Recently I was challenged to research a fruit of the spirit. I knew everyone would do love, peace, patience, kindness, etc. So, I decided to do goodness. Mostly because I feel sorry for the underdog. But then I realized, no one ever talks about goodness. In fact, it's the one fruit of the spirit I haven't heard a sermon on. I mean, I've heard sermons on how God is good, but not the fruit of goodness. So many times in our world goodness is overlooked. We like the "bad" reputation. There is a slight empowerment from doing devious things. But to be truly good means to abstain from the power that sin gives in recognition that God's is infinately greater. It's like the song "Sin has lost it's power, death has lost its sting," BECAUSE "From the grave you've risen, victoriously." Therefore to be practicing goodness means to constantly be fighting the hold sin has on us.
But what does it mean biblically to be good? I didn't know exactly. So I followed one of my many mottos that has gotten me through school: When it doubt- google. So I ditched my Comm class (probably not a good thing in the long run) and headed to the library. And here's what I found. According to dictionary.com Goodness is...
1. The state or quality of being good. (I was always told not to use the word in the definition. How did Webster get away with it?)
2. Moral excellence
3. Kindly feeling
4. Essence of strength
5. A Euphemism for God.
Well, this left something to be desired to so I looked up good. Basically the same thing added the extra definition of being competetent. What a fail. Anyway, I continued on my search, deciding to do topical biblical studies on the subject. And finally, I was able to pull about three or four together. Here's what I found:
Goodness is righteousness. Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)" Goodness is having a heart of righteousness and living a life that is true and dedicated to the source of truth. That source of truth is God.
Goodness is selfless and from the heart. In Mark twelve Jesus gives the parable of the widow's offering. She gave everything she had. Being good is not just about giving money, but giving from the heart. Your heart has to match. Goodness takes effort to cultivate.
Goodness is holiness. 2 Peter 3:13-15. Ephesians 5:9 Goodness means to do your best to be without sin. Also look at 2 Peter 1:5-7 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." Goodness is the building block of our faith!
Goodness is obedience. Only God has the supreme authority to define what is good and what is evil. Goodness is the very essence of God's nature. Romans 2:4 says it leads us to repentence Badness comes naturally. From the minute we are born we are doomed to sin. Romans 8:7 "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." Matthew 7:21 says that "he who does the will of my father in heaven" will enter the kingdom of heaven. Notice, not our will, but God's. Therefore we are called to submit to God's will even though we are naturally hostile to it.
Goodness is a transformation. Knowing that we are inherently bad our heart must be transformed. 3 John 1:11 "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." The only way we can imitate God is if He is actively and intimately involved in our lives. But to do that we must seek Him. To seek Him means to no longer seek the world. To no longer seek the world means to be transformed by it.
Finally, goodness is an action. Matthew 7:17-20 and John 15:8 call us to bear fruit. James 1:22 says be doers of the Word. Siimply abstaining from evil and doing nothing is not enough. Our heart should match our actions.
But what does it mean biblically to be good? I didn't know exactly. So I followed one of my many mottos that has gotten me through school: When it doubt- google. So I ditched my Comm class (probably not a good thing in the long run) and headed to the library. And here's what I found. According to dictionary.com Goodness is...
1. The state or quality of being good. (I was always told not to use the word in the definition. How did Webster get away with it?)
2. Moral excellence
3. Kindly feeling
4. Essence of strength
5. A Euphemism for God.
Well, this left something to be desired to so I looked up good. Basically the same thing added the extra definition of being competetent. What a fail. Anyway, I continued on my search, deciding to do topical biblical studies on the subject. And finally, I was able to pull about three or four together. Here's what I found:
Goodness is righteousness. Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)" Goodness is having a heart of righteousness and living a life that is true and dedicated to the source of truth. That source of truth is God.
Goodness is selfless and from the heart. In Mark twelve Jesus gives the parable of the widow's offering. She gave everything she had. Being good is not just about giving money, but giving from the heart. Your heart has to match. Goodness takes effort to cultivate.
Goodness is holiness. 2 Peter 3:13-15. Ephesians 5:9 Goodness means to do your best to be without sin. Also look at 2 Peter 1:5-7 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." Goodness is the building block of our faith!
Goodness is obedience. Only God has the supreme authority to define what is good and what is evil. Goodness is the very essence of God's nature. Romans 2:4 says it leads us to repentence Badness comes naturally. From the minute we are born we are doomed to sin. Romans 8:7 "the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." Matthew 7:21 says that "he who does the will of my father in heaven" will enter the kingdom of heaven. Notice, not our will, but God's. Therefore we are called to submit to God's will even though we are naturally hostile to it.
Goodness is a transformation. Knowing that we are inherently bad our heart must be transformed. 3 John 1:11 "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." The only way we can imitate God is if He is actively and intimately involved in our lives. But to do that we must seek Him. To seek Him means to no longer seek the world. To no longer seek the world means to be transformed by it.
Finally, goodness is an action. Matthew 7:17-20 and John 15:8 call us to bear fruit. James 1:22 says be doers of the Word. Siimply abstaining from evil and doing nothing is not enough. Our heart should match our actions.
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