The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
Would you like to know more about the Fruit of the Spirit and how it can apply to your life? Do you desire to understand the biblical importance of this fruit? Then join us below as we answer these and other questions and learn about the Fruit of the Spirit that is goodness!
The Fruit of the Spirit:
In Galatians 5:22-23 we find a list of nine attributes of the Fruit of the Spirit which are developed within us as we live according to the Holy Spirit—living in alignment with God’s will and character. These are:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Longsuffering
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”—Galatians 5:22-23
Yet, what do these mean for our lives, and what does the Word say about them?
The Fruit of the Spirit, Goodness
The sixth attribute of the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is goodness. Yet, despite the word “goodness” being the sixth mentioned here in this scripture, and only found in the New King James version of the Word 45 times, it is still very vital for our walk with God.
“Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’”—Exodus 33:19
God is good, and He is full of goodness. Goodness which He has poured out upon us, His children, throughout all the ages of our being—since He created us. Because of this, it behooves us to walk in the fruit which the Holy Spirit so lovingly provides; goodness included.
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”—1 Corinthians 6:19
Moreover, we are made in the image of God, for His good pleasure, and are meant to walk in a way pleasing to Him and in accordance with HIS nature… a nature which is good and full of goodness!
Yet, what exactly is goodness?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes goodness as, “the quality or state of being good.” Still, it is only when we know the Lord’s goodness—how good He is—that we are able to truly appreciate what this CAN mean for us. It is not enough to merely be ‘good’ as the world considers goodness… instead, through the grace of the Holy Spirit—of God—we are made to walk in Godly goodness. A state of goodness which is unattainable without Him! A goodness forged in His very nature…
For God, though we have done nothing to deserve it, has walked in goodness with man since Adam received his first breath…
“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!”—Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”—Romans 8:28
We were created to receive His goodness and then give it to His children in turn…
Walk in Goodness
So, we begin to understand how the goodness of God is beyond anything we can find in the world, yet, how do we walk in His goodness? How can we, mere flesh and blood beings, hope to walk in the goodness of God?
Well, the best place to begin to learn how to walk in this character of the Spirit’s fruit is with the Holy Spirit—a part of the three-in-one. We need to learn how to fall in love with Him, just as we have with Jesus, our Messiah, and our Abba Father. We need to discover the sound of His voice within our spirit. We need to listen and be guided by Him.
“As for God, His way is perfect…”—Psalm 18:30
Because the Holy Spirit is God within us, and because God is perfect, when we listen to the Holy Spirit we not only discover who He is, but we are lead correctly and perfectly in all we do. With the Holy Spirit at the wheel, we will only crash if we try to ‘help’ Him through the grabbing of it, or by the shifting of gears—for His timing and sense of direction are all without flaw.
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”—1 John 1:5
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:”—Ecclesiastes 3:1
“…as your Father in heaven is perfect.”—Matthew 5:48
Yet, walking in Godly goodness, even when we are in tune with the Holy Spirit, does appear beyond our human ability… and is one of the reasons we require grace. Because, yes, Godly goodness IS beyond us if we try to earn it through works. We just are not that good. However, God is. He is not only perfect and goodness itself… but for Him, NOTHING is impossible. If we let HIM take control, accepting His Holy Spirit as we rest in His presence… then we too can know His goodness. We can walk in Godly goodness, showing the light of God to the world through our very presence—through our Abba’s loving goodness.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:14-16 (emphasis added)
So, let us walk with the Holy Spirit, listen to His voice, and then, obeying it—spending time in the Word and in prayer, allowing our hearts and behaviors to meld with His. In this way, we spread the light of God through His very goodness. We draw nearer to Him, and in turn, He draws nearer to us… so we become like our God, walking in the habit and pattern of Godly goodness.
Letting our light shine so He may be glorified!
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”—Matthew 5:44-45
Would you like to learn more about goodness? Then click HERE to discover how you can walk in the goodness of God!
Would you like to give of the goodness God has given you? Then click HERE to discover how!
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Would you like to discover your Godly strengths? Then click HERE to find what God has put within you!
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”—Luke 6:38