The Fruit of the Spirit - Goodness
Scripture: Galations 5:22-23
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23. gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (NASV)
Introduction
Thus far we have examined the Fruit of the Spirit and it’s manifestation in the life of the believer. We have looked at love, joy,peace, patience or longsuffering and gentleness.
Today I want to continue to examine with you the manifestation of Goodness.
We must always remember that:
•Salvation is not reformation but regeneration.
•Changes in us are not due to harder efforts on our part but to indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit
•The transformation in our lives is not due to our striving, rather by our surrendering to the Work and Presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
I.Goodness Defined
a.Difficulty in defining goodness
i.Mom & Dad tell us … be good
b.The online dictionary (www.dictionary.com) defines goodness thus:
i.the state or quality of being good.
ii.moral excellence; virtue.
iii.kindly feeling; kindness; generosity.
iv.excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship.
v.the best part of anything; essence; strength.
vi.a euphemism for God: Thank goodness!
—Synonyms 2. integrity, honesty, uprightness, probity. GOODNESS, MORALITY, VIRTUE refer to qualities of character or conduct that entitle the possessor to approval and esteem. GOODNESS is the simple word for the general quality recognized in character or conduct: Many could tell of her goodness and kindness. MORALITY implies conformity to the recognized standards of right conduct: a citizen of the highest morality. VIRTUE is a rather formal word, and suggests usually GOODNESS that is consciously or steadily maintained, often in spite of temptations or evil influences: of unassailable virtue; firm and of unwavering virtue. 3. benevolence, benignity, humanity. 4. worth, value.
—Antonyms 1. badness, evil.
c.Goodness In The Scriptural Sense is an inclusive quality that encompasses several qualities such as benevolence, love, mercy and grace.
i.Benevolence speaks of the disposition to promote happiness
ii.Love speaks of having desire and taking delight
iii.Mercy is to show kindness towards the miserable
iv.Grace is to exercise love towards the unworthy
d.Goodness is an old Anglo-saxon word
i.Carried the same connotation as God
ii.God was considered good and goodness considered as belonging essentially to God
iii.It was just as valid to say God is good as it was to say God is Love
iv.God places a very high value on goodness
e.The Worlds view of goodness
i.Is often the direct opposite to that of God’s
ii.World often devalues, depreciates goodness
1.belittling, or deriding those who would seek to serve God
2.Calling them “do-gooders”
3.A very hurtful and cruel name used is “goody-two shoes”
iii.This should really not come as a surprise since the goodness of God and the evil of the enemy of God areametrically opposed
iv.They are exclusive to each other
v.Good & Evil are locked in battle one against the other –
vi.But remember – “ultimately the goodness of God will prevail over evil. Love will overcome despair. Light will dispel darkness. Life will supplant death” (A Gardener Looks At The Fruits Of The Spirit., pg. 140)
vii.
II.Declared
a.The Scriptures declare the Goodness of God
i.Ps 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
ii.Ps 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
iii.Ps 31:19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!
iv.Ps 33:5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
v.Ps 68:10 Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
vi.Ps 107:8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
vii.Ro 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
viii.Ro 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off
III.Goodness Demonstrated
a.Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
b.Remember the four words – benevolence, love, mercy, and grace
i.Benevolence speaks of the disposition to promote happiness
1.2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
ii.Love speaks of having desire and taking delight
1.Ex 33:19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
iii.Mercy is to show kindness towards the miserable
1.Eph 2: 4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
iv.Grace is to exercise love towards the unworthy
1.2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
2.Eph 2:5-9 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
c.Ever noticed how God only does things in full measure
i.Haddon Robinson says it best, "With Him the calf is always the fatted calf; the robe is always the best robe; the joy is always unspeakable; and the peace passes understanding. There is no grudging in God’s goodness. He does not measure His goodness by drops like a druggist filling a prescription. It comes upon in floods. If only we recognize the lavish abundance of His gifts, what a difference it would make in our lives!"
ii.Philip Pascal wrote of the THE GOODNESS OF GOD..
His goodness is an ocean that has no shore.
A Mountain that has no summit.
A Road that has no end.
Not meager, but much.
Not skimpy but sufficient.
Not little, but limitless•
Not barely, but bountiful•
Not feeble, but full.
SOURCE: THE GOODNESS OF GOD by Philip Pascal on www.sermoncentral.com.
iii.Obstacles to seeing Seeing the Goodness of God
One day John Wesley was walking with a troubled man who expressed his doubt as to the goodness of God. He said, "I do not know what I shall do with all this worry and trouble." At the same moment Wesley saw a cow looking over a stone wall. "Do you know," asked Wesley, "why that cow is looking over the wall?" "No," said the man. Wesley said, "The cow is looking over the wall because she cannot see through it. That is what you must do with your wall of trouble. Look over it and avoid it." Faith enables us to get above circumstances and look to Christ who is over all, blessed forever.
i.Our Inability to do good
a.Ro 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
b.Ro 7:18, 19, 21 For 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.Ro 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.Ro 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
IV.Goodness Imparted
a.Gal 5:22-23 teaches us that Goodness is the fruit of the Spirit
i.It is imparted to us from God by His Holy Spirit
b.How do you measure goodness
i.MEASURING GOODNESS
Goodness can only be measured by God. God is the standard of goodness. If we compare ourselves to others we’re using the wrong measurement. If we determine goodness by what other people call good, we’re using the wrong standard.
It’s like the little boy who came to his mother and said, “Mommy, I’m eight feet tall.”
She said, “You are?”
“Yes,” he insisted, “I am eight feet tall.”
His mother asked what he measured himself with, and he pulled out a six inch ruler
SOURCE: Rick Warren, The Power to Change Your Life (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1990), 93. Joel Smith in
Be Good For Goodness’ Sake on www.sermoncentral.com.
V.Our Call to Demonstrate Goodness
a.Mt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
b.Mt 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
c.Ro 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
d.Ga 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
VI.We are Enable of God
a.2Co 9:8 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:
b.Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
c.Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
d.2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
e.Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
