The fruit of the Spirit
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The fruit of the Spirit is goodness: Nine spirit-filled characteristics demonstrated by Jesus
Paul often compared things to one another to show how we should overcome the world, its vices (Galatians 5:19-21), and its broad road that leads to damnation. He encourages us to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18) and then proceeds to explain what this involves. This is surely one of the most memorable pieces of Scripture, and it is a practical guideline for us as believers:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
Goodness
The sixth fruit in the series Paul mentions is goodness. This refers to the unending desire of a Spirit-filled person to do good to others, irrespective of the area. It is a moral obligation we have towards our fellow man to be kind in all situations and to do whatever we can to assist and be beneficial, without going overboard or making the other person feel threatened or humiliated. Goodness always points the person to Christ, and never focuses the attention on the person who displays goodness.
The word comes from the Greek ἀγαθωσύνη, transliterated as agathosune, which means uprightness of heart and life. Thus, we are to demonstrate uprightness (willingness to assist) both emotionally (the heart, the intention) and physically (the body, the action). However, it goes beyond just the normal level of kindness. We can explain it by using the opposite of goodness – evil (See Romans 7:18-19, and the explanation later in this lesson). There are many unbelievers who are not necessarily evil. Evil represents actions that far exceed the level on which most people operate. In the same way goodness far exceeds the level on which most people operate, but in the positive sense. It is also true that goodness can sometimes come across as harsh, but this is because of its good intentions. Paul mentions this to the Romans:
14And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. – Romans 15:14
He commends the members of the church that they are “full of goodness” and have the knowledge to also admonish one another. Let us first clarify the word admonish. This means to tell someone that they have done something wrong. Thus, goodness is the fruit we display when we can point out to someone else that they have acted wrongly, with the intention of helping them. I have often used this example: If I am standing on a roof with someone else and that person is about to fall off the roof, I will not hesitate to grab them, even by one hand, to prevent them from falling. I may hurt the person’s hand in the process, but I have most likely prevented a far worse injury. In the same way, Paul mentions that the Roman church’s members admonish one another spiritually. It is better to show goodness by pointing out where someone has gone wrong (grabbing them by the hand) than just leaving it and the person stumbles spiritually. This is not meddling in someone else’s life. It is an act of goodness to prevent anything worse and aims to improve the person’s spiritual walk.
This example does not mean that we think we are better than anybody else. We are merely using our knowledge as the basis for triggering an action to be good. Knowledge may come across as boasting, a sort of an “I know better than you” mentality. Goodness hides the negative aspect of knowledge but applies the positive side of it to the benefit of the other person. Goodness always acts to build up, benefit or edify, never to criticise or humiliate.
A great example of goodness is found in Matthew 19:16-26. A man comes to Jesus and addresses him as “Good Master”. Jesus’s response is to ask the man why he calls Him good, when only God is good. Then he answers the man’s question about what to do to have eternal life. He explains to him to uphold the law and cites examples. The man says that he has done all these things. Jesus then tells him to sacrifice what he has, help other people in the process and then come and follow Him (to have eternal life). The man found this hard to accept.
Here, Jesus displayed goodness. He had the man’s best intentions in mind but realised that his possessions were preventing him from living a Spirit-filled life, without which he would not have eternal life. As such, His advice to the man displayed goodness as He looked beyond the law and could see the real problem – that the man was really held back by his possessions. Note that Jesus never blamed the man for having a lot of worldly goods, as this would have been humiliating. His wisdom, however, comes forward in the act of goodness and the way he addresses the man. What the man does with this information is not relevant. Displaying goodness may not always result in someone changing their behaviour. You displayed goodness, pointing the right way, and this is sufficient. The rest you leave for God to accomplish in the person’s life.
Now that we understand the origin of the word goodness, we realise that it is not as simple to do as it may seem. As with all the other fruit of the Spirit, goodness is something that only the Holy Spirit can produce in our lives. It cannot come from ourselves. Paul explains this:
18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. – Romans 7:18-19
Notice how Paul contrasts goodness with evil, as we pointed out at the beginning of the lesson. He also demonstrates that in him, and by implication in all of us, there is no inherent goodness. Goodness cannot be driven by ourselves, only by the Holy Spirit. In the end, goodness overcomes evil, as Paul points out in a very short, but meaningful verse:
21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21
Conclusion
All the fruit of the Spirit are there to draw us closer to Jesus and allow us to mature in our spiritual walk (Galatians 5:16, 5:25). The more we align with Galatians 5:22-23 and apply it, the further we move away from Galatians 5:19-21. In the week to come, see where you can apply goodness to the fruit we have already studied: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and gentleness. Be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18) and then live in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). Our next lesson looks at faith. Be sure not to miss it.