Fruit of the Spirit -Goodness

Send us Fan Mail Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV), “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  Now we use the word “good” synonymously with the words “sound”, “decent,” and “respectable.”- We describe items we purchase as “good,” meaning that it was worth the money spent on it and we use “good” to describe if someone is solid in their character, or how we currently describe our current state of being- When someone asks us if we are “good,” it is not in reference to spiritual fruit; rather, it is a question of how we cope in and among the world.- We do not use the word “good” or “goodness” too often to describe character, much less a fruit of the Spirit. - But in those instances when we are trying to determine whether their personality is solid and dependable, whether they are honest, and whether they are balanced in their lives – we often use the word “good” to describe that person- This last definition is what the fruit of the Spirit is – “goodness,” but there are a couple of levels to this understanding. Passive Goodness- There is, or appears to be, two sides to goodness- Let’s call the two sides passive and active- As we discuss passive, let’s remember that passive goodness is relative, meaning it is actively influential- The Lord describes passive goodness when He likened His disciples to the “salt of the earth.”- Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”-