The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness and Goodness

The Kindness and Goodness of God

God’s Goodness and Loving-Kindness Defined

God’s Goodness

Goodness In Himself - possessing in himself absolute perfection, the fount of everything good

Goodness is an added feature in our lives, but it is the essence of God.

Thomas Manton - God is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s good is a superadded quality, in God it is His essence. He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God there is an infinite ocean of good. He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him. God is the highest good.

Psalm 52:1 - The Goodness of God endures forever...

Goodness seen in creation -

All that God made was declared Good!

Psalm 33:5 “the earth is full of the goodness of God...”

The colors of the sunset, the beauty of creation - all demonstrate a God who is in and of himself good. God doesn’t just provide for our needs, but does it in a way where we find pleasure in what we eat and drink, beauty in what we see and hear...

Goodness towards mankind

Because God is good, His every dealing with man is abundant in goodness - there is a general benevolence, goodness towards his creation

God’s Kindness

Loving-kindness or mercy, benevolence, compassion and generosity,

God’s tender dealing with the weak and poor…

Ho 11:4 “I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.”

Ac 14:17 “Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.””

Matt 12:20 “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;”

Rom 2:4 “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

God’s Goodness and Kindness Towards Us

What We Once Were

Titus 3:3 “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”

Like the passions of the flesh in Galatians 5, these are the things that once dominated our lives

What God Has Done For Us

(Note - an eloquent, succinct, yet thorough statement of the Gospel of Grace, and a great example of Trinitarian theology in the N.T.)

God Gave His Son

To clearly reveal God’s goodness and kindness

These qualities of God were seen before Christ, for God was always good and kind

The Psalms - the goodness of God

When Christ came, the goodness and kindness of God was fully revealed

God Saved Us

From what we were, and from the wrath to come

Not because of our works (we bring nothing)

Because of:

Washing of regeneration (being born again) by the Spirit

Renewal of the Holy Spirit

God poured out his Holy Spirit upon us

Pentecost - yes - but this is the gift given to every believer

God made us heirs of eternal life

Having been justified by grace, we live in the certain hope of everlasting life.

The Fruit of God’s Kindness and Goodness In Our Lives

The work of the Holy Spirit is to make us more and more like Christ, sanctifying us, transforming us, shaping us

Those in Christ will be full of the kindness and goodness of God

Living in the Loving-Kindness of Christ

(philanthropia) Not just a random love of others, but a covenant, relational love, committed to and for one another

Generosity - giving first and foremost to the Lord, through our giving to the needs of one another

Hospitality - opening our homes, our hearts

When we see a need in the church - how do we respond

“I wish someone would do something about that…” OR

“How is God opening my heart to see this need and step up”

Making the church more inviting

Investing in the next generation; walking with the young parents, caring for our aging members, visiting the lonely, engaging in mission

How do we reflect the relational loving-kindness of God in the way we do church together?

Living in the Goodness of Christ

Seeking that which is good, which is from above - set your mind on these things

Pursue goodness, turn from that which is wicked

Is this good, is it true, is it loving, is it helpful

Would I watch, listen, say, or do this knowing Christ were in the room? He is.

Living godly, upright lives in this age