God: The Source of All Good
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
9/25/2016 AM
|
Text:
|
James 1:17
|
Psalters: |
283, 94, 39, 81 |
Sacrament of Baptism |
- The meaning.
- “Every good gift and every perfect gift” refers to the act of giving and to the gift given.
- The adjectives “good” and “perfect” teach that God is good in His giving, and what He gives is perfect, completely good.
- The good “is from above,” i.e., heaven in distinction from the evil comes from below (cf. John 3:27,31; 8:23).
- It belongs to God’s very nature to give as He is in Himself the fullness of all life and of infinite perfections.
- At the same time He is the overflowing fountain of every good. He only gives, constantly gives.
- God is the every giving God Who reveals the fullness of His blessedness in all the works of His hands.
- God’s gifts are always good – morally and spiritually.
- God, not we, determine whether what God gives is good: rain and sunshine, floods and famine, health and sickness, etc.
- God is good, the overflowing fountain of all in all His dealings, working salvation in sore trials and afflictions too.
- The frequency of God giving good.
- James adds the thought that God, in giving and in what He gives, does so continuously!
- Good comes down “from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
- James, after saying that all good is from above, looks up at the light-giving bodies, of which God is the Father/Creator.
- While the heavenly lights change location (seemingly) and radiation, their Creator and Sustainer is above them.
- The significance.
- We live in a world where the sun sets every night and often the clouds hide the sun from us.
- How beautiful to see God, this Father of lights, never varies or changes His mind or adjusts His thinking.
- God is good! God is the only good. And all He gives me, even the evils I must endure, are good and perfect.