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the affection which the Creator feels towards His sentient creatures as such. The Psalmist sings
of it in the well known words: “Jehovah is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His
works. . . . The eyes of all wait for thee; and thou givest them their food in due season. Thou
openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing,” Ps. 145:9,15,16. This
benevolent interest of God is revealed in His care for the creature’s welfare, and is suited to the
nature and the circumstances of the creature. It naturally varies in degree according to the
capacity of the objects to receive it. And while it is not restricted to believers, they only
manifest a proper appreciation of its blessings, desire to use them in the service of their God,
and thus enjoy them in a richer and fuller measure. The Bible refers to this goodness of God in
many passages, such as Ps. 36:6; 104:21; Matt. 5:45; 6:26; Luke 6:35; Acts 14:17.
b. The love of God.
When the goodness of God is exercised towards His rational creatures, it
assumes the higher character of love, and this love may again be distinguished according to the
objects on which it terminates. In distinction from the goodness of God in general, it may be
defined as that perfection of God by which He is eternally moved to self-communication. Since
God is absolutely good in Himself, His love cannot find complete satisfaction in any object that
falls short of absolute perfection. He loves His rational creatures for His own sake, or, to express
it otherwise, He loves in them Himself, His virtues, His work, and His gifts. He does not even
withdraw His love completely from the sinner in his present sinful state, though the latter’s sin
is an abomination to Him, since He recognizes even in the sinner His image-bearer. John 3:16;
Matt. 5:44,45. At the same time He loves believers with a special love, since He contemplates
them as His spiritual children in Christ. It is to them that He communicates Himself in the fullest
and richest sense, with all the fulness of His grace and mercy. John 16:27; Rom. 5:8; I John 3:1.
c. The grace of God.
The significant word “grace” is a translation of the Hebrew chanan and of
the Greek charis. According to Scripture it is manifested not only by God, but also by men, and
then denotes the favor which one man shows another, Gen. 33:8,10,18; 39:4; 47:25; Ruth 2:2; I
Sam. 1:18; 16:22. In such cases it is not necessarily implied that the favor is undeserved. In
general it can be said, however, that grace is the free bestowal of kindness on one who has no
claim to it. This is particularly the case where the grace referred to is the grace of God. His love
to man is always unmerited, and when shown to sinners, is even forfeited. The Bible generally
uses the word to denote the unmerited goodness or love of God to those who have forfeited it,
and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation. The grace of God is the source of all
spiritual blessings that are bestowed upon sinners. As such we read of it in Eph. 1:6,7; 2:7-9; Tit.
2:11; 3:4-7. While the Bible often speaks of the grace of God as saving grace, it also makes
mention of it in a broader sense, as in Isa. 26:10; Jer. 16:13. The grace of God is of the greatest
practical significance for sinful men. It was by grace that the way of redemption was opened for
them, Rom. 3:24; II Cor. 8:9, and that the message of redemption went out into the world, Acts