Goodness

Goodness

Today I would like to look at the 6th aspect to the Fruit of the Spirit, Goodness. What is goodness? Goodness simply means - to be good and to do good. To do what is right and to be right with God.

My son is four years old. In 5 months he will be turning 5. When I was his age, I was about as mischievous as Silas is today. I distinctly remember being just about 4.5 years old. In this memory, my dad and I were driving around the North side of Milwaukee. Probably down Lisbon Ave., which was the main street from our church building to our house. As we were driving along, I was in the passenger seat, and he was in the driver’s seat, obviously. I told my dad, “Dad, when I turn 5 I am going to be good.” I was stating something profound yet quite simple. I was admitting that I was not good, and I wanted to change.

We all want a fresh start in life, right? Why? Because none of us are good. We are sinners by nature. Every sinner is found guilty by the Law of God which is written on our hearts. — The law of God is written on our hearts, and our conscience bears witness.

You can’t escape the Law of God. You can plead ignorance, you can plead insanity. You can tell everyone that you don’t believe in God. But when you are alone with your thoughts… You very conscience is bearing witness. And because God loves you, the Holy Spirit is bearing witness. He is pleading with you… “Oh child of hell… I created you. I love you. But you are lost.”

— For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

— As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

I have heard it said that we were born liars. Before we could talk we could lie. Figure that one out. I wish that babies would only cry when they need their diaper changed, when they are hungry or if there is a real emergency. Sometimes when babies cry they don’t need anything at all. They are in their crib lying to you. They just want you to crawl out of your warm bed and be miserable with them.

When they get to be two and three years old, by nature they start sinning in other ways. Nobody has to teach a child to hit another kid or to lose their temper. We have to spend hours, months and years trying to train and discipline our children to choose goodness.

Some children grow up to do good things. Some grown up to be good citizens, kind, and giving. Some even sacrificing for others. Some grow up to be doctors, nurses, policemen, firefighters… good people. But no amount of our goodness, can change who we really are. We can’t mask our sin with good deeds.

— But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf;

Our goodness is never good enough for God. Nobody has ever kept the ten commandments perfectly. Nobody will get to heaven on that basis.

— Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

This next passage is written specifically about living the Christian life, but it has an application to everyone here today, whether you’re a believer or not.

Paul’s Desire (He wanted to do what was right)

vv. 15, 19 What I want to do… I don’t do. What I don’t want to do… I do.

Our heart can be in the right place… As Jesus said, the spirit is willing… but our flesh. Oh so weak!

Paul’s Dilemma (He was incapable of doing what was right)

vs. 18-21

When I was 7 years old, I remember going on a trip with my dad out to Montana. On this trip, he was trying to help me to stop saying, “yep, nope or yeah” or any other slang. My dad said something alone these lines… “Paul, to stop it’s as easy as 2+2...” That whole trip, during our conversations every time I said, “yep, yeah, uh huh, nope, naw, nay, right on, 10-4 good buddy, etc.” My dad would say to me, “2+2...” I think it kinda started out as a joke, but it started to get annoying… I really think he was enjoying it… There may have been a few times when my dad deliberately asked me a yes or no question… Just so he could say, 2+2. I am pretty sure that the end of that long road trip I had stopped talking…That may have been the objective of “2+2.” Next time you see him, ask him about it… see if he remembers. 2+2… the continual reminder that that good that I wanted to do, I did not… evil was present with me.

How about you? Are you caught in this dilemma? You want to be good. You want to change. Maybe you want to quit sinning, maybe drinking, smoking, drugs, pornography, overeating, gossiping, etc. But you are held captive... Are you wanting to forgive someone, but can’t bring yourself to do it? Could be some deep seated issues. Things you want to give up, give in or give over, but you can’t. v. 24

Oh the rotting corpse of our sinful self.

Paul’s Deliverance (He was delivered from himself)

Paul’s problem was himself. Our biggest problem is ourselves. If you are here this morning and you are trusting in your goodness, your good works to save you from hell… you are trusting in filthy rags. You are indeed on the road to destruction. You need to put your faith in Jesus Christ. v. 25

“Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live.” — C.S. Lewis

Jesus is the giver of spiritual life. He is the only good thing about me, friend. His good work on the Cross of Calvary redeemed my sinful soul. There on the cross He took my place. Amazing love, Amazing mercy, Amazing grace…

Application: Your good works are what’s pulling you into hell. If you think you are going to get to the gate of heaven someday and God will put your works on a scale, and by some miracle you will skate into heaven by being a good person? You have been deceived. That is called self-righteousness and there is no righteousness in self. The Bible says that it’s appointed unto man, once to die, but after this the judgment. The judgment is for the ones who reject God, and those who reject His only way of redemption. If that’s where you find yourself this morning. It’s good that you are desiring God’s way, and you are realizing you are in a dilemma… there is a way of deliverance. Come to Jesus today.

Christian. Are you having victory in your life? Someday, Pastor. Just like a little 4 year old boy. Someday I will be good. Someday I’ll witness.

Someday I’ll get up the courage to do this or that. Someday I’ll quit this or that. Someday never comes. There wasn’t something magical about turning 5. There needed to be a yielding to God. Yield yourself completely to the Holy Spirit today. You can be free from yourself today!