The Fruit of Goodness

The Fruit of Goodness

(Galatians 5:22-23)

Yearly Theme:  “Goodness is…”

Series Title:  “Goodness:  Two Sides of the Same Coin”

January 7^th, 2024

Something to think about:

Have you ever heard of these accusations?  What do you think when someone calls someone else a “do-gooder?”  Or, claiming someone is a “goody two shoes?”  Are these titles or names meant to bring honor or to disparage?  How about these terms:  When someone is expressing details of their current circumstances and then someone says, “Good for you!” this isn’t always meant as a good thing.  It can often mean cynically and sarcastically, “I really don’t care!”  What about saying, “Well, that’s good!” when something goes terribly wrong as a sarcastic way of describing how you don’t feel?  In his book, A Gardner Looks at the Fruit of the Spirit, Phillip Keller writes, “In the jargon of the world goodness is something insipid, weak, laughable, and to be despised.”[1]

As we come into a new year (2024), we do so at North Main with a focus on the fruit of the Spirit, “Goodness.”  However, I’ve already read articles and listened to podcasts that are not so hopeful for the year ahead.  Pessimism and negativity have already taken hold in many peoples’ minds, so much so, that the word “goodness” isn’t even in their vocabulary.  But what does the Bible say about goodness?  Let’s take a look:

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT),

²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Keller writes this about “goodness”:

“Goodness might appear to be the most obvious fruit of God’s Gracious Spirit.  It is, however, also one of the most maligned and misunderstood.

      In the original Anglo-Saxon, the very word ‘good’ carried the same connotation as ‘God.’  In fact, God was considered good.  And good, in turn, was regarded as belonging essentially to God.  It was just as valid to say ‘God is good’ as it was to say ‘ God is love.’”

      Naturally from this it follows that ‘Love is good’ in the same way that good is a facet of love being expressed.  Goodness of this sort comes from God.  He puts tremendous emphasis upon it.  He extols it.  When He was here amongst us it was reported in disarming simplicity that ‘He went about doing good [Acts 10:38].’”[2]

Here’s the point…

Key Point:  “The fruit of goodness is rooted in being in, and doing, GOD’s will.”

Goodness is the act of knowing, being, and doing.  Let’s break this down further…

• Goodness is .

James 4:17 (HCSB),  It is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.

• Goodness is  .

John 15:1-8 (NLT),  ¹  “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.  ²  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.  ³  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  ⁴  Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

⁵  “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing.  ⁶  Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.  Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.  ⁷  But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!  ⁸  When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.  This brings great glory to my Father.

• Goodness is  .

James 2:14-17 (NLT),  ¹⁴  What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?  Can that kind of faith save anyone?  ¹⁵  Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶  and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.  What good does that do?  ¹⁷  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough.  Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Something to take home:

Keller asks,

“How often do we stand back in awe, overwhelmed, humbled, broken before [GOD] because of His goodness?  How often do we deliberately, determinedly, decisively beseech God to impart His goodness to us?  How many of us really long above everything else to be made good with the goodness of God?

People pray for love or joy, peace, patience or kindness, but seldom does one hear a heartrending cry coming from the depths of a sin-shattered, sin-stained, sin-sick, soul – ‘O God, I just want to be made good.’”[3]

This new year, let us celebrate the fact that God desires to impart a heart and life of goodness to us as we surrender our lives to Him through Jesus Christ.  GOD wants us to know Him intimately and perfectly, and He wants us to reflect the goodness of His character and love to the world.  GOD’s will is that no one should perish but receive eternal life, and as we’re obedient to that will through the power and infilling of the Holy Spirit, others will see the goodness of GOD and His love for them and submit to Him in salvation.

We may be able to do good things without Christ, but we can never truly be good apart from Him.

[1] W. Phillip Keller, A Gardner Looks at the Fruit of the Spirit, (Word Books Publisher:  Waco, Texas; 1979) 140.

[2] ibid., 139.

[3] Ibid., 141.