Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
Goodness starts with God!
Psalm 33:4-5 says, “For the word of the LORD is right,
and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the
earth is full of the goodness of the LORD” (emphasis added
throughout).
God wants the earth to be full of His goodness. What He
considers good is clearly spelled out in the Bible. However, since the creation
of Adam and Eve, humanity under Satan’s influence has chosen to come up with
its own definition of goodness.
Think about some of the other words associated with
goodness in the Bible, such as truth, righteousness, justice and light.
Ephesians 5:8-10 uses some of these synonyms: “For you were once darkness, but
now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the
Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out
what is acceptable to the Lord.”
Most people decide what is right and wrong not based on
what God has taught us, but on whatever mood, feeling or biased “research”
they’ve experienced on the matter.
Psalm 52:1 tells us that “the goodness of God endures
continually.” What is that goodness? It includes an absolute commitment to good
over evil and right over wrong. The fruit of the Spirit of goodness mentioned
in Galatians 5:22 also includes generously doing good to others.
Why does God want
us to demonstrate goodness?
God is good,
and He wants us to grow in the fruit of goodness so we can be like
Him.
A phrase that is repeated
several times in Psalm 107 reads: “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD
for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” The rest
of the psalm mentions many aspects of God’s goodness, such as He delivered His
people from distress and afflictions brought on by their sins and He led them
the right way (verses 6-8).
Our goodness should be
something that other human beings can be thankful for, just as we are thankful
for the amazing goodness God has shown to us.
What is the alternative?
What is the opposite of goodness? What happens when we decide what is right or
wrong based on the values of a world twisted by the devil who hates us?
John 8:44 tells us that
Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Do we really think the
father of lies is going to tell the world what it really means to be “good”?
Not likely. As an example, Satan lied to Adam and Eve, convincing them that
they would benefit by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
And to this day, the world has been influenced by the devil’s deceptions
concerning what is good and what is evil.
God wants us to
demonstrate His goodness based on His commandments, based on His character.
Deuteronomy 6:24 reveals that “the LORD commanded us to observe all these
statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve
us alive, as it is this day.”
God knows what is best
for us, because He created “good.” We must continue in God’s goodness that He
has shown toward us if we are to avoid being cut off from a coming
kingdom defined by goodness (Romans 11:22).
Why does God want us to
demonstrate goodness? Because it is good for us and good for those around us.
We are to be a light showing what is truly moral—the beneficial commandments
and righteousness of God.
Ultimately, God wants us
to show goodness because He is good, and He wants us to be like Him—and to be
His children forever (Romans 8:16-17)!
We must evaluate this
world’s ideas of “good,” and then think about Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who
call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light
for darkness.”
Goodness
self-examination questionnaire
Is the “good” I do based
on God’s standards in His Bible, or society’s standards and standards I’ve
created?
How do my actions show
God’s right way of life? How do my actions show God’s law?
Would God call what I am
about to do “good”? If yes, what evidence from the Bible shows it?
How do we
demonstrate more goodness?
If we are to be walking
billboards for God and His goodness, then we need to think very carefully about
our actions, thoughts and speech. How do we make sure we are demonstrating
God’s goodness? We should:
Do the research and get
the facts about activities, traditions or philosophies we are involved in. Dig
into the background and the application of these areas of our lives and decide
if they are pleasing to God or not. For example, many traditional holidays celebrated today, claiming to praise God, involve
the same ancient, pagan traditions that the Bible clearly says God hates.
Pray for understanding to
effectively discern between the twisted versions of “goodness” we see around us
every day and the true goodness that comes from God.
Examine our choices in
life through the lens of the two great commandments. Ask: When I do this, am I loving God with all my heart
and strength (the First through Fourth of the 10 Commandments)? And, when I do this, am I loving my neighbor as myself
(the Fifth through 10th Commandments)?
Jesus Christ, our perfect
example for all the different fruit of the Spirit, was the model and definition
of goodness demonstrated by a human being. Now, no longer human, He sits at the
throne of God eager to help us in our lives. Let us all use His example and
help to strive to truly grow in the fruit of goodness.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing!
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