@ LibertyGal

Once again here are the fruits of the Spirit as defined in Galatians 5. > But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23) {emphasis mine} ### What is Good? > And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.<br><br>And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:16-26) If the Bible says that there is no one good except God, how can we be good or show the goodness expected by God? We can only do good and be good if we “*abide in the vine*,” if we have the Spirit within us. This is because only God is good. We can have the fruit of the Spirit, goodness, only when we have the Spirit of God within us. Our goodness comes from Him. He enables us to overcome our sin nature and to act within His very good, sinless nature through Him. ### Goodness Through Obedience & a Right Attitude Goodness is obeying God, but it is more, it is obeying with a totally right attitude. It is submitting our lives fully to God. It is submitting to His will and His plan including putting the good of others above our own good, just as Jesus did when he came down to Earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, and died on the cross to take away our sins. We can’t just obey by our own power. > “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. … “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:21-22,27-28) We can’t just obey the letter of the law and be good. If you notice, it is the thought as well as the action that we are to avoid. Hating another is counted as murder because of the righteous nature of God. Lusting for another is considered adultery because of the Holiness of God. We must have a change of heart through faith in Jesus and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that changes our motivations and the way we think. This goodness is unlike anything the world has seen and it draws people to Jesus like flies to honey. ### Obey as God Enables > While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” (Mark14:3) The goodness expected by Jesus is not the goodness of the world. It is different. Frequently the goodness of the Spirit is considered foolishness by people. Goodness is acting according to the will of God and for His eternal plan. The thing that really stands out to me in the passage, is the statement “*She has done what she could*.” All God asks of us is to obey His commands and submit to His Spirit. We are not responsible for the result. We are not responsible for things we cannot control. God has got this. God has an eternal plan that will come to fruition. We are just blessed to be used by Him to make His plan a reality. Knowing the result is in His hands really takes the pressure off. When we trust and obey Him, He will use our faithfulness for good and give us His goodness. This passage should be the cry of our hearts. > You have dealt well with Your servant,<br> O Lord, according to Your word.<br> Teach me good discernment and knowledge,<br> For I believe in Your commandments.<br> Before I was afflicted I went astray,<br> But now I keep Your word.<br> You are good and do good;<br> Teach me Your statutes. (Psalms 119:65-68) We need to study His commandments and statutes in order to know what God wants us to do. We should keep His word. We should do good as He does good. Even though our goodness is done through the power of the Spirit and under the covering of Jesus, we still need to know God’s commands to live a life of goodness. We need to actively learn what He wants from us. We cannot truly live a good life on our own, but that doesn’t mean we should be passive. We are called to actively obey His commands. We are called to study His word. We are called to speak the truth (that we learn from the Bible). We are called to follow Him. We are not called to lie around like a puppet waiting for the puppeteer to move us and speak for us. ### Goodness Now, but Results In God’s Timing > Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6) God tells us to obey Him and to do what is right at every opportunity (not waiting for what we think is the best time). We then must leave the results to Him. When we are kind to someone, sometimes they will be kind in return, but sometimes they won’t. When we witness to others, sometimes they will repent and turn to God, but sometimes they won’t. We are only responsible for the witnessing, and obeying now. The results are up to God. This should give us peace knowing that we can’t mess things up by doing it wrong. God can use the most awkward words and actions for His glory, but the most silver tongued orator or the most hard working evangelist can’t bring about a single conversion if God is not part of it. As we obey we must always keep in mind that all of our goodness comes from God, not through our works. ### Use of Our Wealth for the Good of Others > Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (1 Timothy 6:17-19) There are many kinds of wealth. We may have the obvious wealth, money and property. We can also have a wealth of friends, a wealth of opportunities, a wealth of influence, or a wealth of skills. Of course the greatest wealth is faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior. God calls us to share this wealth. Part of the goodness we get from the Spirit is the generosity to share this wealth with those around us. We can’t share with everyone, but we can share what we have been given with those near us, who are in need. I’ve said to people for a while that I have had two periods of time in my life: when I had more time than money and when I had more money than time. We will have different stages in life when you have different things to share. For example, if you are a parent of young children or a caregiver to someone with major health problems, you may not have much time to give to others, but there may be other things you can give. God calls us to be generous with what we have. He calls us to be stewards of His treasure. If you have a loving family, that is a gift from God. If you have a good church, that is a gift from God. If you have skills, faith, or knowledge, they are gifts from God. If you have monetary wealth, that is a gift from God. If you have influence, that is a gift from God. We should use all of these for the good of those around us. If you have a loving family, you could invite over a young person who doesn’t have family close by or comes from a broken family and show them what a loving, Godly family looks like. If you have a Godly, loving, Bible-believing church, invite those around you to attend. If you have skills, use them to teach another or to help someone in need. If you have faith, talk about your faith to those who are suffering or doubting. If you have knowledge, teach those who don’t know as much. This may be speaking to a large audience, but it also may be talking to one person at your home or at a coffee shop. If you have monetary wealth, you may be called to give generously to those in need or ministries that share the Gospel. Whatever God has given you, you are called to share this with others. This is part of the goodness of God. > Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17) We are given good things so we can share the goodness of God with others. ### Be Good as God is Good > And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) “*God causes all things to work together for good*,” so we should also act in goodness for the good of others. We should actively seek the good of others, not just wait until the moment seems right. That moment may never come. I still regret two missed opportunities in particular. Neither seemed like a big deal at the time, but I still think about them decades later. In high school, I was at school late for some reason. I was talking to a fellow student. It ends up that student was stuck at school and didn’t have a ride home. They hinted that they needed a ride, but I was too focused on my own schedule that I missed it. It wasn’t till I got home that I realized they were asking for a ride without asking. I totally missed it. I would’ve been willing to give them a ride, but I was too self-focused to catch the hint. I have no idea how long they had to stay at school till they got a ride. I was not seeking that person’s good. I was seeking my own. Another event happened when my husband and I were driving to church one morning. As we drove out of our neighborhood, there was a little old lady struggling taking the trash out to the curb. It would’ve been easy to stop and help her. It wouldn’t have taken more than a minute or two, but we were in a hurry and didn’t stop. (I don’t think my husband saw her because he was driving and paying attention to the road.) I still wish I had stopped to help that lady. I missed an opportunity to do good to another because I was focused on myself. I may have been doing a “good” thing, going to church, but missed the best thing, helping and witnessing to a struggling, old lady. The goodness of the Spirit is doing God’s best instead of what is merely good. > Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:9-10) {emphasis mine} Sometimes we may get tired of doing good when it feels like no good is coming from it, but God tells us to “*not lose heart in doing good*.” God’s plan is never according to our timing. People talk about certain individuals being so smart that when making decisions “they play 3D chess.” In other words, they are seeing so many steps that a normal person doesn’t see and can therefore make better decisions. God doesn’t just “play 3D chess,” He plays more than 1,000,000D chess. We can’t even imagine all of the variables that He manages to bring His plan to fruition. We should never lose heart and we should continue to “*do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith*.” > Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,<br> For false witnesses have risen against me,<br> And such as breathe out violence.<br> I would have despaired unless I had believed<br> that I would see the goodness of the Lord<br> In the land of the living. (Psalms 27:12-13) All Christians know that God and Good (is there a difference?) win in the end and that there will be no pain and suffering in heaven, but we long to see that same goodness here on Earth, “*in the land of the living*.” If we are diligently watching, God gives us peeks at the fulfillment of His plan, glimpses of the goodness being accomplished, and flashes of the positive influences we are helping to bring about. Don’t be so focused on your current cares that you miss the wonderous works that God is doing, especially those being done through your life. > How great is Your goodness,<br> Which You have stored up for those who fear You,<br> Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,<br> Before the sons of men! (Psalms 31:19) As we deal with the evil of the world, we need to keep doing good and “take refuge in” God’s goodness and the power of His Spirit. > O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalms 34:8) ### Slander, Not Hypocrisy > And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; (1 Peter 3:16-18) {emphasis mine} One thing we need to keep in mind is that we will be persecuted and derided for living a good Christian life and imitating Jesus. We need to make sure that all of the accusations are for having Christ-like goodness, and not for being lazy, sinful, or hypocritical. Many people have turned away from Jesus because of the hypocrisy of those who call themselves Christians or organizations that call themselves the Church. Don’t be the reason someone turns away from God. Live out God’s goodness, so that people want to learn more about being a Christian and knowing Jesus. ### Bad Company Corrupts Good Morals We get our goodness from obeying God, studying His word, and trusting in His power, but most of all we get our goodness from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the covering of the Blood of the Lamb. We are told that we are “*washed white as snow*.” If you are a parent, you’ve probably experience your child being dressed up in his/her Sunday best, but then they decided to go hug the hairy dog, play in a mud puddle, or some equally messy endeavor. That beautiful, clean outfit, gets dirty and ruined. In the same way, spending time with ungodly, bad company can dirty our “white as snow” soul and keep us from the goodness that God intends. If we are truly a child of God, this doesn’t mean we lose our salvation or anything like that, but we do become unfruitful. > Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:33-34) The Bible tells us to be in the world, sharing the Gospel, but not to be of the world, living like the rest of sinful mankind. We need to be careful to not use the excuse “that we are witnessing” to be of the world as an excuse for living a worldly life. Is our sending our kids to government schools actually just doing what is easy? Is our hanging out at the bar to witness just an excuse to drink or hangout with our ungodly friends? Are we saying we are being wise stewards with our money, but in reality we are refusing to give according to God’s will because we are saving up emergency money to provide for ourselves because we don’t trust God to provide for us? Sometimes it is hard to judge our motives because we lie to ourselves as well as to God. Be careful that we don’t let “little” lies and “little” excuses draw us away from God’s will. Be careful that we aren’t so much in the world, that we are no good to anyone. Sometimes it is hard to find that right balance. Some people so avoid the worldly sinners that they are of no use to anyone, especially God. Some people are so in the world that they are led astray and look no different than the ungodly sinners around them. We need to pray that God would guide us to witness to the sinners without being changed negatively by their presence. We need to have Godly friends who keep us on track and encourage our walk with God. We need to attend a Bible believing church, so we are regularly taught God’s word and guided in how to apply it. We need to read the Bible daily so we are filling our minds with God’s goodness and not the sinful culture of the world. We want our goodness to shine out and point to the goodness of God. We want our goodness to be the light that draws those around us to salvation. ### Goodness Unlike Anything Known to Man As a Christian, being good and showing goodness to fellow believers should be fairly easy (in the Spirit, but not of ourselves). On the other hand, even for those walking closely with Christ, there is almost always someone to whom it is hard to act with goodness and kindness because they have so mistreated and hurt us. We are called to be good to them as much as we are to those we care about. God’s goodness is acting in a way that is so contrary to human nature that it is hard for people to comprehend. It makes those who don’t know God say, “Are you for real?” > Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:14-21) {emphasis mine} The key to goodness is this, “*Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good*.” *** I’ll include a few more verses on goodness below for those who want to continue studying God’s word on goodness. Trust Jesus. > Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13) {emphasis mine} > Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. (Romans 14:13-19) {emphasis mine} > The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. (1 Timothy 5:24-25) {emphasis mine} FYI, my following posts will continue going through each of the individual fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated