The Book Of Galatians Chapter 5 Part 11 The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Goodness

The fruit of the Spirit is goodness.

Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Fruit produced in us by the Spirit of God is clear evidence of being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, this study is of great importance because making us like Christ is our Father's intent.

Old lifestyle passes away and we are made new creations in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

When we profess faith in Christ, we should see transformation taking place as our old way of life passes away.

Old things that pass away covers all aspects of our lives. 

All of the fruit of God's Spirit worked into us will shape us into men and women of Godly character.

He will urge us to seek out other Christians as our close friends. 

He will convict us of worldliness if we drink at the well of cultural corruption. 

He will teach us about Christ and the things of God as He leads us away from abounding corruption and sinful activities.

We experience battle between God's Spirit in us and our old man ways.

Galatians 5:16-17  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17)  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

We will experience a struggle that we never had before giving our heart to Christ.  

The indwelling Spirit of God will battle against our old man and our sinful tendencies.

God's indwelling Spirit will do battle against our old man tendencies as He seeks to conform us to Christ. 

Thus, we have opposing forces at work in us as we begin growing spiritually. 

We will learn to cut off anything that fuels our fleshly lusts. 

We will learn to feed our new man in Christ with the wholesome food from God's wonderful Word (See 1 Peter 2:1-5).

Today, we are introduced to the fruit of "goodness." This word means having an upright heart and life marked by virtue. 

"Goodness" is a perpetual desire to abstain from all appearance of evil, and seeking to do good to others as we are able to.  

Divine goodness like this fruit must spring from a new heart, one that is tender toward God and passionate about His glory. 

It is a new heart and a new spirit put in us by faith in Christ, just as God promised to do (See Ezekiel 11:19-21; 36:24-27). 

We are born as bad trees producing corrupt fruit, but Christ makes us into a good tree producing good fruit. 

Matthew 7:17-20  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18(  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19)  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 

All mankind is born with a sin nature inherited from Adam. 

We are all like the corrupt tree in Jesus' teaching. 

We cannot bring forth good fruit because we are corrupt at our core.

The new birth radically changes who we are at our core. 

Before Christ we could only produce corrupt fruit. 

After being regenerated and renewed by the Holy Spirit, we can yield good fruit to our Master, Jesus Christ. 

The word translated "goodness" is only used four times in the New Testament. 

Looking at each verse will help us understand what this fruit of the Spirit will look like in us.

The first reference to the fruit of goodness is found in Paul's letter to the church at Rome. 

The second example is found in Galatians, followed by one in Ephesians and one in 2 Thessalonians. 

The fruit of goodness is connected with the filling of God's Spirit. 

Romans 15:13-14  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 14)  And 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. 

Paul wrote to the Roman Christians and he gave a full exposition of the gospel of Christ.

As he nears the conclusion of this epistle, he reminds us of the God of hope who fills us with joy and peace when we turn to Christ with repentant faith.

The apostle mentions three of the nine fruits of the Spirit in this text (Joy, peace and goodness).

We are commanded to be filled with Divine fruits and this is connected to our daily need to be filled with the Holy Spirit (See Ephesians 5:18).

The verb "fill" literally means to fill a container up to the top, filled to the brim.

God's Spirit will fill us with joy and peace so that we abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The idea of "abounding" means filled to overflowing so that what is in us pours out. 

In this case, we are speaking of spiritual fruit produced in us by the Spirit of God.

Thus, each fruit such as "goodness" should pour into our heart such that it flows out of us as we love and serve God by loving and serving others.

The church at Rome was known for being full of goodness as the Holy Spirit worked among them.

What a blessing it would be if our lives mirrored what Paul is teaching us. 

What a blessing it would be to be known by the fruit of goodness in our dealings with other people.

The fruit of goodness helps us live as children of light.

Ephesians 5:8-9  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9)  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 

God's Spirit guided Paul to remind the Ephesian Christians that they used to walk in spiritual darkness and depravity.

After being born again, they became adopted children of God who must learn to live as citizens of the kingdom of light.

Therefore, light is opposed to darkness because our "old man" life stands in stark contrast to our "new man in Christ" life. 

It is within this context that Paul mentions the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness. 

The Spirit of God will never fail to lead us into all goodness and we find this a great encouragement. 

Goodness as a fruit, is founded upon the righteousness of Christ and the eternal truth of God's Word. 

The fruit of "goodness" causes us to sympathize with people in distress. It leads us to assist them according our ability to do so.   

The fruit of goodness leads us to do good to all and live for God's glory.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12  Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12)  That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This chapter of Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians speaks of the return of Christ in flaming fire to take vengeance upon all who reject the gospel, and upon the domain of the antichrist.

Paul let them know that he prayed for them to continue walking worthily for Christ and His kingdom.

He prayed that God would fulfill the good pleasure of His goodness such that the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in their lives.

Thus, the fruit of goodness will help us determine each day to live for the glory of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

It will lead us to do good to all people, even our enemies.

May God work all of His wonderful fruit into our hearts more and more each day.

May we be pliable clay in our Master's hand.

May we be counted worthy to love and serve God as we love and serve others with all goodness.

Bob