Fruit of the Spirit - Goodness | Sunday Service 10:30am

In my Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (copyright 1936) there is a whole paragraph defining the term ‘good’. It is a word used in a wide variety of cases. Some definitions read; “Sufficient, satisfactory, stouthearted, reliable, honest, sincere, of comparable excellence in its kind, honorable, untainted, opposed to harm, an exclamation of satisfaction”

A search in the International Bible Encyclopedia also reveals a variety of definitions and uses throughout scripture. (See here and here)

In the beginning God declares what He creates as ‘good’ and the creation of us (mankind) as ‘very good’ (Genesis 1). As image bearers of the Creator of the Universe, we have been named good! And also; “There is none righteous, not even one, no one does good…” (Romans 3:10-12)

So what is good? What does the fruit of goodness look like? How can we understand goodness rightly and not mistake good for evil or evil for good? (Isaiah 5:20, Romans 12:9) When we say that God is good – what do we actually mean by that? 

Consider the following passages as you ponder what goodness is in preparation for this week’s teaching: Genesis 1:31, Psalms 14:1, 34:8, 86:5, Isaiah 5:20, Micah 6:8, Mark 10:17-18, Luke 6:27, John 10:11, Romans 12:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 1 Timothy 4:4, 6:18, 1 Peter 2:1-3