The Goodness of Christ In Us

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

So far we have studied love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. This morning we will look at goodness, as we try to understand how to take on more of the character of Christ as we live our daily lives.

I told you last week that kindness and goodness are closely related. We looked at kindness last week and discovered that the kindness of Christ speaks to how we deal with others in our daily lives: our family, our neighbors, our coworkers, those we meet in the marketplace and our church family. But also how we deal with our enemies.

You’ll remember that we read the passage in Luke, where Jesus advised us to love our enemies. He told us to show our enemies what kindness looks like and to pray for them.

However, this week we are looking at the goodness of Christ that is within us.

Let’s focus on 1 Peter 2 this morning...

1 Peter 2:11–17 CSB

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits. 13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

[pray]

Where kindness was about how we treat others, goodness seems to be more about what others see in us and why we do the things that we do.

The word “goodness” in Greek...

ἀγαθουργέω agathourgeō

New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition 19a ἀγαθουργέω (agathourgeō)

ἀγαθουργέω agathourgeō; contr. form of 14; to do good:—did good(1).

… goodness is “a quality of moral excellence; especially noted as being active in working itself out” in daily life.

Goodness differs from kindness in that it focuses on the fact the we have God’s morality—Christ’s morality—placed within us at the moment of our salvation.

Morality in the Modern World

Goodness, integrity, uprightness (or righteousness), values, virtues, ethics, and Christian character all different ways of referring to this idea of moral excellence that we champion in the Christian Life.

This idea of moral excellence was a staple of our grandparent’s life. But many in our culture today have left behind this idea of morality.

Nowadays we see a strong leaning toward foul language, sexual and immoral lifestyle choices, some might even go so far as to say perversions in our culture as we see our children suffering with gender confusion and taking up the cause of the gay and homosexual lifestyle, not to mention transgenderism and polyamorous relationship choices that many young people are making today.

I’m not going to spend a great deal of time exploring these concepts this morning. Our focus should be on the goodness of God within us. And contrary to public opinion, the Bible does speak out clearly against some of these lifestyles. We don’t really get to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we want to follow and which parts we choose to ignore.

I will say that these issues are more and more common today than we have ever seen in my lifetime. Much of this is because of promotion by Hollywood and widespread campaigns to normalize these behaviors in our culture.

However, we are also seeing many young children experience symptoms of gender dysphoria or general confusion about gender. This is because they are getting confusing messages from culture and many young people are being taught to support this confusion in their young children.

Let’s look back at this concept of morality. It is an idea that there is a common understanding in culture of what it means to be good and right.

Christian Author C. S. Lewis wrote about morality in his book Mere Christianity saying that people think of morality as “something that interferes, something that stops you from having a good time. In reality, moral rules are directions for running the human machine" (Mere Christianity, p. 69).

Lewis taught us that morality is something that transcends humanity, without regard to culture or language. In a sense this is true, even if modern culture seems to shake off certain societal norms. There is still a sense of right and wrong, even though some refuse to acknowledge it.

Some modern thinkers want to promote this idea that morality is relative. My morality might not match up with your morality and yours might not match up with your neighbor’s morality.

However, even still in this day where we are experiencing a great shaking off of the morality of our parents and grandparents, there still exists this general idea of right and wrong.

We all still share a common belief that lies, theft, and murder are wrong. Lewis called this the Law of Human Nature, saying that there is a standard of behavior that should be obvious to everyone and that teaches the correct attitude and interaction between humans. This Law of Human Nature is an understanding of right and wrong.

Lewis proposed that these commonly shared morals are common among us and that they were put within us by God. He said that this morality is what separates us from the animals, who operate on instinct.

Morality always concerns itself with “the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong” and is always related to our conduct.

Goodness

Goodness in the Bible is more about having God’s character of goodness within us rather than pure morality simply for the sake of morality. In other words, we are good because God makes us good through our connection to him. We cannot make ourselves good enough to gain God’s attention. Because of that connection that we share with God, we should making decisions and acting in ways that would be considered good.

For the Christian, the one who believes in Jesus Christ, we obtain this goodness through our relationship with Jesus Christ as our savior. Goodness is not a passive quality but an active one. It is the deliberate choice to do right and avoid doing wrong. Goodness resists moral evil and chooses to take actions that are considered to be morally good.

Let’s look back at our core text for today...

I. Abstain from Sinful Desires

Verse 11’s primary point is that we should abstain from sinful desires. However, let’s look at the very first part of verse 11, where the Apostle Peter labels his readers...

1 Peter 2:11 CSB

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.

Peter calls his readers “friends.” Peter was writing this letter as a letter that would be passed from gathering to gathering of fellow believers in Christ, as they all sheltered in place within the Roman provinces in the aftermath of the burning of Rome, which Nero blamed on the Christians and which sparked a persecution against the Christians who lived in Roman occupied territories.

Peter also called them “strangers” and “exiles.” The first word here: stranger

New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition 3941 πάροικος (paroikos)

πάροικος paroikos

… this word refers to a foreign citizen, “one who lives in a place without the right of citizenship.”

And the second word is exile

New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition 3927 παρεπίδημος (parepidēmos)

παρεπίδημος parepidēmos

… which is “a person who comes from a foreign country into a city or land to reside there with the natives temporarily.”

How many of us fit that description?

After the burning of Rome, Christians throughout the region experienced a great upheaval. The Jews who fled the area were called the diaspora, or the dispersion, which referred to Jewish people who lived outside of Israel. In the aftermath of Rome’s fires, Christians came under such great persecution that it became easier for them to flee Rome to places where they were not known and they could find some respite.

We in the valley know what it means to be a sojourner, for many of us are transplanted from one place or another, living among strangers and foreigners. I only know of a few of us here today that were born here and lived here within this neighborhood.

No matter where we are from, Peter advises us to do several things. The first assignment is this:

Abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.

How many of us have sinful desires?

Here’s a more revealing question: How many of us have overcome our sinful desires?

We all have these desires. And there is not a one among us who has figured out how to overcome them. Additionally, these desires wage war against our souls.

James 4:1 CSB

1 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you?

But it is our constant battle to learn how to control these desires and put away the fleshly passions. Paul called this “crucifying the flesh”...

Galatians 5:24 CSB

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Paul further explained Peter’s concept in this way.

Romans 7:23 CSB

23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.

This shared spiritual war that we’re in and our inclusion in a family makes us strangers no more. We can go anywhere in the world and find a body of believers to support us and encourage us in the battle that we are in collectively...

Ephesians 2:19 CSB

19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,

Because we are members of God’s household, we are no longer strangers, but fellow citizens and even brothers.

II. Conduct Yourselves Honorably

Peter then encourages the saints to good conduct...

1 Peter 2:12 CSB

12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.

There is a good reason for keeping good conduct. When we act in ways that are openly recognized to be holy, upright, and good, those who are not believers will recognize us for what we are.

Principle: Good conduct provides for a good testimony to the world.

Jesus said it this way...

Matthew 5:16 CSB

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

III. Submit to Every Human Authority

We, as Christians are called to be good citizens and submit to the authorities that God has placed over us...

1 Peter 2:13–14 CSB

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

The Bible tells us clearly to honor and respect the authorities that God has placed over us. This means government officials, but also in the workplace and in our communities.

This good conduct is a hallmark of Christian living...

James 3:13 CSB

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.

We’ll look in detail at the fruit of gentleness in a couple of weeks, but James here says that wisdom leads to gentleness.

IV. Good Silences Ignorance

Peter says that our good works can silence foolish accusations and attacks...

1 Peter 2:15 CSB

15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

Peter goes into more detail about this later in chapter 3...

1 Peter 3:16 CSB

16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.

Our good conduct and gentleness actually serves to protect us in certain situations, because it can defuse conflict in the same way that we saw in Jesus’ ministry.

We’ll talk more about gentleness in a couple of weeks.

V. Submit Yourself As Slaves

Early church theology was entrenched in slavery, though not necessarily slavery exactly as we might recognize it all these years later. Slavery in the time of the early church was widely diverse. Some people were enslaved, but lived their lives working at a job for another person and experienced a great deal of personal freedom. Others were mistreated and lived in horrid conditions. Some slaves sought to cheat their masters out of every little thing and others served happily knowing that they would be taken care of and provided for, as well as their families.

However, then as now, slavery meant submission and freedom meant free choice.

Peter continues the passage like this...

1 Peter 2:16 CSB

16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

The early apostles looked at the person choosing Christ as one who has willingly submitted himself, as a slave, to a master. However, one might say that a slave has no freedom to submit, but is forced into submission by his position and the free person only submits to whomever he wills it when it serves his purposes.

Paul explained it this way in 1 Corinthians...

1 Corinthians 7:21–24 CSB

21 Were you called while a slave? Don’t let it concern you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity. 22 For he who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of people. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.

The principle here is that we waste precious time when we yearn for something that we cannot have and cannot change in our lives. The one who is free should seek to remain free and the one who is enslaved should remain enslaved, rather than seeking freedom.

How do we apply all this slave and free talk to our lives today?

Look back at the verse...

1 Peter 2:16 CSB

16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

“Submit as free people” means that we should submit to whoever holds authority as one who has the freedom to make his own choice rather than submit as one who is forced to do what he is told.

This is considered good works and provides for a good witness to those in authority over us.

VI. Honor Everyone

Then we see this encouragement to “honor everyone.”

1 Peter 2:17 CSB

17 Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

“Honor everyone” is one thing. But “honor the emperor” is yet another thing. Peter is encouraging Christians to honor the very person that is persecuting them.

He is saying, “Yes, even honor the ones that do not deserve honor.” This also provides a witness to those who are observing us.

Conclusion

As we look back through these suggestions...

Abstain from Sinful Desires

Conduct Yourselves Honorably

Submit to Every Human Authority

Good Silences Ignorance

Submit Yourself As Slaves

Honor Everyone

These are not things that we do for ourselves, to bring ourselves honor and glory, or to protect ourselves, or to set ourselves free.

We don’t abstain from sinful desires, just so we can appear to be good in other people’s eyes.

We don’t conduct ourselves with honor so that we can gain the accolades of man.

We don’t submit ourselves to human authority so that we can gain some benefit from them.

We don’t do good just to shut up the loud mouth that keeps bothering us at work.

We don’t submit ourselves at work just to earn a raise or get the next promotion.

We don’t honor others so that we can earn honor in like kind.

These are things that we do to bring honor and glory to God, to attract the unbeliever to God, to provide for a good testimony that reflects the character of Jesus Christ.

We Have The Goodness of Christ In Us

We have this character of Jesus Christ within us as an instant benefit when we accept Jesus Christ as savior. But it is always up to us to take the steps necessary to access this character and activate it in our daily lives.

Related Media

Related Sermons