The Good, Absolute and Relative

  The Good, Absolute and Relative, is “perfect in its kind; having the physical and moral qualities best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God’s law requires; conformable to the moral law; virtuous.”–Webster’s American Dictionary. The Good is “that which is morally proper or fitting, right, goodness, righteousness, moral excellence, virtue.”–Oxford English Dictionary. The concept of absolute good “is identified with The One, and is the source of the absolute undifferentiated one. When drawn to this, we can respond only in a mode of unreserved receptivity…and the affirmation of value is absolute; it is affirmed once and for all. This surpasses everything that man has experienced previously, in fullness, perfection, and value, and is the object of passions of the heart.”–D. F. M. Strauss.

“I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”–Genesis 17:1

  God is the absolute Good, the whole, the pure, the perfect, the complete. The relative good is fully integrated and sound, in perfect alignment with God. Good is God’s name on earth, which is why we declare all things “good and very good.” The Good is an absolute principle: God is the absolute ultimate Good. The whole universe of the Creation is the relative good, which is also an abstract principle that follows the laws of being, the laws of doing, and partakes of the virtues according to kind and degree.

Edna Lister on the Good

When you declare, “All things are good now!” then the law works everything together for good and brings good out of it even if it seems a mess. Declaring it good pays good dividends. Every time you hold an inner conviction that it is good, it will turn out to be good, no matter the appearance. If you just look ahead and pronounce it good, even the minds of those involved can be reconstructed for the good of all.
  “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”–Isaiah 65:24. This moment in our lives was finished in the Divine Mind, millions of years ago, and completed, and only our ideas that it was not, have held back that good. Thank God in this moment for that finished kingdom of perfection which has always been pure, which is only yours, which is glorious and complete. Bring in more situations, more miracles to be completed in the hour. Declare that they are finished and they shall come forth and shine. “I am open of mind and heart, and ready to receive that which is my own. It is so, and it shall come to pass as spoken. Amen!”
  The One God is the Absolute Good manifest as Wisdom, Love and the Logos, the Word spoken as, “Let there be Light!” God as the Supreme Trinity in manifestation expresses as the Father of Wisdom, the Mother of Love and the Son of Selflessness. We must have all three Mysticism is that branch of metaphysics called –Edna Lister, Get on the Receiving End of Life, January 23, 1933.

Always put your best into what you do. Do not postpone attaining the good in your consciousness. Once you have it, you know you must share the good. But first you must identify the good and identify with it to pass it on.–Edna Lister, December 2, 1933.

Paying sustained attention to the good leads to new discoveries and brings revelation. By paying sustained and continuous attention to the good you leave the world of appearances behind, and you attain Reality.–Edna Lister, Attainment, November 7, 1934.

Allow only the good, the very good, only Light, the very Light in your mental world of mind. Pronounce all things good and very good.–Edna Lister, October 25, 1938.

Consider only the Light. Name everything perfect. See only the good and the just.–Edna Lister, November 6, 1940.

Seek the good in each other, and lift the other when by any chance he turns from the Light even for an instant. Turn speedily to the Light again and seek only to lift.–Edna Lister, October 16, 1941.

After you have learned your lesson, review it repeatedly, extracting all the good from it while deliberately casting the chaff—the resentment, the hurt, the grief—into the consuming fire of Mother love, so nothing can remain beneath the surface in the subconscious to pull you down again later.–Edna Lister, June 5, 1944.

God has given us the power of right choice. To cast the self upon the altar of Light, while loving God with a great and a mighty love is always the one right choice for each hour’s needs and problems. As you love God and wait upon Him in praise, He releases enough Light-as-power to melt the problem. He acts upon it with the love you give Him, which He returns to you as a searing, consuming fire to burn away all limitations, until only the good remains.
  The only “bad” of any problem is in your own selfish emotions and thinking, which consume the “good” at the heart of each problem, searing it black, leaving only charred embers and ashes. The love of God, so returned to you after you have cast self upon His altar in love, consumes only the darkness, leaving in its place the glory of Light and love. He does all the work while you are waiting upon the Lord, serving Him in praise. When you return to earth, all you find is perfection.–Edna Lister, January 10, 1945.

Most people will say, “You have to face the facts” of the truth of appearances rather than facing the Light of eternity. Earthly facts are merely appearances. The truth of reality is right before you, staring you in the face. To see the truth, all you need to say is, “This is Good! Let there be Light!”–Edna Lister, The Three Phases of Life Through Faith, April 20, 1947.

If you call “it” good, no matter what “it” is, God can turn “it”—the confusion, the destruction, the whatever—into glory.–Edna Lister, To Seek the Light, June 10, 1951.

Make yourself good; choose the good for yourself, let go, and let God do the work.–Edna Lister, Forgiveness, the Path of Glory, October 21, 1951.

When you call someone good, you are calling him God-like because all good is His action on earth.–Edna Lister, The Golden Chalice, September 21, 1952.

Genesis reveals the keynote of the Creator Elect: To declare darkness good so that God can move in and make it good. God is God’s name above; good is God’s name on earth. An attitude of joy, and the ability to call God’s name as good upon our creations, instantly invokes the same Light that makes the invisible visible. Invoke the truth that Light overcomes all darkness.–Edna Lister, The Magic in the Sky, October 5, 1952.

Ignore the truth of appearances; declare the good, and depend on God to fulfill your spoken Word of the Good.–Edna Lister, A Design for Living, November 16, 1952.

You are responsible for transforming everything that comes into your life into good. Consciously or unconsciously, you create both the good and the less-good. You can discover what lessons you came to earth to learn only by understanding the reason for your less-good creations. To accept full responsibility for creating a less-good, to change from indifferent and lukewarm ways of creating, allows your aspiration to soar high above your old ways, for you have well-learned one of earth’s many lessons. When a less-good visits you repeatedly, until you grow tired of being at its mercy, it is the soul crying, “Move up in consciousness!”–Edna Lister, Faith, the Challenger, 1953.

“Good” is God’s name for all material things, too.–Edna Lister, Success Through Prayer, July 7, 1953.

You feel so good inside when you love the good rather than to hate the evil.–Edna Lister, August 4, 1955.

Defeat expects the bad. Success expects the good.–Edna Lister, Defeat or Success? September 25, 1955.

The good in the world is the sum of our love, for we are the leaders of the Elect.–Edna Lister, I Am the Light of the World, January 1, 1956.

You prove all things by holding fast to the good until you see what you have created.–Edna Lister, Daring to Do, April 22, 1956.

A healed, lifted subconscious is a good servant. You lift the good subconscious memories first, and they become part of soul. Good thoughts are ascended and added to soul experience. By lifting and ascending the lesser into the higher, all becomes the Good Light!–Edna Lister, June 18, 1956.

Remember the good things, not the negatives. Dramatize the good, talk about only the good, the funny, the joyous and you so infiltrate family and others with Light that they forget to do what they did before.–Edna Lister, Nor Shadow of Turning, July 15, 1956.

It takes only a small fear to dilute the good.–Edna Lister, December 17, 1956.

Last year’s good is not good enough for this year.–Edna Lister, Life Immortal Now, March 30, 1958..

Your choices, when you walk the Way of the Christ, are to be a brother to all, declare the good, which lifts the effects and influence of evil, and balances the scales twenty-four hours a day.–Edna Lister, As I See the World, June 15, 1958.

God named every life spark good when He created it. When you want a healing, ignore the appearance of the illness, and say, “You are good life sparks doing your good and perfect work!” They will respond to this declaration, for their first name really is good—and they begin to whirl and to increase in their rate of vibration. Call every part of your body good, good, good! Calling the life sparks good is one of the greater mysteries of healing.–Edna Lister, Being Without Self, December 2, 1958.

Hold fast to the good, which is all around you.–Edna Lister, March 17, 1959.

When a lesson is well-learned, the time comes to graduate into another grade. Make notes of the greatest lessons you have learned in this present experience, how they have affected you personally, in your family life and your relationship with God. Then state in writing the good coming from each episode to clarify your thinking, get your emotions in order, and organize what you know to apply it in what you will do.–Edna Lister, March 26, 1959.

Good is God’s name on earth; He calls every creation good in the first chapter of Genesis, which is why we declare that all that comes to us is good and very good for lifting.–Edna Lister, The Pioneering Mystic, May 5, 1959.

To declare everything good is the secret of having your heaven on earth here and now. God declares each of us good. For us to do less makes our present place less than heavenly.–Edna Lister, Heaven as a State of Consciousness and Heaven as a Place, June 16, 1959.

Good is the Father’s name on earth and the name of every life spark, atom, molecule and cell on earth. To declare, “I AM good!” lets God use you because it recalls you to your eternal identity with God. Call upon “I AM good” to rise above every negative circumstance.–Edna Lister, Powers of Being, June 23, 1959.

Broadcast a recording of love. Love heals your loved ones and the less-good everywhere. Amplify the recording to reach all those on your prayer list. Love reaches out to change them until they no longer resist the good in speech or action.–Edna Lister, Your Philosophy of Freedom, June 28, 1959.

Resurrect the good from every situation.–Edna Lister, October 6, 1959.

God declared His creations good. “All things work together for good to those who love God.”–Romans 8:28. To declare things good is the secret of perfect creation.–Edna Lister, Hear, Hearken, Heed and Obey, November 8, 1959.

You are Godlike only insofar as you express the good.–Edna Lister, Tomorrow Is Yours, December 13, 1959.

You are absolutely obligated to conform to the good and just.–Edna Lister, Three Covenants Between God and Man, December 15, 1959.

You are good, but with billions of years to go, you are not yet the ultimate good. The Light of God is upon you. You cannot escape the Light, so you might just as well decide to chasten your self, which means to discipline self to the good words that will keep open the vibration of joy and Light. You have given the best you have allowed yourself to give. You must allow yourself to give a greater good. Declare, “You are good. I AM loves you.”–Edna Lister, May 8, 1960.

Declare “This is good” without looking for what might be right or wrong. Stand, and say, “Let the good go forth.”–Edna Lister, September 8, 1960.

You stand in the Light, not to meditate, but to contemplate the goodness of God.
  All that you declare good is named and numbered “good” above.–Edna Lister, When Prayer Is at Work, June 4, 1961.

Self is crying to be converted into the good.–Edna Lister, The Tree of Life, October 15, 1961.

Train your self to declare, “This is good and very good!” repeatedly, and wait to see the good that results.–Edna Lister, October 20, 1961.

“Ever follow that which is good.”–1 Thessalonians 5:15. Good is the greater part of righteousness.–Edna Lister, Song of the Lamb, December 17, 1961.

The good you do is the best you can at that moment, according to the level on which you stand, higher or lower.–Edna Lister, March 29, 1962.

Ignore the truth of appearance. Declare the good and depend upon God to fulfill it.–Edna Lister, Life Triumphant, May 27, 1962.

Keep the good while you cast evil into refiner’s fires for purging.–Edna Lister, Many Pearls, Many Treasures, November 25, 1962.

Think good thoughts to the person when your spoken Word might offend him.–Edna Lister, Heaven Is a State of Consciousness, November 19, 1963.

There are as many vibrations of good as there are people. Declare the good for each one according to his kind and degree.–Edna Lister, Prediction and Prophecy, December 10, 1963.

Your rewards are in proportion to your loving lifting of all that touches you, and by your praise increasing the good.–Edna Lister, February 9, 1964.

God has given us a secret weapon that is now changing the balance of power from darkness to Light, from evil to good. This weapon of God-given power lies in one small four-letter word, GOOD. Good is God’s name upon earth. “I AM good!” is the most powerful healing statement you can ever use.–Edna Lister, Miracles, March 2, 1965.

Providence is the divine action that makes all souls realize the good.–Edna Lister, Pythagoras: His Three Degrees, June 8, 1965.

When you declare, “You are good!” to someone or something that appears black, the very life sparks respond. Substance knows its name is good because good is the name of God on earth. Substance knows its way home and it goes there. As you say, “This is good! Let there be Light!” you direct Light around this substance that looks dark; then Light lifts and ascends it to angels with censers who collect the life sparks. “You are good and very good,” is an absolutely true statement that calls the life sparks home to be cleansed and sent on their way again.–Edna Lister, Seven Life Ages of Man, November 22, 1966.

While standing in the Light and with the good, you can’t see anything but the Light and the good.–Edna Lister, Order and Diplomacy, June 4, 1967.

The whole world is being forced to face the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and to choose which side it belongs to and will serve. You must know all about evil to be able to choose the good. The so-called “good” people will all have their noses rubbed in the obscenities by having to face them in the world. We are returning to our Garden of Eden, but we cannot pass the angel with the flaming sword unless we turn away from the world’s perversions and fornications by choice. You are choosing for the good against the evil side of the tree.–Edna Lister, August 24, 1967.

You must move in the direction of the good that you desire. Your good may be right in front of you, unrecognized, yet you can close the door to it, possibly by a single negative thought. Your good then goes into abeyance, but doesn’t leave. Know that the good is there, waiting to reveal itself to you, and bless it, though you don’t see it yet. You must bless the old before the new can come.–Edna Lister, March 20, 1968.

The world is in dire need of people to stand and hold and declare the glory of God. Let us start now loving the unlovely, seeing only the good, only the positive through this love.–Edna Lister, October 15, 1968.

Never stop speaking the words that will separate the evil from the good.–Edna Lister, August 3, 1969.

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Plato’s Idea of the Good
David Horan translation

{Socrates and Glaucon}
  Socrates: “Then, you should declare that the form {idea} of the good bestows truth upon whatever is known, and confers the power of knowing on the knower. Being the cause of knowledge and truth, you should think of it as knowable. However, although knowledge and truth are both beautiful, you would be right to regard this as different from them, and even more beautiful than both of them. And just as in the previous case, it is right to regard light and sight as resembling the sun in form, but it is not right to believe they are the sun, so also in this case it is right to regard knowledge and truth as both resembling the good in form, but it is not right to believe that either of them is the good. No, the character of the good should be accorded even greater honour.”
  Glaucon: “You are speaking of an unparalleled beauty,” he said, “if it bestows knowledge and truth, and exceeds them in beauty. For you are surely not saying that it is pleasure.”
  Socrates: “Please show respect,” I said, “and consider a further aspect of its image.”
  Glaucon: “In what way?”
  Socrates: “I assume you will agree that the sun bestows not only the ability to be seen upon visible objects, but also their generation and increase and nurture, though the sun itself is not generation.”
  Glaucon: “How could I disagree?”
  Socrates: “Then not only does the knowability of whatever is known derive from the good, but also what it is, and its being, is conferred on it through that, though the good is not being, but is even beyond being, exceeding it in dignity and power.”
Then Glaucon exclaimed quite hilariously,
  Glaucon: “By Apollo, it is utterly supernatural!”
  Socrates: “Yes,” I said, “and you are responsible for making me express my opinions about it.”
  Glaucon: “And you should not stop at all,” he replied. “At least give us more details about this simile of the sun, if there is anything you are leaving out.”
  Socrates: “In fact,” I said, “I am leaving out quite a lot.”
  Glaucon: “Well, you should not omit even a little,” he said.
  Socrates: “I think I shall omit a lot,” I said. “Nevertheless, to the extent that it is possible at present, I shall not leave anything out deliberately.”
  Glaucon: “Then do not,” he said.
  Socrates: “Keep in mind what we have been saying, that there are two things, one having lordship of the realm and kind known by reason while the other is lord of the visible realm. Now, I hope you do not think I am just playing with words,8 but do you now understand that there are these two kinds, one known by sight and the other by reason?”
  Glaucon: “I understand that.”
  Socrates: “Then, take a line which has been divided into two unequal sections, one corresponding to the kind known by sight, and the other to the kind known by reason. Divide each section once more in the same ratio, and you will have an expression of their relative clarity and obscurity in the realm of sight. There, one section consists of images, and by images I mean shadows first, and then appearances produced in water, and in anything dense, smooth and polished, and indeed everything else of that sort. Do you understand?”
  Glaucon: “I do understand.”
  Socrates: “Then you should designate the other section as that which the first one resembles – the animals around us, everything that grows, and the entire class of inanimate objects.”
  Glaucon: “Very well,” he said.
  Socrates: “And would you also be prepared to say that this division makes a distinction involving truth and its absence, for as an object of opinion relates to an object of knowledge, so also does a likeness relate to whatever it is like?”
  Glaucon: “I would indeed,” he replied.
  Socrates: “Now, you should go on to consider how the section known by reason is to be divided.”
  Glaucon: “Yes, in what way?”
  Socrates: “In this way. In one of the sections, the soul is compelled to search, based on hypotheses, using as images what had previously been imitated, and proceeding not to a first principle but to a conclusion. In the other section however, it also goes on from hypothesis to an unhypothesised first principle, and based upon forms themselves, it conducts its approach through them, without the images used before.”
  Glaucon: “I don’t really understand what you are saying,” he said.
  Socrates: “Then I will try again,” I said, “for you will learn more easily from these preliminary examples. Indeed, I am sure you appreciate that those involved with geometry or calculation, or such subjects, hypothesise the odd and the even, the various shapes, the three kinds of angles, and other kindred hypotheses, depending on the particular approach. They assume that these are already known, turn them into hypotheses, and see no value in giving an account of them, either to themselves or to anyone else, since they are obvious to everyone. Beginning from these, they proceed with the remaining issues, and arrive at consistent conclusions about the matter they set out to investigate.”
  Glaucon: “Yes,” he said. “I cer tainly know this.”
  Socrates: “In that case, you also appreciate that they make use of the visible forms, and construct their arguments in relation to them, although it is not the visible forms that they have in mind but the things which they resemble. They construct their arguments with an eye to the square itself, and the diameter itself, and not the one in the diagram. The same applies to the other instances. They take the objects which are fabricated or drawn, objects which have shadows, and images in water, and use them in turn as images, seeking to discern the entities themselves, which may only be discerned through thought.”
  Glaucon: “What you are saying is true,” he said.
  Socrates: “Well, this is the form I described as ‘known by reason’. However, the soul is compelled to employ hypothesis in its investigation of it, not proceeding to a first principle, since it is unable to transcend any higher than hypotheses. Instead, it employs as images the very objects which are imitated in the lower division, objects which are regarded as clear and worthy of honour when compared to their images.”
  Glaucon: “I understand that you are referring to the province of geometry and related subjects,” he said.
  Socrates: “Then you should appreciate that I am referring to the other division of the realm, known by reason, as what reasoned argument itself attains through the power of dialectic. It does not turn the hypotheses into first principles, but into actual underpinnings, like steps or points of attack, so that it may go as far as the unhypothesised, to the first principle of all. Having attained that, and proceeding once more to follow whatever depends on that, it descends in this way to a conclusion, having no recourse whatsoever to any sense object, but to forms themselves—through forms, to forms, and ending in forms.”
  Glaucon: “I appreciate that,” he said, “but not very well, for you seem to me to be describing a vast undertaking. Anyway, you wish to establish that the realm contemplated by the knowledge of dialectic, the realm of ‘what is’ and what is known by intelligence, is clearer than what is contemplated by what we call skills. In skills, the hypotheses are the first principles, and those who discern their objects, despite the fact that they must see them through understanding rather than through the senses, enquire on the basis of hypotheses. However, because they do not ascend to a principle, you do not think they employ intelligence in relation to these objects, even though they are objects of intelligence associated with a principle. And you seem to me to be calling the faculty of geometers and the like not intelligence, but understanding, since understanding is something in between opinion and intelligence.”
  Socrates: “You have given a very competent exposition,” I said. “And corresponding to the four sections, you should assume four qualities arising in the soul: intelligence corresponding to the highest, and understanding to the second, assign belief to the third, imagination to the last. And arrange them in proportion, accepting that these partake of clarity insofar as their objects partake of truth.”
  Glaucon: “I understand,” he said, “and I agree. And I am arranging them as you suggest.” –Plato, Republic 6.508e-6.509b, 6.509d-6.511e.

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The Christian Platonist’s Good

  The greatest proclamation you can speak is, “This is good! Let there be Light!” God The One is the Good, which is Truth and Beauty. Your covenant with God is written in your soul: “This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”–Jeremiah 31:33. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.”–Hebrews 10:16.
  God as Consciousness Appears as Form is an early (1933) Edna Lister lecture. Its Platonic explanation of GOD AS ALL is astonishingly clear and concise. This is where Edna Lister started. We know that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” but was Jesus of Nazareth, who became the Christ, the first visitation of the Word? Certainly he is the greatest, and his return will be heralded by his harbingers. By their works and their words, you shall know them.–Linda Mihalic.

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Scripture on the Good

God declared His Creation “good” seven times in Genesis 1: “God saw the light, that it was good” (Genesis 1:4). “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”–Genesis 1:31.

O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my {relative}goodness extendeth not to thee.–Psalms 16:2.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.–Psalm 25:6-7.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.–Psalm 27:13.

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.–Psalm 33:5.

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.–Psalm 34:8.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.–Psalm 34:14.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.–Psalm 37:3.

It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.–Psalm 73:8.

I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.–Psalms 54:6.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.–Psalm 84:11.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.–Psalm 100:5.

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.–Psalm 107:1.

Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.–Psalm 119:68.

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.–Psalm 145:9.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.–Proverbs 2:9.

He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.–Proverbs 11:27.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!–Isaiah 5:20.

Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.–Jeremiah 6:16.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.–Lamentations 3:25.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?–Micah 6:8.

The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.–Nahum 1:7.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.–Matthew 5:15-16.

Do good to them that hate you.–Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27.

Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.–Matthew 7:17-20, Luke 6:43-45.

Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.–Matthew 12:32-37.

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.–Matthew 13:47-50.

And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.–Matthew 19:17.

Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.–Mark 10:18.

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.–Luke 18:19.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.–John 10:11.

The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance–Romans 2:4.

The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.–Romans 7:12.

I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.–Romans 7:18-19.

All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.–Romans 8:28.

Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.–Romans 12:2.

Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.–Romans 12:9.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.–Romans 12:21.

Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.–Romans 14:16-17.

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.–2 Corinthians 9:8.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.–Galatians 6:10.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.–Galatians 5:22-23.

It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.–Philippians 2:13.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.–1 Thessalonians 5:15.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.–1 Thessalonians 5:21.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.–Ephesians 2:10.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.–Ephesians 4:29.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.–Ephesians 4:32.

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.–Ephesians 5:9.

Unto the pure all things are pure : but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.–Titus 1:15.

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.–Titus 2:14.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.–James 1:17.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.–James 4:17.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?–1 Peter 3:13.

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Laws on the Good in Other Sacred Writings

Love righteousness, think of the Lord with a good heart, and in simplicity of heart seek Him.–Wisdom of Solomon 1:1.

Wisdom, which is the worker of all things, is an understanding spirit holy, One only, manifold, subtle, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good, kind to man, steadfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtle, spirits.–Wisdom of Solomon 7:22-23.

Wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passes and goes through all things by reason of her pureness, for she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore no defiled thing can fall into her. She is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness. Being but One, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she makes all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she makes them friends of God, and prophets.–Wisdom of Solomon 7:24-27.

The righteous children of good men did sacrifice secretly, and with one consent made a holy law, that the saints should be like partakers of the same good and evil.–Wisdom of Solomon 18:9.

Do not refrain to speak when you can do good, and do not hide your wisdom in her beauty; for by speech, wisdom shall be known, and learning by the word of the tongue.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 4:23-24.

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law are of the Lord: love, and the way of good works, are from Him.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 11:15.

There can no good come to him who is always occupied in evil, nor to him who gives no alms.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 12:3.

Give unto the good, and help not the sinner.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 12:7.

The heart of a man changes his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 13:25.

Blessed is the man who meditates good things in wisdom, and reasons of holy things by his understanding.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 14:20.

In every good work trust your own soul; for this is the keeping of the commandments.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 32:23.

Four manner of things appear: good and evil, life and death: but the tongue rules over them continually.–Wisdom of Ben Sirach 37:18.

They do not go down to Hades, nor have they envy nor groaning nor death within them, but [rather] they rest in Him who is at rest, not striving nor being twisted around the truth. But they themselves are the truth; and the Father is within them, and they are in the Father, being perfect, being undivided in the truly good one, being in no way deficient in anything, but they are set at rest, refreshed in the Spirit.–The Gospel of Truth, Codex I, 3 and XII, 2.

They appear in truth, since they exist in true and eternal life, and speak of the Light which is perfect, and filled with the seed of the Father, and which is in His heart, while his Spirit rejoices in it and glorifies the one in whom it existed, because He is good. And His children are perfect and worthy of His name, for He is the Father; it is children of this kind that He loves.–The Gospel of Truth, Codex I, 3 and XII, 2.

God is pure, immeasurable mind. He is life-giving life. He is a blessedness-giving blessed One. He is knowledge-giving knowledge. He is goodness-giving goodness. He is mercy and redemption-giving mercy. He is grace-giving grace, not because He possesses it, but because He gives the immeasurable, incomprehensible Light.–The Apocryphon of John, Codex III, 10.

A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things.–Gospel of Thomas, Codex II, 2.

Christ redeemed the good people in the world as well as the evil.–Gospel of Philip, Codex II, 3.

Light and Darkness, life and death, right and left are brothers of one another, inseparable. Because of this neither are the good good, nor evil evil, nor is life life, nor death death. For this reason each one will dissolve into its earliest origin.–Gospel of Philip, Codex II, 3.

The rulers [of the world’s darkness, the archons] wanted to deceive man, since they saw that he had a kinship with those that are truly good. They took the name of those that are good and gave it to those that are not good, so that through the names they might deceive humanity and bind them to those that are not good.–Gospel of Philip, Codex II, 3.

This is the doctrine of the perfect: If you desire to become perfect, you shall observe [the laws of Light]; if not, your name is ’Ignorant’, since it is impossible for an intelligent man to dwell with a fool, for the intelligent man is perfect in all wisdom. To the fool, however, the good and bad are the same.–Thomas the Contender, Codex II, 7.

God is ever imperishable and has no likeness to anything; He is unchanging good.–Eugnostos the Blessed, Codices III, 3 and V, 1.

Like a visible voice and flash of lightning will the good be taken up to the Light.–The Dialogue of the Savior, Codex III, 5.

The beginning of the path is love and goodness.–The Dialogue of the Savior, Codex III, 5.

Concerning these things [learning and knowledge] which we have mentioned from the beginning, he [God] perfected them in order that by means of these things he might restrain passions and evils, according to his will. He brought his [man’s] mortal existence into immortality; he [man] became good [and] immortal, just as I have said. For he [God] created [a] two‑fold nature for him: the immortal and the mortal.–Asclepius 21-29, Codex VI, 8.

There is no sin [of the world], but we make sin when we do the things that are like the nature of adultery, which is called sin. That is why the Good came into our midst, to the essence of every nature in order to restore it to its root.–Gospel of Mary 4:26-27.

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