Fruit of the Spirit – Goodness
Intro

This episode we will be searching out Goodness. It is the 6th in the long line of Fruits of the Spirit we have been studying. We believe the fruits come in the order they were mentioned in the Bible and we find them in Galatians.
• Galatians 5:22-23 show us the Fruits of the Spirit.
• 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

If you have missed any of our episodes of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, we encourage you to visit our website at themessengersradio.com. You may also hear us on The Father’s House radio at tfhpeopleradio.com. We would love any feedback you have for us.
Today we are looking into goodness. We said last time that kindness was not a way of being like love, joy, peace or patience. Kindness was more of an act that you show out of your heart. Well, goodness is again more of a way of being. People can act “good” and we certainly show our goodness through acts, but to have true goodness, you have to have a heart after God. All of these fruits spring from a heart after God, but goodness is a little different than the rest.
Before we started looking into the different fruits, I had wondered if there was much of a difference between kindness and goodness. The others are more self-explanatory, but these 2 are so similar. However, we are finding that there is a difference.
God described it to me this way.
*Goodness is Who I Am, and what I show to everyone. Goodness is my heart. In order to have true goodness, your must have a repentant heart and care for others. Goodness comes from the heart. It is something you show because it is part of you. Goodness seeps out of your very being when it comes from Me. There are “good” people out there who know how to do “good” things, but true goodness is found in people with My heart. People can act good but they cannot be good without Me. And, there is a difference between doing a good act – actions – and showing the goodness of your heart. If people see “goodness” without the other gifts, they are seeing only actions or outward appearances. They are not measuring goodness the way I do. I see goodness in the thoughts and gifts that come from the heart; a broken and contrite heart that centers on Me. People can do good things, but without goodness in their hearts, it matters nothing. *

Goodness is our response to kindness. When you are kind, goodness flows out of your heart. Kindness breaks the dam to let the truth of the goodness in your heart break free.

Most of the verses in the Bible talk about God’s goodness. We see several in Psalms. When I started looking up these verses at Biblegateway.com, this happened to be the verse of the day:

• Psalm 33:4-5 KJV
• For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

I thought that was a God thing. It is very true. Everything we see around us is from the goodness of God. He loves us and wants to give us great and mighty things. We mentioned in the love episode that God created this world as an epic act of love. He made everything for us, and He did it from the goodness of His heart.
We also see in Psalms more of the author’s respect for the goodness of God’s love. Psalms 23 shows us the benefits the Lord longs to give us. It’s wonderful to read, but we will just focus on verse 6.
• Psalm 23:6 NIV
• Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
We see elsewhere in Psalms that goodness flows from God’s love.
• Psalm 69:16 NIV
• Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.

• Psalm 109:21 NIV
• But you, Sovereign LORD, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

These verses show us that goodness flows out of God’s heart, the way it should flow out of ours. When we have His heart, we can’t help but have goodness spilling out.

Psalms also brings up another point about goodness. Psalm 116:12 asks:
• Psalm 116:12 NIV
• What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me?

Then, it goes on to answer that very question in these verses.
• Psalm 145:7 NIV
• They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

And:
• Psalm 107:15 KJV
• Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Praise and joyful singing bring about God’s goodness, and it brings out the best in everyone. When you praise God, it raises your spirits and lifts your joy. Then, goodness not only flows from God, but from your heart also.

Paul was telling the Thessalonians in his second letter about their desire for goodness.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:11 NIV
• With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.

He also reminds the Romans that the good deeds are not the most important things. It says:
• Romans 14:17 NLT
• For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

So, we need to focus on God’s goodness that prompts the goodness of our hearts. Goodness flows from our hearts when we joyfully praise Him. It is in our very nature when we are full of the Fruits of the Spirit.

We look forward to jumping into the throngs of faithfulness next time. There is a lot of information in the Bible about faith, so we will see where God leads us on that topic. We love you!

Prayer for Salvation