“The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is goodness?”

Goodness: God’s Character and Man’s Potential

The spiritual fruit of goodness enables sinful man to do good and to be good-good in the truest sense of the word. Goodness, after all, is the essence of God’s nature.

The Bible says that it is the goodness of God that will lead sinners to repentance and salvation.

The quality of goodness is another real powerful quality to have operating through you.

This particular quality has a real drawing power to it. Not only does the goodness of God draw people direct to Him, but this fruit of goodness operating in a believer can also draw people direct to God through the actual believer.

Spirit-filled saints who are walking with many of these fruits operating through them are like a magnet.

Many people who have been saved through an individual believer say that what drew them in was the love and goodness they saw shining through that believer.

Jesus says that we are to carry His light and let that light shine before men and not attempt to hide it.

Part of His light are these 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit shining through an anointed believer. Nonbelievers are really drawn to someone who has some degree of these nine fruits manifesting through their personalities.

However, there is something extra special about the quality of goodness. Many Christians can effectively witness to others by just living right and being a good example and role model for others to follow.

Many nonbelievers carefully watch and study some Christians because they know there is something really different about them.

One of the key qualities a nonbeliever will pick up on in a solid Christian is this quality of goodness. This quality has an ability to really get down deep into the core of a believer's personality.

To those who really have this quality, you can tell that it is something operating deep down inside of them.

This quality is not something that waivers like some of the other qualities can do. These people are good down to their very cores of their personalities. You can see it and feel it when you get around these types of people.

…As the Holy Spirit works in our lives, our character changes. Where we had harbored selfishness, cruelty, rebelliousness, and spite, we now possess love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Everything in the list reflects the character of God, and goodness is one that relates directly to morality.……Goodness is virtue and holiness in action. It results in a life characterized by deeds motivated by righteousness and a desire to be a blessing.

It’s a moral characteristic of a Spirit-filled person. The Greek word translated "goodness,"agathosune, is defined as “uprightness of heart and life.”Agathosuneis goodness for the benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous.…Itdoesn’t just refer to an attitude or a motivation, but a lifestyle characterized by virtue and helpfulness.……Someone with agathosunewill selflessly act on behalf of others. Confronting someone about a sin demonstrates goodness. So do giving to the poor, providing for one's children, visiting the sick, volunteering to clean up after a storm, and praying for an enemy. Expressions of goodness are as varied as the Spirit is creative.……Goodness is not a quality we can manufacture on our own.

We read in James 1:17

17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.(Greek from above, from the Father of lights) He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.(Some manuscripts read He never changes, as a shifting shadow does.)

This certainly includes a life characterized by goodness. In letting the Holy Spirit control us, we are blessed with the fruit of goodness.

God is good. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, God reproduces His goodness in our hearts, and it shows in our lives. This goodness empowers us to live lives characterized by the desire to act righteously and for the practical benefit of others. As others see the work of God in us, they will “give glory to your Father who is in heaven”

Matthew 5:16…16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

To be filled with goodness is to live a life of doing good things for others

Matthew 7:17-18

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.

Luke 6:45

45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

“Good” here has the taste of righteousness in it.

To do a good deed is to treat others justly and also to endorse virtue.… Luke 10:42

42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."

It is righteous and beneficial to spend time with Jesus and learn from Him. When Mary chose to sit and listen to Jesus instead of helping Martha in the kitchen, she was commended for doing something good.…Luke 19:17

It is good to be faithful with the blessings God has given us. Being a faithful steward is called “good.”

17 "ÔÇÿWell done!' the king exclaimed. ÔÇÿYou are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.'

Luke 6:27…27 "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.…When wronged, we still do good to those who wrong us; we do not seek revenge or return in kind. Just as a cup of water will spill water when bumped, a believer who is filled with the Spirit will spill goodness when pushed.…We cannot be good on our own. Goodness is defined by God, and, as Jesus said, “No one is good except God alone” …Mark 10:18…18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good.

Goodness cannot come from human effort. Even Paul, a Pharisee of the strictest order, could not force every part of his person to embody goodness.

Romans 7:18-19…18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.(Greek my flesh) I want to do what is right, but I can't. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.… Romans 12:21…21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.…Goodness will overcome evil. Our expressions of goodness can diminish or cancel out the effects of evil in the world.

Our good works were ordained by God. The natural extension of faith in Christ is good works in Christ’s name.

Ephesians 2:10

10 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.

Philippians 1:6

6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.…God grows goodness in us, and He will not stop until we are good through and through.

When we see Jesus, we will be “like Him,” fully characterized by goodness …1 John 3:2

2 Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Studying Scripture promotes goodness within us. God inspired the Scriptures so that we can be completely equipped “for every good work.”…2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

…Are you suffering an internal spiritual war? If so, that’s a good sign. It’s a sign that you are pursuing goodness, which causes the badness of human nature to fight back.

Yes, according to the Bible, badness comes naturally

Romans:8:7…7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.…Goodness does not. But God has a wondrous plan to radically transform our character!

Though our natural inclination is to defy God in sin, He has determined to help us overcome that nature to live a life of righteousness and goodness. …This is possible only through a relationship with Him. As the apostle John explained,

3 John 11

11 Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.

John also explained that those who truly are of God have God living in them through the Holy Spirit: “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit”…1 John:4:13…If we allow Gods light to shine through us we will bare the fruit of goodness

Ephesians:5:9

9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Biblical goodness describes what one does and what one is .

We must be doing good

Jesus wants us to “bear much fruit”we are recognised as His disciples

John:15:8

8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Being fruitful requires action -knowing the right thing to do and then doing it. …James1:22

22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.…We must be doers of the word, simply abstaining from evil and doing nothing is not good enough.

Jesus went about doing good.We should too!

Acts10:38

38 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

It takes courage to obey God, because it often brings persecution:

1 Peter2:20;

20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

Jesus said to do good to everyone, even our enemies!…Luke6:27-28

27 "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

Later He said we should not only do good to those that that are good to us.Doing good to someone who does good to you, Jesus points out, is not pure goodness. It is rather two people exchanging favours, which can be at least partly selfish.

Luke 6:32-3332 "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!

God’s standard is the very highest!

Here is an inspiring passage to remember:

Galatians 6:9-10

9 So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone-especially to those in the family of faith.

In Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, he wrote,

Romans15:1414 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters,[a] that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.

May you likewise pursue spiritual growth so that one day it will be said of you: You are full of goodness .

People speak of a life of comfort and affluence as “the good life.” But living a life close to God with all the great benefits He offers is the truly good life! Allow God to cultivate in you the good fruit of goodness. And that will lead to the gift of eternal life! That’s as good as it gets! …