THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS GOODNESS
From The HeartPublish date: 04/23/2000
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
There are several different Hebrew and Greek words translated as goodness in the KJV. When referring to goodness as an attribute of the character God or man, the Hebrew words mean goodness, kindness, graciousness, beauty, gladness, and welfare. The Greek words mean virtue or beneficence and moral excellence - in character or demeanor.
When the Bible speaks of the goodness that is extended toward us and that follows us the Hebrew word for goodness means beautiful, bountiful, cheerful, joyful, kindness, loving, merry, favor, glad, pleasant, pleasing, pleasure, precious, prosperity, wealth, welfare and well-favored.
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4 NKJ
So many people – Christians and non-Christians - present our Father God as an angry, hard, judgmental, demanding God, who expects us to keep a whole bunch of rules and regulations. We think that He loves to punish us and so when we sin, we try to run away and hide from Him. We try to defend ourselves and justify our actions, instead of just running to Him in repentance, and asking forgiveness.
Our sin destined us for hell, but God’s grace paid in full, by the blood of Jesus, destines us for heaven! It is the goodness of God that draws us to Him. We realize how much He loves us and how kind and gracious and merciful He is toward us and we come running into His arms to receive forgiveness and mercy. The goodness of God leads us to repentance. We repent because we know that God’s mercy will be poured out on our heads and the bondage of sin will be destroyed from off of our lives. What a good God we serve and how good He is to us!
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psalms 27:13-14 NKJ
God’s goodness and kindness toward us are extended to every area of our lives here on earth. He is on our side and He is concerned with our welfare. He provides every good thing that we need – spirit, soul and body. In the middle of any adverse circumstance and situation we find ourselves in, we can know that God is not the author of the disaster (as some believe), but He is the answer and the solution to every problem that we encounter. He is the way out of the problem not the cause of it! We can be encouraged as we wait on Him and put our trust in Him to save us and to bring us out in victory. If we believe that God is the author of our trouble, then our courage will fail because we see ourselves in a hopeless situation. But if we know that He is our answer and that He has made a way for us and that He is ever ready to save us – we can have hope in His goodness and we can see our way out into His blessing and provision!
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. Psalms 107:8-9 NKJ
God is so kind and gracious to us. He is good and He fills us with His goodness. He is not stingy. He does not use a tiny teaspoon to dish out His goodness to us – He fills us – He does not stop until we are overflowing with His bountiful joy, favor, pleasure, prosperity, wealth, and welfare!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:6 NKJ
God promises us that if we obey and serve Him that His bountiful joy, favor, pleasure, prosperity, wealth, and welfare will be following us all the days of our lives. Not just some days – or when He feels like it – no - every day we will be saturated in His blessing and His abundance. Thank God for His goodness – what a good God we serve. What a joy it is to serve Him!
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Romans 15:13-14 NKJ
We must be as good to one another as God is good to us. We should be kind and merciful, gracious and honest. We should be generous and hospitable and we should lavish blessings on one another.
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 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 NKJ