January 20, 2014

The Goodness of God

This will be my last post on A.W. Tozer's book 'The Knowledge of the Holy.' I've really enjoyed this book and count it now as one of my favorites.

I highly recommend it.


I especially loved the chapter on the goodness of God. So I'm going to share a little from it here today.


Tozer says of God's goodness:


"Divine goodness, as one of God's attributes, is self-caused, infinite, perfect, and eternal. Since God is immutable He never varies in the intensity of His loving-kindness. He has never been kinder than He now is, nor will He ever be less kind."

What comfort! He never varies in the intensity of His loving-kindness. Never.

"The goodness of God endures continually." Psalm 52:1

Tozer later talks about prayer and God's goodness:

"Prayer is not in itself meritorious. It lays God under no obligation nor puts Him in debt to any. He hears prayer because He is good, and for no other reason."

I love that. God will always hear our prayers because He is good. It has nothing to do with us and what we want, but all prayer depends on His goodness.

And His goodness never varies in the intensity of His loving-kindness.

"Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,

that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Th. 1:11-12

Tozer than asks a question:

"If I come to God, how will He act towards me? What kind of disposition has He? What will I find Him to be like?"

Then he answers:

"The answer is that He will be found to be exactly like Jesus. 'He that hath seen me,' said Jesus, 'hath seen the Father.' Christ walked with men on earth that He might show them what God is like and make known the true nature of God to a race that had wrong ideas about Him. This was only one of the things He did while here in the flesh, but this He did with beautiful perfection."

I loved this even more.

Sometimes we unconsciously separate God and Jesus. The God of the Old Testament from the God of the New Testament. We fear the God of the Old and Love the God of the New, when they are actually One...Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are the same God, the One and Only God.

The God whose goodness never varies in the intensity of His loving-kindness.

"...when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7

Finally, I think this is my favorite quote which Tozer ends the chapter with:

"The greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To fear and not be afraid - that is the paradox of faith."


Tozer included this poem from Charles Wesley. So beautiful:

O God, my hope, my heavenly rest,
My all of happiness below.
Grant my importunate request,
To me, to me, Thy goodness show,
Thy beatific face display,

The brightness of eternal day.
Before my faith's enlightened eyes,
Make all Thy gracious goodness pass;
Thy goodness is the sight I prize:
O might I see Thy smiling face:
Thy nature in my soul proclaim,
Reveal Thy love, Thy glorious name.


Buy it  HERE on Amazon




18 comments:

  1. Cathy, thank you for sharing. I've never read A.W. Toser, so thank you for allowing me to see what I am missing. It obviously is a book I must read. Beautiful words about a beautiful God. What a lovely post. Stopping by from Soli Deo Gloria

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  2. stopping by from SDG sisterhood.. thank you for the beautiful insightful post on the goodness of God. I love that our God never varies in the beautiful intenseness of His goodness. Thank you for reminding me of the goodness of God

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  3. Loved Tozer's thought that God is never kinder than He is now nor will He ever be less kind. This is a tremendous thought & should free us to come to Him. Glad that I visited this morning from Unite. Blessings!

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  4. Thanks for stopping by my blog, Cathy! I'm glad you're enjoying Elizabeth Elliott! I highly recommend her books on relationships as well. Have a blessed week!

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  5. Thanks for sharing this classic us. I need to add this one to my list. :)

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    1. So glad you linked up at Thought-Provoking Thursday today! :)

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  6. Cathy, thank you! It is so comforting to know that we serve a God who is unchanging and that His goodness towards us is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I have a couple of Tozer's books on my list to read. I will have to add this one as well.

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  7. How beautiful! I want to read the book also. This is the first time for me in your blog and I'm glad I found my way here :)

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  8. Thanks! I've never read a book from this author. So I shall seek in the bookstore if there's a Dutch book from Toozer here.

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  9. Beautiful.
    Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above

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  10. Oh, that *does* sound very, very good! Thanks for excerpting those quotations - they're so encouraging!

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  11. "To fear and not be afraid"-- I do like that, too.

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  12. So glad so many of you are interested in reading Tozer! He's one of my favorites. A lot of wisdom, spoken in love. Hope you all enjoy reading. : )

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  13. I actually have this book and started it several times. I have a hard time starting and finishing a book recently. I really liked the last quote you shared from Tozer. We recently did a study at our church on fearing God so the quote really hit me. Thanks for reminded me that this is a book I really need to pick up again and finish. :)
    Blessings,
    Beth

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  14. I have been meaning to read books Tozer's books. My parents have heard him preach years ago.

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  15. Wow! Just your review is so encouraging and challenging - I can only imagine how good the book is! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday!
    Tina

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  16. Love this: "The greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To fear and not be afraid - that is the paradox of faith." I have Tozer on my list of books to read. Visiting from "Imperfect Prose" and enjoyed reading your perspective this morning!

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  17. Wow, I really needed to read this today friend. I've lately been undone by the potential of evil in the world--it's so reassuring to remember God will never change, that he will always be good, that his loving kindness endures.

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Feel free to leave your own thoughts in the comments. I try to respond to all of them by the end of the week. : )