Cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit
Goodness
Matthew 7:16-20
Galatians 5:22-25
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Today as we wrap up our series on Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit, I’d like ask one simple question:
What is Good? What does it mean to “Be Good”.
To start, I thought I’d ask on a simple level, and that is children:
(Answers from Kid’s Church)
What is Good?
Abby – to share
Hudson – What you do
Liberty – prayer
Mavric – the crackers
Megan – Not yelling at Mom and Dad
Chase – Not disobeying Mom and Dad
Jamieson – Not lying to Mom and Dad; obeying
Adam – Being kind to others and giving
Jimmy – Giving rides to people walking
These are cute, but they are also quite telling aren’t they? This shows me that from early age we can comprehend what it actually means “To Be Good”.
So if that isn’t the problem, what is? The problem is the desires of the flesh. We know what is good, but our human self is of a sinful nature, and naturally gravitates towards those things that aren’t necessarily good.
The bible is pretty clear on telling us how we can spot “Good” in ourselves, and that is based upon what our life shows.
Matthew 7:16-20 (NLT)
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
So today, as we close this series, let’s examine further what it means to have Goodness in our lives, and how we are called to cultivate it further.
-Prayer
1. The Definitive Truth!
Let’s start at the most basic level: What is Good?
Goodness
In man is not a mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good.
(Easton Bible Dictionary)
So we see that it is a choice. But before you can judge something you must have a standard by which you judge from.
How do I measure Goodness? – Movies, who is telling me it’s good?
How do I measure truth?
A. GOD IS GOOD.
We must believe that God is infallible.
Psalm 100:5 (NLT)
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
We must recognize His word and commands as truth
Psalm 119:105 (NLT)
Your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my path.
We must trust that His ways are mysterious yet perfect
Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Do I believe that God is Good? If not, what is your standard?
B. How we are made Good
1. It’s not based on doing Good things…
If “goodness” is just about doing good deeds, almost everyone would have to be considered a good person. Even the worst people in history have done good things in at some point in their life.
“Goodness” overlaps kindness in much of its meaning. The tree that is “good” is productive (Matt 7:17); land that is “good” is fertile (Luke 8:8); a “good” employer is generous with his workers (Matt 20:15). This sense of productive generosity is very similar to the useful helpfulness of “kindness.”
(College Press Commentary)
There is more to goodness than what we doing good things, because in essence that could be considered kindness.
2. Uprightness of heart and life…
Two weeks ago we talked about how gentleness and kindness make up what the world describes as a “nice” person, but we know that they are requirements of a Disciple of Christ.
And so in the same token, Goodness is a requirement of His Disciples because it calls us to be upright within our lives.
Not only does goodness give the thought of “excellent”, “distinguished”, and honorable”, it also includes the idea of uprightness of heart and life. What this means is that goodness includes abstaining from every appearance of evil.
Titus 3:4-8 (NIV)
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Here’s a reminder of what God has done for us. Now:
8This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son to save us. With this gift, we are to devote ourselves to doing God’s good works.
"Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as often as ever you can, as long as you can."
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
3. Spirit-created moral and spiritual excellence…
Based upon what we consider our definitive truth, Moral goodness basically means “conformity to God’s laws and principles.”
Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)
So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.
When we cultivate that intimacy with the Holy Spirit, we in turn will grow in a spirit-created excellence that is good and pleasing to the Lord. But we have to ask for it, because it does not come naturally!
2. So why be Good?
“Evil will always triumph, because Good is dumb.”
- Darth Helmet, Spaceballs
Why should goodness be so important for us to nurture and pursue in our lives? Especially when it seems like a lost cause?
A. We were created in Christ for good works.
Why did god save us? Did He send His Son to die for us so we could just live self-indulgent lives or were we saved for a higher purpose?
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
I love how we are called “A Masterpiece”. That is not a word that is used flippantly. And here it has even greater meaning, because not only are we a great masterpiece, but we were created to be used for God’s glory.
One of the ways you grow in Christ is to work for Christ. You will not find fulfillment in life working and serving your self. You will find fulfillment in Christ and His work.
B. We are called to imitate what is good.
We are called to be Christ-like. That means that we are to try to imitate Christ as much and beyond what we can.
3 John 1:11 (NIV)
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
Doing good is something that God wants us to do. Period.
C. We are called to walk in manner worthy of the Lord.
This goes back to being Christ-like. When you give your life to Christ, there is a lot expected of you, there are high expectations.
2 Peter 1:3-7 (NIV)
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Stop and think what this verse is telling us!
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
God EXPECTS us to be good.
3. Practical Goodness – the How
A. Follow God’s Commands
Psalm 119:39 (NLT)
Help me abandon my shameful ways; your laws are all I want in life.
Romans 7:14-16 (NLT)
The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. 15I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. 16I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good.
B. Pursue Purity
Matthew 5:8
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
When we make every effort to seek purity in our hearts and minds, we will see the Goodness of God.
Romans 6:13
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
C. Walk by the Spirit
Love
1 John 3:16,18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Joy
Psalm 16:8-9 (NLT)
I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 9 No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in safety.
Peace
John 14:27 (NLT)
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Patience
James 1:2-4 (NASB)
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Faithfulness
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)
The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.
Gentleness
Colossians 3:12 (NLT)
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Kindness
Romans 12:14-15 (NLT)
If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow.
Self-Control
2 Peter 1:5-6
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. 6Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness.
Cultivating these Fruit will lead to a life who’s fruit is goodness!
-Prayer
