The Fruit of the Holy Spirit- Goodness

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22,23.

Goodness:

Goodness is love's deportment. Its a divine attribute. Love is the father of goodness.
Read:- Galatians 5:22; Ps.25:8,34:8; Rom.2:4; Mat.5:44; 1Cor.13:5,6; 1Thes.5:15.

Introduction:- The Greek word that is translated in the N.T as goodness never appears in secular Greek writings.
- neither Greeks nor the Romans grasped the meaning of agape love, nor of its offspring goodness. They saw love and goodness as qualities to be avoided. Instead the Greeeks worshipped intellect and the Romans, the power.
* Goodness in leadership produces a deportment that is kind but just, tender but tough, fair but firm.

What is God's goodness?:-                    Manifested in:-
* Abundant- Ex.34:6.                             - Material blessings-Mt.5:4;Ac.14:17.
* Great-Ps.31:19,145:7.                        - Spiritual blessings-Ps.31:19;1Cor.2:9.
* Enduring-Ps.52:1.                                - Forgiving sin-Ps.86:5.
* Satisfying-Ps.65:4.
* Universal-Ps.145:9.

How to respond to God's goodness:-
1.Rejoice and praise Him:Ex.18:9-12.
2.Remember & proclaim: Ps.145:7.
3.Be Satisfied with it:Jer.31:14;Ps.23:6.
* when you have experienced God's goodness and responded rightly, you'll know how to be good to others.
*What is man's goodness by nature? By nature, man is not good. Rom.3:12.

Examples of those who showed goodness:-
- Joseph: Gen.45:10-15.
- Moses: Num.12:13.
- David:1Sam.24:17,26:11,2Sam.9:1-11.
- Elisha: 2King.6:22 (Ps.35:13).
- Jesus: Lk.22:51,23:34.
- stephen: Ac.7:60 (1Cor.4:12)

Some ways of expressing goodness practically:-
1. Helping those who do evil to us:ex.23:5.
2. feeding the enemy(food & drink):Prov.25:21.
3. doing good to the haters , expecting nothing back:Mt.5:44; Lk.6:27,35.
4. Not rendering evil for evil:1Thess.5:15.
5. sharing your goods:1Jn.3:17.
6. Speaking good words:Prov.12:25.
7. doing justly(no deception):Mic.6:8.
8. Praying for all people:1Tim.2:1-3.
9. Being grateful to parents:1tim.5:4.
10. doing good work with hands(not stealing but giving to others):Eph.4:28.
    - e.g: Dorcas' needle-ac.9:38-39, Priscilla & Acquila-ac.18:2-3.
* Make the Lord your shepherd, goodness follows all the days of your life. Ps.23

Questions to reflect:-
- Can you think of something specifically when God had been so good to you? In what way you want to respond to His goodness?
- Think of those who do evil to you and in what way you can show God's goodness to them? (Of course beware of encouraging their evil or giving them a foothold to do more evil to you!). Need to have wisdom & discerning.
- If you are approached by someone who hates and is desperately in need of help to survive, what you will do?
- when people abuse you, using bad words how you react? Use the same words, tone of voice etc?
- can you think of someway to be grateful to those who did good to you and how you'll not cause hurt or harm to them intentionally?
- Think and find some ways of helping others practically in someway. Is there a small needle-use it, ask Dorca to tell you how! Amen!

*"O taste and see that the Lord is good... that ye may be fruitful in every good work". Psalm 34:8; Col.1:10.