“22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:22-26 (ESV)
We are looking again to the apostle Paul’s list of the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5 as part of our study of Colossians 1:10: “…bearing fruit in every good work.”
On Day 45 we studied the fruit of KINDNESS.
Today we are going to look at GOODNESS.
Goodness
The Greek word agathōsynē is used four times in the New Testament and is translated “goodness,” as in Gal. 5:22 above, “good,” or, sometimes, “generosity.”
In Romans 15:14
“I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:14-16 (NIV)
Even when brothers and sisters in Christ are “full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another,” they still need to be reminded, in boldness, “on some points.”
To “become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit,” we require bold reminders from ministers, especially, and a posture of humble teachability — we will never be good enough to be beyond the need of reminders of the truth! We are all in the process of sanctification as long as we remain in our earthly bodies.
Producing the fruit of goodness doesn’t make me “too good” to be reminded of the truth or “so good” that I am no longer in need of sanctification.
In Ephesians 5:9
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14This is why it is said:
'Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:1-20 (NIV)
| Fruitless Deeds of Darkness | Fruit of the Light |
| –Even a hint of sexual immorality –Any kind of impurity –Any kind of greed –Obscenity –Foolish talk –Coarse joking –Idolatry (immorality, impurity, greed) –Being deceived by empty words –Shameful, secret disobedience –Debauchery (resulting from getting drunk) | –Thanks-giving –GOODNESS –Righteous-ness –Truth –Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, & songs from the Spirit –Singing and making music from your heart to the Lord –Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ |
Goodness is a fruit of the light.
In II Thessalonians 1:11
“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, 12so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
II Thessalonians 1:11-12 (ESV)
Notice how these words of Paul’s are like his words to the Colossian believers in Col. 1:9-10: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way…” (NIV84).
The ESV Study Bible calls this “resolve for good” “a God-imparted resolution to do good” (2016, p.2317). This is not some “good” that humans have come up with on their own; this is good that God has imparted to His children.
Goodness comes from God… or it’s not “good.”
Day 46 PRAYER:
Father God,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Bless our study of Your Word. May we come away from it with greater humility and an increase in our knowledge of You.
May our lives produce the fruit of goodness through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Although we can produce goodness, we still need to be reminded of Your truth on a daily basis. We humbly admit that we have a long way to go in the process of sanctification.
When the world calls something “good,” we know that does not make it “good” — only You who are good can define “good” for us. And Your goodness is a fruit of the light; it always shines in the darkness.
We love You, Lord; thank You for first loving us.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.