THE FRUIT OF GOODNESS
Text: Gal 5:22-24
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1. Comprehending Goodness
- What does the term “Goodness” mean?
- The common idea in almost all of its uses is that it suggests a desirable quality, something commendable, reliable, welcome, enjoyable, beneficent, kind, noble, admirable, propitious, exemplary and very much welcome.
In the word “goodness,” we see the inner qualities of virtue, excellence of character, morality and attitude of a person.
In the Bible the most profound and absolute sense of “good” is predicated on God alone.
Only God’s goodness is absolute. (Mk. 10:18)
1)
2) What God
3) What God
4) What God
- These truths must be established in our mind-sets in order for us to become involved in the manifestation of Biblical Goodness (i.e. that what we say, do, and will is shown forth as being good).
2. Cherishing Goodness (Titus 1:8; cf. 2 Tim. 3:1-4)
Titus 1:8 AMP – But he must be hospitable (loving and a friend to believers, especially to strangers and foreigners); [he must be] a lover of goodness (of good people and good things].
1) Contrasting loving good
1] Lovers of
2] Lovers of
3] Lovers of
4] Haters of
2) The key to cherishing good is cherishing
Loving what is good is the
The extent to which I love God and reflect that love by doing His will revealed in the Word of God is the degree to which I love what is good. (Gene Getz)
3. Committed To Goodness
Since God is clearly the source of good, how can a man begin to become good like God is? (Mt. 7:7-12; cf. Phil. 1:6; Heb. 13:20-21)
1)
- We discover what God would have us do by
2)
3)
4)
- Although we need to learn and do what God has told us in His Word, we cannot do it completely under our own power.
- We MUST be
to empower us to
- We discover what God would have us do by