2/21/2024
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
In Galatians 5:22, the virtue of goodness is akin to the virtue of kindness. Kindness is an outward expression of goodness that is demonstrated in action. Kindness involves acts shown in practical ways that benefits the welfare of others. It involves a state of generosity as a result of being morally inclined to look out for the needs of our neighbor. Grant Richison stated that “kindness is benevolence in action and kindness is compassion in action.” 1 As humans, we will not be able to display kindness apart from possessing the temperature of goodness. The fruit of the Spirit are in sync one with the other.
The Gospel Transformation Study Bible suggest that we should “notice that Paul speaks of “fruit” not “fruits” of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is not a checklist to work through, but the unified blossoming of a heart liberated by the gospel of grace.” 2
The fruit of the Spirit is an inward and outward work of God through the harmonious nature of each virtue contained within the cluster of the fruit of the Spirit. Goodness is an inward quality or virtue of moral excellence and uprightness that ultimately leads to acts of kindness. Goodness is a manifestation of a person’s character being set on the dial of divine righteousness. In this blog, we will evaluate biblical truth that God is good and that believers were created for goodness.
God Is Good
Galatians 5:22 underscores that goodness stems from God. Goodness is of God because God is intrinsically good. The nature of God is one of goodness. The internal quality and essence of the Lord relating to His goodness is a distinctive attribute that declares who He is alone. He is in a category of His own as God is the standard of goodness.
Randy Devaul proposed that “God, by nature, is inherently good. He is the ultimate example of goodness. He did not obtain it from another source.” 3
God is the definition of goodness; He does not rely upon any other source or entity in order to become intrinsically good. He is good as goodness is a core aspect of His identity. Psalm 119:68 implies that the Lord is good and does good.
God is good because God is good. Everything about His nature and being reflects goodness in connection with all of His other attributes. God is loving because He is good. God is peaceable because He is good. God is joyful because He is good. God is longsuffering because He is good. God is kind because He is God. God is faithful because He is good. God is gentle because He is good. God is self-controlled because He is good.
The Treasury of David Volume 5 states “God is essential goodness in Himself, and in every attribute of His nature He is good in the fullest sense of the term; indeed, He has a monopoly of goodness, for there is none good but one, that is God. His acts are according to His nature: from a pure source flow pure streams. God is not latent and inactive in goodness; He displays Himself by His doings, He is actively beneficent, He does good.” 4
Goodness is seen in the activity of God. God does as a result of His election to do so in alignment with His goodness. By divine disposition, the Lord is good to all. His goodness is visibly communicated to all of creation.
Psalm 145:9 NKJV — The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.
The fact that we thrive in God’s universe declares that He is good. The ability to reason logically in our created design proclaims that God is good. The reality of having the daily necessities to survive from day to day reveals that God is good. Undeniably, God is good to all, even to those who do not consider Him to be so.
“No one, not even His fiercest enemy, can deny this; for the falsehood would be too barefaced, since the very existence of the lips which slander Him is a proof that it is slander. He allows His enemies to live, He even supplies them with food, and smooths their way with many comforts; for them the sun shines as brightly as if they were saints, and the rain waters their fields as plentifully as if they were perfect men. Is not this goodness to all?” 5
Psalm 33:5b impresses upon us that "the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD." God’s involvement and perseverance of the world that He designed visibly permeates the beneficence of God.
The world is upheld in perfect orbit by His goodness.
The rain falls from the atmospheric sky in order to water the fields of the earth by His goodness.
Seed time and harvest occur seasonally by His goodness.
Winter, spring, summer, and fall rotate during their respective season by His goodness.
Day and night switch shifts daily by His goodness.
Flowers and trees blossom because of His goodness.
Birds chirp, deer prance, and kangaroos leap due to His goodness.
Everything in creation is a result of His goodness.
Genesis 8:22 speaks to the fact, while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” Therefore, the cosmos speaks to the goodness of God.
God is good to sinful men. For Psalm 25:8 articulates "good and upright is the LORD; therefore, He teaches sinners in the way." God makes Himself available to sinners so that He is able to reconcile them unto Himself and aid them in walking on the pathway of righteousness through His instruction.
Charles Spurgeon once acclaimed that “as a good man naturally endeavors to make others like himself, so will the Lord our God in His compassion bring sinners into the way of holiness and conform them to His own image; thus, the goodness of our God leads us to expect the reclaiming of sinful men. We may not conclude from God’s goodness that He will save those sinners who continue to wander in their own ways, but we may be assured that He will renew transgressors’ hearts and guide them into the way of holiness. Let those who desire to be delivered from sin take comfort from this. God Himself will condescend to be the teacher of sinners.” 6
Furthermore, God is good to His elect. The goodness of the Lord is shown in great abundance to those who fear Him (Psalm 31:19). The faithfulness of God is enduring throughout every generation of believers (Psalm 100:5). The goodness of God gives us assurance that we can be persevered under trials by not losing heart. Psalm 27:13 denotes "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." The goodness of the Lord is a close companion as God’s goodness and mercy shall follow us through the entirety of our lives (Psalm 23:6). The Lord is our stronghold is the day of trouble, therefore, we can find refuge in His provision. Nahum 1:7 notates that "the LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him." Unquestionably, God is good and all of creation should speak of His goodness and make His deeds known among the people.
Psalm 145:5-7 NKJV — I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness and shall sing of Your righteousness.
It is our duty to witness of the goodness and the glory of God.
Believers Are Created For Goodness
It is imperative to note that only God is good. Mark 10:18b asserts that "no one is good but One, that is, God."
In ourselves and of ourselves, we cannot produce any goodness of our own. Apart from Christ, humanity operates from a selfish mindset and are driven by carnality that is set against the divine nature of God.
Isaiah 64:6a verifies this by stating "but we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags." Parallel to this truth is Ecclesiastes 7:20 that mentions "for there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin."
Universally, mankind is rotten to the core and knows only evil and sinfulness apart from God. However, the fruit of the Spirit equips every believer for good works as our lives are interwoven in the Lord. The goodness of every Christian is tied to the goodness of God.
Randy Devaul wrote that goodness is not a quality we can manufacture on our own, neither for us nor by us. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, we grow the characteristic of goodness. The Holy Spirit in us allows us to experience the fullness of God’s goodness. 3
The Spirit of God produces within ever born-again individual, God’s goodness. The entire community of faith is destined for good works. Ephesians 2:10 insinuates "for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." The salvation of God marked out the life of every child of God to walk in goodness. Goodness is imparted within the soul of all believers. It is the goodness of God that empowers us to be morally upright and act on behalf of others. Essentially, the goodness of the Lord helps us to mimic the actions of our heavenly Father.
The Holman KJV Study Bible provides insight that “good works are not incidental to God's plan; they are instead an essential part of His redemption plan for each believer. Good works are demonstrated in gratitude, character, and actions.” 7
Our character and actions reflect the character and actions of God in connection with the Holy Spirit molding us constantly into the image of God the Son. In our former state of sinfulness, we were blind to the things of God, therefore, we operated out of our natural default that was governed by sin. However, we have been redeemed and set to a new spiritual barometer, to walk in God’s goodness.
Titus 2:14 NKJV — who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
We are redeemed from the lawless deeds and more found in Galatians 5:19-21 such as "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." We have been transitioned from a spiritual state of being under the authority of the flesh to now being under the authority of God to live according to His desire and will for our lives. Philippians 2:13 helps us to gain clarity as it is written "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Although the believer is responsible to work (v. 12), the Lord actually produces the good works and spiritual fruit in the lives of believers (John 15:5; 1 Cor. 12:6). This is accomplished because He works through us by His indwelling Spirit (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20; cf. Gal. 3:3), to will and to do. God energizes both the believer’s desires and his actions.” 8
3 John 1:11 says "beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God." Those who are born of God display His goodness. We show forth the inherited qualities and communicable virtues of our heavenly Father. Thus, every child of God should project forth high moral character that is seen in the outworking of our actions like that of God.
The following ways showcase how Christians are to reflect the virtue of goodness:
We exhibit love for God and love for others.
We are eager to seek reconciliation and forgiveness when there is an issue that has caused a divide.
We have a mindset of being merciful toward others.
We are others centered.
We learn to live peaceably with all men as much as possible.
We are eager to help those in need.
Our disposition is one of kindness and generosity.
We are longsuffering toward other people.
We display self-control.
We live joyfully.
We live in a righteousness and holy manner.
Jonathan Landry Cruse wrote “when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, He takes us out of this broken and fallen world, as it were, and places us into the pure, eternal realm of God’s goodness. Knowing Jesus and being united to Him transforms us and gives us a capacity for goodness. Being made right with God will make our hearts right. We will be able to live and love in ways that are good, wholesome, and true.” 9
Are you displaying the goodness of God or are you quenching the Spirit from helping you bear the virtue of goodness?
References
Grant Richison. Verse By Verse Commentary
The Gospel Transformation Study Bible
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/how-is-goodness-a-fruit-of-the-spirit.html#google_vignette
The Treasury of David Volume 5
The Treasury of David Volume 6
The Treasury of David Volume 1
The Holman KJV Study Bible
The MacArthur Study Bible
Jonathan Cruse Landry. The Character of Christ.