The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

Written By Melvin Jones

We have often read that no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). We have read and been told that only God is good (Luke 18:19). The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately sick (Jer 17:9). Yet the Bible also says that one of the aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit is goodness. (For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, GOODNESS, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…Gal 5:22, 23). In fact, the Bible goes on to say that "…the good man out of the good treasures of his heart, brings forth what is good… (Luke 6:45). So how can this be?

As with the previous descriptions, we have to make a difference between the Bible's definition and the world's definition. As an example, if you ask a person if they will have any trouble getting into heaven, they will usually respond "I think He'll let me in. After all, I'm a good person. I never killed anyone, stole anything, cheated on my wife, etc., etc.." This goodness, the idea of deserving God's favor because I haven't committed a specific sin, is indeed false. No one is good in the sense of us deserving God's favor. In fact, the Bible says that without Christ, mankind is the enemy of God (Romans 5:10). So how can it be that no one is good but God and at the same time we say that as the Spirit works in my life I take on the quality of goodness? Perhaps the answer can be found in the Bible and the verses we have just presented.

The question we must ask is: What fills a man's heart? If I am an obedient Christian, I will fill my heart with God's word, and invite Him to fill me with His Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). If I am an obedient Christian, I will invite God to transform my mind and I consciously avoid allowing the world to conform me to that which it sees as acceptable. And I will see God's will as that which good, acceptable, and perfect (Rom 12:1, 3).

The good man is good not because of anything he has accomplished on his own. He is good because of what God has done, and continues to do in that believer's life. Psalm 37 states "…the steps of the good man are ordered by the Lord (v 23)." The good man allows God to direct him in all he does. His heart is filled with the good things of God and he cannot help but bring out the goodness of God in his life. As a result, the good man, out of the good treasures of his heart, brings forth that which is good.

As you allow God to conform you to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29) obedience to God will become more and more important in your life. And as you put God first, your thoughts, your decisions, and your actions more closely follow God's will in your life. As you hide His word in your heart God is able to speak to you more and more clearly. And you are able to follow his directions more and more consistently.

The good man is the man whose life illustrates a consistently committed obedience to God, no matter the cost, no matter the apparent results. Goodness (as granted by God) begins to show itself as you obey God in your life.

In the previous essays, we have pointed out that the aspects of the Fruit seem to build on one another. This one appears to be no different. In order to have the will to follow Christ, no matter what, I must have God's love. I must not depend on my circumstances for my joy and peace. And I must be patent in the trials and tribulations which will result if I single-mindedly follow Christ. And certainly there must be kindness in order to not mistreat those who may persecute me because of my choice to follow Christ. So just as the fruit of the orange tree doesn't start off round and orange and juicy, but has to grow into it one step at a time, so too the fruit of the Spirit doesn't spring into our lives full grown, but has to be formed, one quality at a time.