God's Sovereign Goodness in Salvation and Redemption
God's Sovereign Goodness in Salvation and Redemption
The concept of God's sovereign goodness in salvation and redemption is rooted in biblical teachings that emphasize God's benevolent character and His role as the author of salvation. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, God's goodness is "a perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations" [1]. This goodness is manifested in various ways, including benevolence, mercy, and grace.
The Psalms frequently highlight God's goodness in relation to salvation. For instance, Psalm 33:5 states, "He loueth righteousnesse and iudgement: the earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord" [2]. Similarly, Psalm 98:2 declares, "The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations" [3]. These passages underscore God's active involvement in salvation and His desire to reveal His righteousness to all people.
The New Testament further develops this concept, emphasizing that salvation is a gift from God that is not earned through human works. According to the Tyndale House commentary on Ephesians 2:5, believers are "made alive together with Christ" through God's grace, highlighting the idea that salvation is a result of God's sovereign action [4]. This theme is reiterated in Titus 3:5, which notes that salvation comes "not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" [5].
The Reformed tradition, represented by commentators like John Gill, emphasizes that salvation is entirely of God. Gill's commentary on Colossians 1:14 states that redemption is "an excellent and wonderful blessing of grace saints have in and by Christ," underscoring the idea that salvation is a gracious act of God [7]. Similarly, Matthew Henry's commentary on Isaiah 56:1 highlights that the gospel salvation is "the salvation of the Lord," contrived and brought about by Him [8].
The biblical emphasis on God's sovereign goodness in salvation is not limited to the act of salvation itself but also extends to the transformation of believers. According to the Tyndale House commentary on Ephesians 2:10, believers are "created anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us," indicating that God's goodness is not only salvific but also transformative [6].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
- Psalms “Psalms 33:5 (Geneva1599) — He loueth righteousnesse and iudgement: the earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord.”
- Psalms “Psalms 98:2 (BSB) — The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations.”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:5: 2:5 gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead (literally made us alive together with Christ): Joined with Christ, believers share in his resurrection, now and in the future (see 2:6; Rom 6:4-14; Col 3:1-4). • It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved: See Eph 1:2; 2:8-9.”
- Titus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Titus 3:5: 3:5 not because . . . but because: The contrast is between human actions that might be thought to merit salvation and God’s grace (see Gal 2:16). Salvation is through faith in God’s mercy alone (Eph 2:8). • He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth: See Ezek 16:9; John 3:1-15; Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22; 2 Pet 1:9. • and new life through the Holy Spirit: This signifies a complete departure from the life of sin and death and a transfer into the realm of life and purity (see also Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 3:10).”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:10: 2:10 He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us: Good works are the result, not the cause, of salvation. God’s Spirit, working through a transformed heart, produces a good life (Gal 5:22-23).”
- Colossians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Colossians 1:14: In whom we have redemption,.... Which is an excellent and wonderful blessing of grace saints have in and by Christ; and lies in a deliverance from sin, all sin, original and actual, under which they are held captive, in a state of nature, and by which they are made subject to the punishment of death; but through the sacrifice of Christ it is taken, and put away, finished, and made an end of; and they are freed from the damning power of it, or any obligation to punishment for it; and in consequence of this are delivered from the enslaving governing power of it by h”
- Isaiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Isaiah 56:1: The scope of these verses is to show that when God is coming towards us in a way of mercy we must go forth to meet him in a way of duty. I. God here tells us what are his intentions of mercy to us (Isa 56:1): My salvation is near to come - the great salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ (for that was the salvation of which the prophets enquired and searched diligently, Pe1 1:10), typified by the salvation of the Jews from Sennacherib or out of Babylon. Observe, 1. The gospel salvation is the salvation of the Lord. It was contrived and brought about by him; he glor”