Reflecting God's Goodness: Transformation Through His Glory
Summary
In today's sermon, we delved into the profound concept of God's goodness, exploring its transformative power and how it is reflected in our lives. We began by setting the stage with a brief introduction to the book of Galatians, specifically focusing on the fruit of the Spirit, with today's emphasis on goodness. We acknowledged the conflict between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, as described by Paul in Galatians 5. The works of the flesh, such as envy and strife, are easy to fall into, but the fruit of the Spirit, including goodness, requires intentionality and the work of the Holy Spirit.
We then turned to Exodus 33 and 34, where Moses pleads with God to accompany the Israelites to the Promised Land. Moses' plea highlights the distinctiveness of God's presence among His people. God's response to Moses' request is a powerful declaration of His goodness, which He equates with His glory. In Exodus 34:5-7, God describes Himself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, and forgiving iniquity and transgression. This passage underscores that God's goodness is not just about moral rightness but is deeply intertwined with His mercy and compassion.
Next, we explored Psalm 145, where David extols God's goodness and its multifaceted nature. David's psalm is a beautiful tapestry of praise, highlighting God's mercy, compassion, and faithfulness. He emphasizes that God's goodness is not aloof or distant but is actively involved in the lives of His people. David's response to God's goodness is one of worship, praise, and a commitment to declare God's mighty acts to future generations. This psalm serves as a reminder that God's goodness is to be celebrated and shared, encouraging us to reflect His goodness in our own lives.
We then moved to 2 Corinthians 3, where Paul contrasts the fading glory of the old covenant with the surpassing glory of the new covenant in Christ. Paul explains that as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another. This transformation is a process that involves the removal of the veil that blinds us, allowing us to see and reflect God's glory more clearly. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in this transformation, guiding us to live by the Spirit and to keep in step with the Spirit.
In the latter part of the sermon, we discussed the practical implications of reflecting God's goodness in our daily lives. We emphasized the importance of active daily repentance, crucifying our sinful nature, and being led by the Spirit. This involves not just passive acceptance but taking active steps to live in accordance with the Spirit. We also highlighted the significance of sharing testimonies of God's goodness, as hearing about God's work in others' lives encourages and inspires us to reflect His goodness more.
Finally, we concluded with a prayer, thanking God for His goodness and asking for His help in reflecting that goodness more and more in our lives. We acknowledged that God's goodness is beyond our full comprehension, but we strive to understand and reflect it as best as we can.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Goodness as His Glory: In Exodus 33 and 34, God reveals His goodness to Moses, equating it with His glory. This goodness is characterized by mercy, grace, patience, steadfast love, and faithfulness. Understanding that God's goodness is His glory helps us see that His actions towards us are rooted in His compassionate and loving nature. This revelation should lead us to worship, repentance, and a deeper relationship with Him. [16:24]
2. The Transformative Power of God's Goodness: As we behold God's glory, we are transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another, as described in 2 Corinthians 3. This transformation is a process facilitated by the Holy Spirit, who removes the veil that blinds us and enables us to reflect God's goodness more clearly. This ongoing transformation encourages us to live by the Spirit and to keep in step with the Spirit. [42:44]
3. Reflecting God's Goodness in Our Lives: Reflecting God's goodness involves active daily repentance and crucifying our sinful nature. Paul emphasizes in Galatians 5:24-25 that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires and are called to live by the Spirit. This requires intentional effort and reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily walk. [48:10]
4. The Role of Testimonies in Encouraging Goodness: Sharing stories of God's work in our lives encourages others to reflect His goodness. Hearing about God's goodness in the lives of fellow believers inspires us to live out that goodness in our own lives. This communal sharing of God's goodness fosters a supportive and encouraging environment where we can grow together in our faith. [34:25]
5. God's Goodness in Redemption: God's goodness is most profoundly displayed in His redemptive work through Jesus Christ. As David highlights in Psalm 145, God's goodness is evident in His mercy, compassion, and faithfulness. This redemptive goodness is the foundation of our hope and should be the basis of our praise and worship. It reminds us that no matter what happens in our lives, God's goodness is always present and active. [30:15]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:51] - Introduction to Galatians and the Fruit of the Spirit
[08:01] - God's Goodness in Exodus 33 and 34
[16:24] - Defining God's Goodness
[22:36] - Psalm 145: David's Praise of God's Goodness
[30:15] - God's Redemptive Goodness
[34:25] - The Power of Testimonies
[42:44] - Transformation Through Beholding God's Glory
[48:10] - Reflecting God's Goodness in Daily Life
[53:46] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide: Reflecting God's Goodness
#### Bible Reading
1. Galatians 5:22-25 - The Fruit of the Spirit
2. Exodus 33:12-23 - Moses' Plea and God's Goodness
3. Psalm 145 - David's Praise of God's Goodness
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5? How does Paul contrast them? [03:27]
2. In Exodus 33, what does Moses ask of God, and how does God respond? [13:03]
3. According to Psalm 145, how does David describe God's goodness? What attributes does he highlight? [23:15]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding God's goodness as His glory, as seen in Exodus 33 and 34, change our perception of His actions towards us? [14:41]
2. In what ways does beholding God's glory transform us into His image, according to 2 Corinthians 3? How does this process work? [42:44]
3. How does David's response to God's goodness in Psalm 145 serve as a model for our own worship and praise? What specific actions does he take? [23:15]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's goodness in your life. How did it impact your faith and actions? How can you share this testimony with others to encourage them? [34:25]
2. The sermon emphasized the importance of active daily repentance and crucifying our sinful nature. What specific steps can you take this week to practice daily repentance and rely on the Holy Spirit? [48:10]
3. David committed to declaring God's mighty acts to future generations. How can you incorporate sharing God's goodness into your daily conversations and interactions? [23:15]
4. Consider the role of the Holy Spirit in transforming us into the image of Christ. What are some practical ways you can keep in step with the Spirit in your daily life? [42:44]
5. The sermon highlighted the significance of God's redemptive goodness. How does this understanding of God's goodness influence your hope and trust in Him during difficult times? [30:15]
6. Think about a specific area in your life where you struggle to reflect God's goodness. What changes can you make to better align your actions with the fruit of the Spirit? [48:10]
7. How can you create a supportive environment in your small group or community to share and celebrate testimonies of God's goodness? What steps can you take to foster this culture of encouragement? [34:25]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Goodness as His Glory
God's goodness is not just about moral rightness but is deeply intertwined with His mercy and compassion. In Exodus 33 and 34, God reveals His goodness to Moses, equating it with His glory. This goodness is characterized by mercy, grace, patience, steadfast love, and faithfulness. Understanding that God's goodness is His glory helps us see that His actions towards us are rooted in His compassionate and loving nature. This revelation should lead us to worship, repentance, and a deeper relationship with Him. [16:24]
Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV): "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.'"
Reflection: How can you intentionally reflect on God's goodness today, allowing it to lead you to worship and deeper relationship with Him?
Day 2: The Transformative Power of God's Goodness
As we behold God's glory, we are transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another, as described in 2 Corinthians 3. This transformation is a process facilitated by the Holy Spirit, who removes the veil that blinds us and enables us to reflect God's goodness more clearly. This ongoing transformation encourages us to live by the Spirit and to keep in step with the Spirit. [42:44]
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
Reflection: In what ways can you allow the Holy Spirit to transform you today, helping you to reflect God's goodness more clearly?
Day 3: Reflecting God's Goodness in Our Lives
Reflecting God's goodness involves active daily repentance and crucifying our sinful nature. Paul emphasizes in Galatians 5:24-25 that those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires and are called to live by the Spirit. This requires intentional effort and reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily walk. [48:10]
Galatians 5:24-25 (ESV): "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to crucify your sinful nature and live by the Spirit?
Day 4: The Role of Testimonies in Encouraging Goodness
Sharing stories of God's work in our lives encourages others to reflect His goodness. Hearing about God's goodness in the lives of fellow believers inspires us to live out that goodness in our own lives. This communal sharing of God's goodness fosters a supportive and encouraging environment where we can grow together in our faith. [34:25]
Psalm 66:16 (ESV): "Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul."
Reflection: Can you think of a recent experience where you witnessed God's goodness? How can you share this testimony with someone today to encourage them?
Day 5: God's Goodness in Redemption
God's goodness is most profoundly displayed in His redemptive work through Jesus Christ. As David highlights in Psalm 145, God's goodness is evident in His mercy, compassion, and faithfulness. This redemptive goodness is the foundation of our hope and should be the basis of our praise and worship. It reminds us that no matter what happens in our lives, God's goodness is always present and active. [30:15]
Psalm 145:8-9 (ESV): "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made."
Reflection: How does understanding God's redemptive goodness through Jesus Christ change your perspective on your current circumstances? How can you express your gratitude for His goodness today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Hope. That's hope. I am right before God because of what Jesus did in a moment in time and I now have a home in heaven and my sins are forgiven. That is hope. And so Paul says, since we have such a hope, we are bold. We should be bold. Here, here, good outweighing the bad, I can't never be bold. I can never be bold. Because I'm not sure if I said the right thing. Did I say the wrong thing to her? Did I say the right thing to her? Did I do the right thing? Did I not do the right thing? I can't be bold here. I'm walking a tightrope between good and bad and if I fall over to the bad, oh no! But he says, because we have such a hope, we are very bold." [40:33]
2. "He who began a good work in you is going to finish it. And you have something to do with that. Work out your salvation in fear and trembling. Emphasis on the trembling. Look into the mirror every day and become more like his son. How do you do it? You do it by staring at his goodness. Gossiping his goodness. Sharing his goodness. Spreading the fame of his goodness. And reflecting that goodness. And you do it by doing the hard work, Paul says. Yes, believe that you're dead to sin's penalty and to its reign. But also repent. Active daily repentance. Crucifying that self that wants its way. And being led by the spirit. Not just letting go and letting God, but taking active steps to keep in step with him and to walk with him." [53:46]
3. "There's the flesh. And it says if you live in the flesh, you will die. But if you live in the spirit, you will live. That always happens in life. If you live in the flesh, you will die. Choose to sin. Choose to suffer. Trust me. Choose to sin. Choose to suffer. Paul isn't saying that if you live in the flesh, you will die physically. He's saying that if you choose to sin, you're choosing to suffer. And he says if you live in the spirit, you will live." [51:34]
4. "God's goodness is transformative. It transforms us as we reflect it more and more. That's where we get to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 2. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 is a challenge to get to because it's right before Galatians, right after 1 Corinthians, but it's just like, it's small. It's a couple chapters. It's like 13 chapters, but you'll miss it. You'll go by it in a blink." [37:18]
5. "The Lord is gracious and merciful. He's slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. If that sounds familiar, it should, because that's what we read in Exodus 34. All those things make God good. And notice he is good to us. All. And his mercy is over all in verse 9. Over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you. His goodness is multicolored. It's like a painting with different hues, different tones, different colors. As you look at it from different angles, it looks more lush. It looks more deep." [27:02]
### Quotes for Members
1. "But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Verse 16. The Lord is spirit. And where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the spirit. Paul says that in Christ, we are beholding God's glory, God's goodness. And as we behold, we behold God's glory and His goodness, His Son, we are transformed into God, Jesus' image, more and more. And we are transformed, he puts it as, from glory to glory." [42:44]
2. "What is God's goodness? Is it just the sum of all of his strengths, of all of his virtues? Well, we see it here. We see it here in Exodus 34. So God tells Moses, okay, this is, I'm going to, everything I said that I'm going to do, I'm going to do for you, right? I'm going to bring you to up and put you in the cleft of the rock and you're going to see my glory. You're going to see my goodness. It's going to pass by you. And this is the sum of all of his strengths, of all of his virtues. This is what it is. This is how, this is how God himself defines his goodness, his glory. The Lord, it says in 30, Exodus 34, starting verse five, the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers and the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation." [16:24]
3. "learn from Him, consider Him, to know Him over time in the Christian life is to progressively be more conformed to the image of His Son. Romans 8.28, right? Romans 8.28, talks about good, right? Romans 8.28 says that whatever happens in my life, that God will work it out for good, right? What is that good? It's to be conformed to the image of His Son. That's the good. So when something bad happens to those who love God, if you are in Christ, in Christ, bad things happen. I think we would all agree bad things happen. I've been reading the prayer chains lately. I think we can all agree that bad things happen. Amen? Bad things happen. And God promises in Romans 8.28 that when bad things happen, that God will work them out for good. It's not always the good that we want, right? But the good is to be conformed to the image of His Son. That's the purpose. That is the purpose of this book and God's story is to set apart a people, a people for Himself who are increasingly, increasingly more and more staring into the mirror, staring into the image of His Son and becoming more like Him. And that is how the fruit of the Spirit works out. That as we stare at the Son, as we learn from Him, as we are in a relationship with Him, we reflect Him more and more in our daily lives. In Christ, the most wonderful change is not only possible, but it happens naturally to those who are led by the Spirit and walking by the Spirit." [44:49]
4. "The book of Galatians, written by the Apostle Paul. Good morning. How is everyone today? Great. If you don't have a Bible, if you don't have a Bible, it'd probably be a good idea just letting you know to either grab one in the back or fire up one on your phone maybe or something, because we're going to spend spend some time in the Bible. So just a word of warning, I guess, maybe, I don't know, that we're going to be rifling through pages or swiping and moving around. In your Bible app, you'll be searching for mainly three places. So I'm Jason Runyon. I'm a teaching elder here, and I preach from time to time, usually about once a month, which is probably more than you want of me. But today we're going to be talking about the Bible. And I'm going to be talking if you've been with us for a little bit, we are camped out right now in the fruit of the Spirit. So we're in Galatians chapter 5, and we've been there. There are nine of them. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine of them, I believe. And we are on the sixth. So we've been for the last six weeks, including this week, we've been camped out on the fruit of the Spirit. And today we're talking about the fruit of the Spirit that is goodness. So we did love, patience, kindness. Love, peace, patience. Joy, I think it was in there. Kindness, and now we're on patience. And if you recall, in Galatians chapter 5, Paul is writing about the conflict that Christians face. We don't necessarily need to turn there. We've been there a lot. But in Galatians chapter 5, he's talking a lot about the conflict that Christians face. And in Galatians chapter 5, he talks about the works of the flesh, right? And he says, He uses words like drunkenness, envy, strife, right? It's not very hard to think about left up to our own devices, our flesh, which the Bible calls our old man, our sinful selves. It's not hard to come up with what the works of the flesh are. And then Paul contrasts that, and this is the conflict, with the fruit of the Spirit. Those things are harder to come by than the works of the flesh. It's easy for me to be jealous. It's easy for me to covet. But I mean, right off the bat, if you just go into the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not cover your neighbor's wife, his stuff, his animals, right? And it's really easy for us, me, all of us, to get jealous of what other people have, right? It's a lot more difficult for me to be kind to other people, right? And to, to be thankful for them and to love them than it is to just right off the bat be jealous of them. It's just how it works. And so there's a conflict, and Paul spends a lot of his time talking about the conflict. And if you remember, Paul has spent a lot of time in this book of Galatians, talking to the church of Galatia and to us, comparing the law with the gospel. And he's, he's, he's talked a lot about how the, the gospel is far superior to the law. Because the Galatians had begun to believe that in order to be in Christ, that they had to adhere to the rules and the regulations of the law. But the law was given, Paul tells us, as a temporary thing. It had an expiration date, like your milk in your refrigerator. It had an expiration date. God's purpose had always been to replace the law that was written on tablets, Ten Commandments, Moses. We're going to be talking a little bit about him this morning. He had always purposed to replace the Ten Commandments. With the law written on our hearts. He'd always intended to do that. And so the gospel is far, far superior. The law was meant to help us define and understand what sin is. And it was meant, the Bible tells us, as a tutor or a guide that could help us understand that we could never measure up to God's perfect standard. We could never do it. We needed help. And that's the crux of this conflict. And what Paul does is he lays out the means by which Christians can successfully avoid the works of the flesh and prune those things from their hearts. And it's not by the law, Paul says, it's by the Spirit. And that's where you get into the fruit of the Spirit. Said another way, it's not through any means we have at our disposal. It is only through what Chris was talking about, the gospel, that we can do it. What Jesus has done for us in a moment in time on the cross, that is the means by which we can successfully prune the works of the flesh from our hearts and replace them with Spirit-grown fruit. And so today, the fruit that we're talking about, not the fruit, but an aspect of the fruit, a virtue of the fruit, right? Because we talk about, and I guess people have talked about it in different ways. I've heard it talked about, there's the fruit of the Spirit. And then all these things are the fruit. I've heard it talked about as if the fruit is the grape or the bunch of grapes, and there's all the little grapes on it. But the idea is that there's fruit, and then there's aspects of the fruit. And today, that aspect or that virtue of the fruit of the Spirit is goodness." [01:51]
5. "The Lord is gracious and merciful. He's slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. If that sounds familiar, it should, because that's what we read in Exodus 34. All those things make God good. And notice he is good to us. All. And his mercy is over all in verse 9. Over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you. His goodness is multicolored. It's like a painting with different hues, different tones, different colors. As you look at it from different angles, it looks more lush. It looks more deep. It reminds me of a, remember the movie Ferris Bueller's days? Days off, days off, day off. So in that movie at the end, Cameron is standing, they're in a museum. And Cameron, he's got the Gordie Howe jersey on, right, the Red Wings jersey. And so he's standing in this museum and he's looking at a Georges Seurat painting, like a pointillism, very post-impressionist, right? It's blotchy, but from a distance, it kind of looks like something. And as you get closer, it's just like little points and little things. And he's staring at this thing. And if you remember from the movie, he's staring at this painting. And then all of a sudden, the camera starts going in to the painting and the focus goes in further and further and further. And so from the outside, you see the picture of the woman sitting in the park or whatever. And then as you get closer and closer and closer, the pointillism, the post-impressionist part of the painting comes out because then you no longer see the person. You just, you start to see the colors and then you see the dots. And if you remember that movie, it's a weird thing. But that is what God's goodness is like. And that's what A.W. Tozer was after, saying that we're never going to get after this because we can't even comprehend it. Because the more we look at it, the tones, the hues, the colors, the blotches, the points, right? There's just more and more of it to understand and to get. And that is how David describes God's goodness. There's all these different aspects, aspects that make up his glory, that make up his goodness. And he says, generations of people will declare how his goodness is displayed in his redemption. Generations of people. There's a redemptiveness to God's goodness displayed here with David writing his psalm, displayed in Moses' day in terms of being redeemed from Egypt and being rescued and being driven, being taken to the promised land. And ultimately, being redeemed by his son." [27:02]
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