The fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness … (Galatians 5:22)
There was once a Christian who kept chickens on an extensive piece of land behind his house. He noticed over a period of time that his large brood of chickens seemed to be missing one or two hens. He discovered that one of his neighbours was relocating them! He told his wife he was going to go around and confront the man. But his wife told him not to worry and that she would sort it out. That afternoon she chose one of their best chickens, plucked it and cooked a beautiful large chicken pie. That evening she took it to their neighbour as a gift. The couple never lost another chicken.
Goodness describes the moral quality of lives lived in fellowship with God. Goodness is closely connected to kindness. But commentators have suggested that kindness expresses compassion and tenderness, whereas goodness sometimes acts in a kindly way, as in our story, and sometimes in more forceful ways. But it always has a moral challenge and conviction associated with it. There are times when we need to be rebuked and corrected. Proverbs teaches us that “a friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17). It also teaches us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6). Goodness is not always gentle, but it is always an expression of love. The Lord Jesus describes His disciples as “the salt of the earth”. Our lives should have a moral edge to them. This shouldn’t be self-righteousness or give the impression we are better than others; it should be a reflection of the Lord Jesus in our lives.
Barnabas is described as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24). We first meet Barnabas at the end of Acts 4 when he sold a field and brought all the proceeds to the Apostles (Acts 4:36-37). His action stands in contrast to the deception of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. This marked Barnabas out as someone who, in response to the Saviour’s love for him, became a self-sacrificing servant of Jesus Christ. It was Barnabas who saw the goodness of God in the life of Saul and brought him to the Apostles (Acts 9:27). How was the goodness of God shown to Saul? By the powerful presence of the Saviour in glory, His convicting words and by causing Saul to fall down blind. How did Paul describe the Person who did this to him? As “the Son of God who loved me” (Galatians 2:20). Following the remarkable work of God in Antioch, Barnabas was sent by the Apostles to encourage them. We are told he “encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord” (Acts 11:23). It was after this encouragement that we learn that the disciples of the Lord Jesus at Antioch were first called Christians. They didn’t invent the name themselves; it was given to them by the society they lived in because their lives reflected Christ. The early disciples were recognised by their humility, grace and the “saltiness” of their lives which, in love, challenged the world they lived in.
Goodness is a vital part of the Christian testimony. The Lord Jesus went about doing good. After describing the richness of God’s mercy, grace and kindness in Ephesians 2:4-9, Paul writes, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (verse 10).
After remembering the Lord Jesus this morning, as we enter then into the responsibilities of a new week, may His goodness be seen in us.
