God the Father unites goodness and holiness. He doesn’t stop being holy when he feels tender love and goodwill toward us; such goodness is his holiness.

In previous posts we have explored the relationship between holiness and goodness first in Jesus, and then in the Holy Spirit. Today we see the relationship between holiness and goodness in the Father. The larger point I am making is that holy means good. When we think of God’s holiness, one of the first things that should come to mind is his infinite goodness, generosity, kindness, and love (Down the road I will add to what should come to mind).

Holy Father

So, first let’s affirm again the perfect holiness of the Father. Jesus addressed his God in prayer as “Holy Father” (John 17:11).

Revelation 4 gives the apostle John’s vision of the Father on the throne of heaven (we know this is the Father because Jesus approaches the throne in Revelation 5) and describes him as holy: Day and night the living creatures around the throne “never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” (Revelation 4:8). The threefold repetition of the word holy communicates the perfect, infinite degree of the Father’s holiness.

Good Father

And this holy Father is good beyond all comprehension. The earth and its riches are meant to communicate this goodness, this goodwill, this generosity and kindness.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever” (Romans 11:36).

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth…gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:24–25).

“A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven” (John 3:27)

That last verse emphasizes that the holy Father doesn’t merely give good things in general to the world, and then good things may happen to you if you are in the right place at the right time and “get lucky.” No, the holy Father decides to give you—you—every good thing that comes into your life. That is why Scripture tells us to thank God for everything.

Goodness in creation

Genesis 1 is one of the most important descriptions of the holiness of the Father, for the creation narrative reveals the Father in all his God-ness, in his uniquely divine nature: eternal, the uncreated Creator, self-existent, all-powerful, transcendent over his creation, the Potter with the clay, from whom and through whom and to whom are all things, for whom nothing is impossible, unlimited in knowledge and wisdom. Although the word holy is not used in Genesis 1, this is the Father’s holiness on display.

And what does the holy Father do? He freely and of his own goodwill creates a good world filled with good life. Repeatedly the Father finishes the creation days by noting that what he created was good (vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). It could not be otherwise, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). A good tree produces good fruit. Jesus said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.” (Luke 6:43–44).

The holy Father creates good and creates life. Holy is good; holy is life-giving.

A good Father even after the Fall

Even though the Father created Adam and Eve good, it does not take long for them to use their free will to turn against God, and that raises the crucial question of whether the Father will continue to do good to them and their children even though they deserve nothing but condemnation.

Jesus says yes. He affirmed the holy Father’s goodness even to those who repudiate him when he taught, “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35–36). “Your Father who is in heaven…makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Even though the Father did pronounce judgment on the world because of Adam’s sin, and consequently the world and its people groan under this curse, the holy Father nevertheless continues to show undeserved goodness and kindness:

“The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” (Psalm 145:9)

“The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.” (Psalm 85:12)

“These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.” (Psalm 104:27–28)

“God…richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17)

“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

Holy means good, good to all, even to his enemies.

Goodness toward his beloved children

If the holy Father is good to all, even to those who are evil and reject him, how much more is he in holiness good to his children, whom he dearly loves. This fatherly goodness was the point of Jesus’ teaching on prayer: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).

I understand this because I am a father of four sons, three daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren, and I know the goodwill and favor I have toward each of them. With every fiber of my being I want good for them. If I as a fallen human feel this way, then God’s goodwill must be good indeed.

Goodness and holiness in God the Father

And this goodness toward his children is his holiness. He doesn’t stop being holy when he feels tender love and goodwill toward us; that love and goodness is his holiness. Holy is good.

The Holy One is love. The Holy Father is love. First John 4:8 says, “God is love.” He doesn’t stop being holy when he is love. His love and holiness are one.

This is why Jesus would say, “No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). The unity of the Father’s love and holiness are pure goodness.

And this is why every single good work and word that Jesus performed on behalf of needy people was actually the Holy Father working through him: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:10–11).

If you are convinced that Jesus is always holy and always good, then you know that God the Father is always holy and always good. Holy means good. Jesus and the holy Father are equally good.