Goodness: The Fruit of The Spirit
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The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending and having the two as close together as possible.
Goodness
Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Good definition:
goodness of disposition and character, probity, virtue,
Also speaks of generosity.
God is good and His mercy
Easton’s Bible Dictionary (Goodness of God)
God’s goodness centers around His presence, giving, and forgiving.”
19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God works all things for the good for those who love Him:
THIS IS GOOD!
The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual,
"This is good!"
To which the king replied, "No, this is not good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.
As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.
As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend.
"You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown
off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just
happened. "And so, I am very sorry for sending you to jail for
so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "This is good!"
"What do you mean, ’This is good’? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
"If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you."
God has show His goodness to us and He expects us to the do the same.
1 Timothy 6:17–18 (ESV)
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
Mother Teresa said
“Good works are links that form a chain of love.”
Eph 2 don’t get weary in well doing - good especially to the household of faith
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Workmanship
4161. ποίημα pŏiēma, poy´-ay-mah; from 4160; a product, i.e. fabric (lit. or fig.):—thing that is made, workmanship.
a work, creation; a poem; a deed, action.
Payaymah is where we get the word Poem from. We who are recreated in Christ Jesus are like God’s verbal artistry. Like a poem its a piece of craftsmanship, His masterpiece, His new creation in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians The Spiritually Dead are Made Alive / 2:1–10
Salvation is something only God can do—it is his powerful, creative work in us. People are re-created into new people, and those new people form a new creation—the church.
God creates using His word just as in the beginning God spoke and then it became into being. So God recreated our spirit by His Word.
Ephesians The Spiritually Dead are Made Alive / 2:1–10
Not only does he change us radically into new creatures, he also wants to use us as display cases for his artistry
Ephesians The Spiritually Dead are Made Alive / 2:1–10
This statement also carries some significant implications about how we ought to see ourselves and how we ought to treat one another. God’s masterpieces should not lower or degrade themselves with sinful attitudes, words, or behaviors. Nor should we devalue his other works of art: our brothers and sisters in Christ. Treat fellow Christians as God’s masterpieces.
While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are saved not merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (4:12).
This solves the so-called conflict between faith and works. Works do not produce salvation but are the evidence of salvation (see James 1:22; 2:14–26).
Luther, Martin
"Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works."
Tony Evens - difference God works and human works
What’s the difference between good works and doing a good thing?
Those that do not have God in their life can do good things. You don’t need to be a Christian to do a good thing. Atheist can do good things.
:Bill Gates describes himself as an "agnostic/atheist" donated over $26 billion to charity - Warren Buffet who is agnostic and is the 5th richest person in the world pledged to give away 99% of his wealth to charity.
Non Christians build hospitals, orphanages, and do good things all the time.
You and I haven’t been called to do good things. We are called to do good works.
A good thing seeks to help someone.
A good work also seeks to help someone in God’s name. Its only a good work if God is in it.
The Bible says I can even give my body to burned but not have love then I did it for nothing.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Is this God’s will for my life?
It brings glory to the Father.
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 who is in heaven.
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.