THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – Part 6
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
The sixth fruit of the Spirit is goodness.
Romans 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
The Bible says, “Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” Repentance is a condition to salvation. God in His goodness grants salvation to everyone who believes. This word is also used by the Lord in His dealing with the rich young ruler. Matthew 19:16-17, “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” We learn from our Lord’s teaching that God is good in a way that no other person is good.
The goodness that is the fruit of the Spirit is God’s goodness growing out of the believer’s relationship with God.
Matthew 26:10 “When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.”
Our text speaks of the fruit of the Spirit which is the overflow of the believer’s walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16). The first time this word is used is in Genesis: Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”
If God does it, it is always good. So goodness that is the fruit of the Spirit originates in God.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts today!
In Christ,
Bro White
