The Goodness of God

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. 

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 2:4  "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Let me ask you if there is no repentance on our part is God right in destroying us? The answer is yes! In the Bible we read that man sinned in the beginning. In Genesis 2:16-17 God spoke to Adam and gave him a promise and a commandment that he was free to eat of every tree of the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam that in the day he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil a curse would come upon him, he would surely die. God promised Adam access to the tree of life as well as all the other trees of the garden. In Genesis 3:4  the Bible says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die..." God made provision for Adam to eat of the Tree of Life and be able to live forever. He already had access to the good things of life, all he was prohibited from was the knowledge of good and evil. Thus we read in Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned..."

Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..." Even those whom Paul said in Romans 5:14, "...that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression..." over them death ruled. In Ephesians 2:3 again Paul wrote, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Was he only speaking of church people? I think not. Every one of us, all of mankind are guilty of sin, the churched and the un-churched, even those who have otherwise lived an exemplary life. The Lord Jesus said in Luke 13:1-5 that if we don't repent we, "...shall all likewise perish."

God has made provision for us.  In Galatians 4:4-5 the apostle declared, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Again the Bible says in Acts 20:21 the Apostle Paul stated that he testified, "...both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." He said if they would repent to God and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ they would be saved from the wrath to come. The Bible says in 2nd Peter 3:9 that, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." To whom is this promise addressed? To every man, woman, boy and girl that are descendants of Adam. To all of mankind. What a deal! If you will repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ you too will be saved.

In the beginning Adam sinned and brought death and destruction upon himself and his posterity. Only one man, the Man Christ Jesus was able to live a sinless life. The Bible says in 1st Peter 2:22-24 speaking of the Lord Jesus, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." He alone is able to reverse the curse that God righteously put upon mankind. If you will repent of your sins, do what the Apostle Peter told those Jewish listeners in Acts 2:38-41 putting your faith in the resurrected Christ you too can be saved.