Fruit Of The Spirit # 6

There are nine fruits of the Spirit and they can be divided into three categories.

1. INWARD FRUITS - love, joy, peace

2. OUTWARD FRUITS – longsuffering (patience) gentleness (kindness), goodness

3. GOD-WARD FRUITS - faith, meekness, temperance (self control).

In this message, we want to look at the fruit of the spirit called GOODNESS, which is one of the OUTWARD FRUITS.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT WE HAVE THIS FRUIT IN OUR LIFE?

Because we would have a hard time revealing Christ in our life if the lost world can’t see GOODNESS in our life.

God wants us to bear this fruit to reveal the Lord Jesus in our lives, who the Bible says, “Went about doing GOOD!”

As we look at bearing the fruit of GOODNESS in our life, we want to look at:

I. GOD’S GOODNESS

Let me say up front that God is a GOOD GOD and we do not deserve HIS GOODNESS.

THERE IS PROOF WE ARE NOT GOOD. WHAT IS THAT PROOF?

The fact that we are all saved by GRACE means we do not deserve His goodness. Everything we get from God is because of HIS GOODNESS!

Illus: There is a fellow on a national radio show by the name of Dave Ramsey. I like to listen to him because he gives out some good financial advice to his listening audience.

He is often asked, “How are you doing?” and he gives them his stock answer, “I’m doing better than I deserve.”

This is true for each of us. If each and every one of us got what we deserved, we all would be in Hell tonight, but we are here tonight because of the GOODNESS OF GOD! God is a GOOD GOD and we all had better be thankful each day that He is a GOOD GOD!

Illus: The songwriters John W. Peterson and Alfred B. Smith, said it best when they wrote the song, “Surely Goodness”. The words go like this:

A pilgrim was I and a-wandering

In the cold night of sin I did roam.

When Jesus the kind Shepherd found me

And now I am on my way home.

He restoreth my soul when I'm weary.

He giveth me strength day by day.

He leads me beside the still waters,

He guards me each step of the way.

When I walk through the dark lonesome valley

My Savior will walk with me there.

And safely His great hand will lead me

To the mansions He's gone to prepare.

Chorus:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days - all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,

And I shall feast at the table spread before me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days, all the days of my life.

The reason that GOODNESS AND MERCY follow us each day of our life is because God is a GOOD GOD to each and every one of us. But when it comes to goodness, we have two problems.

(1) PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT WHAT GOODNESS IS

We live in a world that does not know the meaning of GOODNESS. For example, what used to be called BAD is now called GOOD.

Illus: We have heard a great deal about Scott Peterson, in California, who was convicted for murdering his wife and unborn child. Before he was given the death sentence, his lawyer brought over thirty witnesses before the jury, saying he was a good man and did not deserve the death sentence. A man who kills his wife and baby IS NOT A GOOD MAN!!!

Something is wrong with this society. People do not seem to know the difference between GOOD and EVIL. But here is another problem with the word GOODNESS.

(2) THE WORD GOODNESS IS OFTEN USED WHEN IT SHOULD NOT BE

Some use the word to describe something bad. For example, someone might fall on the ground and they will say, “O my goodness.” THERE IS NOT ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT FALLING DOWN!!!

In the same way, some use the word to describe a bad act.

Illus: A man might rob a bank successfully, and people will speak of him as a GOOD THIEF because he knows how to rob a bank.

The word “GOOD” is used many ways, and often it is used in the wrong way.

But when it comes to talking about goodness, the fact is, only God is TRULY GOOD.

Remember the man who came to the Lord wanting to know what good thing he could do to inherit eternal life?

Look at Matt. 19:16-17 “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God…”