When there are idols present, not only does one separate himself from the Bible, but the Bible also separates itself also.

Our sin prevents us from panting for the Word of God as the deer pants for the water (Psalm 42:1).  Christians must remember that Jesus is near as long as the Bible is near their hearts. The unchanging and eternal Lord who calmed the raging sea can still be found in the pages of Scripture. Therefore, “there is no substitute for the discipline of Bible study and Scripture reading and meditation. We cannot bypass the handbook God has given to us and then expect that we can know Him in our own way. The only god we can know in our own way is a god that we make in our own image” (Sinclair Ferguson).

Who shapes you today? Is it the Word of God or something else? There is no other way to love the Lord and to be like him than through the Bible.

Throughout this aquatic journey in Luke 8, we learn who Jesus is. He is God who provides everything. By His providence, Jesus provides the plan, our purpose, and what we need. Jesus is also impassable which means He is not shaken or influenced by any circumstances. Though everyone else was at the mercy of the storm, Jesus slept peacefully in the tossing boat. It is when the disciples cry out to Him, that we see that Jesus is always near us and hears our prayers. 

Now we will see that Jesus is Almighty God. He is LORD, Yahweh, the Creator. He is mighty and no one can match his strength. His power is unique and divine  Even Satan had to ask permission before he could torment Job. His power does not wax or wane. Jesus simply got up, without having to warm up or stretch, He simply speaks and the storm is quiet. 

Jesus rebuked the wind. In other religions, they would pray or offer something for the sea to calm down because nature is treated as a god. Instead, Jesus rebukes the wind because it belongs to Him. Imagine the power of this raging storm and yet it cannot resist Jesus’ command in the slightest. The water stopped instantly and completely (Job 38:11, Jonah 1:15). Jesus’ power is absolute over all things.

Why can we not experience God’s power in our lives? Because we want to handle things our own way and not in God’s way. The prime example is the crucifixion where Jesus had to suffer and die. People wonder why didn’t Almighty God make another way. Like the Israelites, we think Jesus would have conquered His enemies through the military. Yet it is through the cross that Jesus has demonstrated His divine power by conquering the greatest power of sin and death. So when storms happen in your life, do you merely confess with your lips, do you wish Jesus would do things your way, or do you trust in Jesus who is Lord of All?

Jesus must be the sole object of your faith(Luke 8:25). There is no one else who has the power or worth. Jesus is God and Lord over Creation. After He calms the storm, Jesus asks the disciples, “Where is your faith?”. The storm is not the real issue but life is a matter of faith (Mark 4:40, Mt 8:26). It seems illogical and even foolish to tackle a storm with faith but this is how Jesus grew up and lived (Luke 2:52, Hebrews 2:13, Mark 10:33-34). Even until His dying breath, Jesus practiced faith (Luke 23:46). It was complete trust and love for the Father that allowed Jesus to endure the cross unto death and rise in victory. Jesus demonstrated faith in all things.  Therefore it is those who walk by faith that is Christian. A Christian without faith in Christ is a contradiction. Where is your faith? We all put faith in something but is it in Jesus the Lord? Our faith must be in Jesus and not in anything else (2 Corinthians 5:6-7)

Faith is trust and obedience to the will of God. It is placing our conviction in the person and words of Jesus Christ. Faith doesn’t depend on the sturdiness of the boat, on the sailing skills of a veteran fisherman, or anything else but on Jesus who is sleeping. Faith realizes Jesus is always near, ready to hear our cries for help (Matthew 28:20, John 14:8). Jerry Bridges said, Faith is “Obeying the revealed will of God and trusting Him for the results.” We must apply our faith in all circumstances (Romans 14:23). Only by faith can we please God and glorify Him. When we trust in God through faith, God gives us something better than what we asked for, something beyond what we deserve. For example, Apostle Paul was under great suffering and prayed three times to the Lord. God gave Paul something different in response to his faith (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).  God doesn’t waste any moment of faith but gives us something better. That is why Paul says he will praise God and boast about His weaknesses.

Conclusion

Faith is a work of the Holy Spirit. Desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit through God’s word (Psalm 42:1-2). Do not go through life with the same mundane patterns, coming to church as usual, reading the Bible as usual, or acting like a Christ as usual. John 5:5-9 shows a man who was ill for 38 years. He tried his best to heal himself according to the myths. After decades of doing the same thing, he meets Jesus and is able to walk. By trusting Jesus, his life was changed. Our lives will also be different if we have faith in Jesus Christ.

“Who then is this…?”

This question was the disciples’ response to Jesus calming the storm. It is a critical question that every person needs to ask, because the answer to this question determines to whom you surrender, whom you believe, and ultimately, your eternal fate. 

Jesus is the God who listens. Overwhelmed by the storm, the disciples prayed to Jesus to help them. Jesus- who slumbered through the storm- woke up hearing His disciples’ cries. 

Prayer is a significant gift of God. We are always under Jesus’ radar. Through prayer, we experience His presence. As we face many challenges in this perishing world- pride, pain, worries, death- we need to pray.

What hinders us from praying? Or in other words, why is prayer so hard, even when we know we must pray?

• Pride. Why didn’t the disciples pray earlier? Since most of them were experienced fishermen, they might have thought that they could handle the storm themselves. We must examine ourselves when we become prayerless. We overcome pride by trusting God through prayer.
• Entitlement. As Jesus’ followers, the disciples could have felt entitled to be helped by God even without praying. We must not overlook the fact that prayer is a personal expression of love. If we love someone, we always want to communicate with them. Feeling entitled to God’s help because of your background or because of another’s intercessory prayer hinders personal communion with God.
• Lack of knowledge of God. If the disciples knew Jesus and feared Him, they would have prayed earlier. Our prayer is a reflection of our knowledge of God. As you know God more, the nature, depth, and power of your prayers will grow. The best way to know God is to study and meditate on the Bible.
• Unanswered prayer. We must not forget that God has given us Jesus Christ, who is the source of everything. If you were to gain everything, but did not have Christ, what good is anything? Do not be swayed by unanswered prayer. If you have Jesus, He is everything you need. Just as the disciples needed Jesus alone in the boat, so do we. Our attitude must be- whatever happens, we will obey.

Do not take the work of Christ lightly. He died to have a deep relationship with us through prayer. Jesus wants every believer to be victorious to the end. We overcome by trusting God through prayer. 

Who then is this? Jesus is the God who hears prayer.

The title of today’s sermon comes from the disciples’ response when Jesus “got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm… But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” (v 24b-25). As Jesus calms the sea and demonstrates his supreme power as Creator God, Luke’s account will reveal more of who Jesus Christ is.

The setting takes place in the Sea of Galilee (today known as Lake Tiberias, Kinneret or Kinnereth). It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth located in Israel with mountains all around. The geology of the Sea of Galilee region is prone to sudden violent storms due to its low-lying position in the rift valley, surrounded by hills. As Jesus and his disciples are sailing across the sea to get to the other side, they find themselves in the midst of a storm. Jesus is asleep when the disciples wake him up as they surely thought they would perish. Even though most of the disciples were experienced fishermen familiar with the storms that often happen, they were fearful for their lives in this particular storm and cried out to Jesus.

In God’s sovereignty, Jesus demonstrates his divine providence as he wakes. Divine providence asserts that God is in control of all things and provided through Jesus Christ. The purpose of God’s providence is for the greater good of God’s glory and for the Christian’s benefit. The best way Jesus demonstrates his special providence is when he provides the gift of repentance and faith to the sinner. Christ’s gift of repenting grace rescues the sinner who is lost and promises to eternally provide through his interceding.

Christians are able to maximize and experience God’s daily provision through obedience and seeing everything through the eyes of God. Christians are able to entrust everything in the Creator because Jesus is impassible. Whatever the circumstances, Jesus is sovereign as he is God. And is it especially true in suffering when Christians might feel discouraged or even doubt their faith when Jesus, who is impassible, will rescue the perishing as he is near.

A Christian is a man of integrity. In all circumstances, he is like a lamp that is a light to the world.

What can hinder a Christian’s integrity?

Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a fake light. It makes us what we are not. It is a dangerous heart attitude that Jesus condemned. We avoid hypocrisy by living before God, being content and honest with our weaknesses because we have the grace of God.

Cowardice

We live in a world that is hostile against Christianity, but Christians are to be brave. Despite all risks, we are to evangelize and care for our fellow brethren. 

Doctrinal Deception

Tragically, the top 10 popular churches in the United States are not doctrinally sound. They promote a distorted gospel that promises the American Dream of health, wealth, and prosperity while leaving out any mention of sin, repentance, or the need for a Savior.

Jesus warns those who try to privatize their Christianity- nothing stays hidden. God will expose all things in judgment. We may deceive others when it comes to religion, but God knows all things. Christians are to be lamps that emit light into the world.

How can Christians live boldly and faithfully?

Jesus says that we must take care how we listen. Everything depends on how you listen. Do you want to be a more effective Christian? Listen carefully and remember God’s Word. We must be diligent to hear- it must be our daily habit to get close to the Bible every day. How you live today is a product of how you hear God’s Word. 

How must we hear God’s Word?

Listen with faith. Even if you meditate on God’s Word day and night, without faith, it will profit you nothing. (Heb 4:2) By faith, your knowledge becomes experiential. 

Listen with reverence. You must consider that the Bible is the Word of God and listen with reverence.

Listen with prayer. Praying for your preacher and for those who will hear before and after worship will bring God’s blessing. Successful worship depends on prayer. 

Listening carefully to God’s Word can determine your destiny. If you fail to listen biblically, self will continue to drive you. The Bible is the only source that can mortify self. In the Bible, we encounter Jesus, who is the source of light for Christians. We reflect Him by hearing biblically. 

A Christian is a man of integrity. In all circumstances, he is like a lamp that is a light to the world.

What can hinder a Christian’s integrity?

Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a fake light. It makes us what we are not. It is a dangerous heart attitude that Jesus condemned. We avoid hypocrisy by living before God, being content and honest with our weaknesses because we have the grace of God.

Cowardice

We live in a world that is hostile against Christianity, but Christians are to be brave. Despite all risks, we are to evangelize and care for our fellow brethren. 

Doctrinal Deception

Tragically, the top 10 popular churches in the United States are not doctrinally sound. They promote a distorted gospel that promises the American Dream of health, wealth, and prosperity while leaving out any mention of sin, repentance, or the need for a Savior.

Jesus warns those who try to privatize their Christianity- nothing stays hidden. God will expose all things in judgment. We may deceive others when it comes to religion, but God knows all things. Christians are to be lamps that emit light into the world.

How can Christians live boldly and faithfully?

Jesus says that we must take care how we listen. Everything depends on how you listen. Do you want to be a more effective Christian? Listen carefully and remember God’s Word. We must be diligent to hear- it must be our daily habit to get close to the Bible every day. How you live today is a product of how you hear God’s Word. 

How must we hear God’s Word?

Listen with faith. Even if you meditate on God’s Word day and night, without faith, it will profit you nothing. (Heb 4:2) By faith, your knowledge becomes experiential. 

Listen with reverence. You must consider that the Bible is the Word of God and listen with reverence.

Listen with prayer. Praying for your preacher and for those who will hear before and after worship will bring God’s blessing. Successful worship depends on prayer. 

Listening carefully to God’s Word can determine your destiny. If you fail to listen biblically, self will continue to drive you. The Bible is the only source that can mortify self. In the Bible, we encounter Jesus, who is the source of light for Christians. We reflect Him by hearing biblically. 

Sin and Repentance
In Genesis 3:7-13, we see the effects of sin on Adam and Eve as their minds have been corrupted by sin. They no longer have the blessed union with Holy God but are ashamed and hide from Him while perpetuating their sin by trying to deal with sin in a sinful way.

God is holy
He is pure, free from any stain, perfect, immaculate. When we usually define God’s holiness we mean God is separate. The word holy itself means separate, derived from a word that means ‘to cut’ or ‘to separate’. R. C. Sproul explains “God’s holiness is more than just separateness. His holiness is also transcendent… When the Bible calls God holy, it means primarily that God is transcendentally separate. He is so far above and beyond us that He seems almost totally foreign to us.” God is holy also means he is pure and without sin. All that He is and does is holy. The angels in heaven cry out ‘Holy, holy, holy’ in worship because God is primarily and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:1-3, Revelation 4:8). God’s holiness cannot tolerate sin and so sinners are unable to stand or even look upon God without terror and shame (Exodus 33:20, Isaiah 6:5)

What is sin?
R. C. Sproul helps explain that “first, sin is a debt; second, it is an expression of enmity; third, it is depicted as a crime.” Sin is a moral debt to God because we are His creatures created for a purpose. It is our duty and work to give glory to God and keep His commands but when we disobey, we incur a spiritual debt. That debt for even a single sin is more than we can pay.

Sin is also hatred towards God. Every sin begins in our hearts and minds as an attitude of hatred against God and a love for something else. Sin is not merely an action but thoughts and words which will be held accountable for.

Sin is also a crime against God’s law. When we transgress God’s commands we are criminals against the righteous and holy of God. A crime deserves judgment and punishment and we are sinners guilty before God the Judge. Not only do we commit crimes but as sinners, we enjoy and encourage those crimes in ourselves and others. Therefore our sins should not be taken lightly as they are serious violations of God’s law. God hates sin because sin is evil and deserves to be hated. One day it will be punished unless we repent and receive forgiveness.

The sinful response to sin
Adam and Eve took from the tree and ate the fruit that God forbid. Immediately their eyes were opened and they saw they were naked. They felt ashamed and covered themselves with leaves. But their coverings could not hide their sin and guilt. They hid from God out of fear of His holiness.

God is so patient towards sinners for He desires repentance. He calls to us like He called to Adam, “Where are you?” and “Did you disobey me?” He is merciful to withhold immediate judgment, giving us an opportunity to confess and repent. Yet, like Adam and Eve, we avoid repentance and excuse our sin. We avoid confession and even blame others. Even when we know that God knows all our sins, we still refuse to confess. Sin breaks our relationship with the Lord. We are no longer seeking Him in a loving obedient relationship but instead run away and desire to escape Him.

Repentance
However all attempts to avoid the reality and consequences of our sin are futile. There is only one way to be rid of our sin, and that is repentance. God promises that if we repent we will be forgiven and saved (Acts 2:36-38). It is not works, it is not payment or tribute that God requires of us. It is simply and mercifully the act of repentance in faith. Sinner and Christian alike, turn from your sin, stop defending or excusing your sinful ways, but repent! It is much more joyful and wonderful to repent before Holy God than to enter the trial in judgment.

Remember the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). See how miserable that son was while he faced the consequences of his sinful actions. When the pitiful son returns, the father only has love and blessing for the repentant son. Not a hint of scorn or rebuke. It was complete forgiveness and full restoration. Our heavenly Father is waiting for our repentance also, promising to pour out his grace and mercy. It is unexpected and unbelievable that God would love the sinner as much as He does. Why should you reject repentance when repentance leads to the wonderful grace of God? Instead, do not delay but quickly repent and believe and be saved.

Today’s text shows the significant importance of remaining in Christ, who is the true vine, resulting in bearing good fruit. The branches that abide and bear fruit demonstrate true Christians whereas those that do not remain represent the apostates who followed Christ superficially. In the context of the text, Jesus and his disciples are in the upper room when he warns there would be one among them that will not abide in him, namely Judas Iscariot. This is said to expose his separation from Christ and fruitlessness and as a warning to all those that claim to abide in him.

Abiding faithfully in Christ begins by remaining in his word. Abiding in his word means to read it, study it, meditate on it, and obey it. In other words, the one that abides in God’s word approaches it with a purpose to absorb it and live by it and therefore bear much fruit.

Abiding faithfully in Christ is not passive, but active. Scripture has many commands to be active. In today’s text, Jesus gives an imperative because he personally called out his disciples and warns against not remaining in him. Passivity leads many to be tempted to remain in the things of the world rather than Christ. Jesus is not begging people to remain and not walk away. Rather, he commands his disciples to abide in him by actively enduring through the pruning process (i.e., suffering, persecution, trials) so that they might bear more fruit (v. 2). God works through the lives of his people to refine them and help them overcome all things as they faithfully abide in him.

Abiding faithfully in Christ bears fruit. As true disciples of Christ cannot be carnal Christians, they also cannot lack fruit. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:18-20). So, those that bear fruit are evidence of remaining in Christ as he abides in them (v. 5).

Bearing fruit is produced through action (i.e., good works) and heart attitude. Attitude fruit will lead to action fruit as the Holy Spirit transforms the hearts of the Christian. The attitude fruit is the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). Loving Christ results in abiding in him, which produces both attitude and action fruit.

Abiding faithfully in Christ means loving him. Jesus Christ demonstrated his own love toward us by laying down his life for his disciples. Christian, do you love Christ in the same manner? Do you continue in your love for Christ by abiding in him? There is no middle ground. People will love or hate Christ. They will abide or not remain in him.

Abiding faithfully in Christ comes with many blessings. God blesses those that remain in Christ the gift of eternal life, answered prayers, and complete joy (v. 11).

To love Christ is to continue to remain in him. In all things, Christians are commanded to be faithful as he is faithful. Are we abiding in Christ? There is always room to grow in our love and faith in Christ; therefore, let us examine our hearts to abide in him.

Introduction

Genesis is the beginning of the Bible and also the beginning of history. Genesis 1 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible and also at the center of much controversy. Many of the central and foundational truths about God and the world we live in are established in the first few chapters. One aspect of God that is highlighted repeatedly in the creation account is, God is good and what He does is good. After each day, God looks at what He made and He saw that it was good. God’s goodness flows into all He does and especially in making Adam and Eve, He took great care to make sure it was good, and after all was made, it was very good. What the Bible establishes most strongly in the beginning is God’s goodness. We are to know absolutely and most assuredly that God is good.

God alone is good

One thing that confuses us is that good can mean many things. Biblically speaking ‘good’ is that which is wholesome, virtuous, beneficial and beautiful. It is impossible to define what is good without God. This is because God alone is good. (Mark 10:18) In contrast, none of us are good and have a broken understanding of good (Psalm 14:3). Our understanding of God must be centered around God. God is good, all attributes of God are good and all that He does and says is good. He is the sum of all that is wholesome, virtuous, beneficial and beautiful. Therefore, nothing good can come from a source outside of God. He has a monopoly on goodness and all that is good in this world has come from Him. (James 1:17)

God is good all the time

Psalm 100:5 declares “the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations”. God never stops being good because it is His nature. God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is always good. This is really important and beneficial for us because life is not always pleasant (Romans 8:28). We go through ups and downs. Every day is a struggle. Yet what we can be sure of, no matter what we face or go through, God is always good.

If God alone is good and God is always good, then that helps us define what good is. We just have to think about God, who He is and what He does and what He gives and those things are good (Philippians 4:8).

God is good to us

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them;” (Genesis 1:27-28) In the Garden of Eden, before man sinned, man was blessed perfectly. They lacked nothing, had never experienced any pain or sorrow and had a delegated authority over all other living things. What God made good was very good for us.

Many people misunderstand God as some harsh overlord who is only happy when we are miserable. God is not wicked or petty, His goodness is good for us and for our benefit. It is true that now in our broken state, we cannot experience God’s goodness fully, and we have to forsake our sins and the things of this world that rob us of our experience of God’s goodness. On the outside, it may seem that Christians are miserable and it deters many from following Christ, but it is the exact opposite. Knowing God is good and good for us because God is good. This is also demonstrated by creation. We experience God’s goodness through obedience. Obedience is giving glory to God and enjoying His goodness to us (Psalm 34:8). In fact, we can have the most satisfying joy in Christ, when we obey and love Him and He loves us (John 15:10-11).

The Gospel is God’s greatest goodness

In the gospel we experience God’s greatest good work through Jesus and it is the best thing for us. In the gospel we have the forgiveness of our sin, salvation from hell, adoption into God’s family, a new spiritual life, and eternal life with Him in glory. The gospel is God showing the greatest love and sacrifice redeeming sinners through His coming to earth, ministering to us, dying on the cross in our place, conquering our sin and death by resurrecting from the grave, and ascending to heaven where He will one day return to call us into His presence for all eternity. This was not a reaction to man’s sin, it was planned from the beginning of time. In Genesis 3, we see that God’s response to man’s sin, which completely ruined His good creation, is anger and wrath but is patient mercy and hope for salvation. That’s how good God is, He repays evil with good.

Therefore, there is no greater good than the gospel. It is THE GOOD NEWS. It is the goodness of God lavishly poured out on us, the most wonderful gift from heaven. That is why we must repent and believe. To refuse the gospel is to refuse the goodness of God. Turn from your wicked ways, confess your utter lack of good and receive the love and mercy of God. Believe in Jesus who is God’s salvation for us.

Disobedience severs us from God and His goodness.

Even as Christians, it seems we don’t experience the goodness of God in our lives. This is because we are disobedient. We listen to lies and deception of Satan and this world. It starts with a question, “Is God good?” (Genesis 3:1). Then we slowly make God out to be what He is not. We start to doubt God’s goodness and make Him harsh, by turning His laws into restrictions instead of blessings (Genesis 3:2-3, Matthew 25:24-25). Then the world presents their own truth to us. It tempts us with superficial goodness (Genesis 3:4). Because we doubt God, the world and its poisonous attraction look appealing to us (Genesis 3:6). We forgot God’s goodness and seek our own. Finally, we disobey God’s commands, which results in our guilt and shame, covering ourselves and hiding from God (Genesis 3:7-9)

Sin and disobedience start with a doubt of God’s goodness and end with complete denial and rejection of God and succumbing to the lies of the world. That is why we fail to know how good God is even though it is obvious (Romans 1:19-21).

Conclusion

We have every reason to obey God who is good. He alone is good, He is good all the time and He is good to us. When we obey, we can know and experience God’s goodness. The gospel is God’s greatest good to us. One thing the Bible says, ‘It is better to give than to receive`. We have received the gospel but how much better it is to share the goodness of God with others. We have received, let us also give, for it is much better. God is good.