Virtues for Christ-Followers: Goodness

Goodness is the sixth virtue in the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Goodness, which is very similar to kindness, is mentioned in only a few places in Paul’s writings. Goodness is an attribute of God, and part of His very nature, as we read in Psalms:

“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”¹

“The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”²

In the New Testament, we read of the wonderful goodness exemplified by Jesus coming to earth and dying for our sins: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”³

Christians filled with the Spirit of God are given strength to emulate the goodness of God and to live lives of goodness and of moral beauty, which shines into the needy world, as the following articles highlight.

Goodness—The Exemplary Fruit

Christians are expected to be good people. In fact, many non-Christians expect more from Christians than they do from themselves or anyone else. Jesus Himself told His first followers, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”⁴

This is certainly a tall order and one that is not easy to live up to. Sad to say, as Christians we can take on the mistaken idea that we're supposed to be perfect, which no one is, of course, or can be. We're far better off if we honestly and humbly admit our faults and mistakes, and then give God the glory for anything good that is accomplished. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”⁵

As you work to exemplify His goodness to others—trusting God to work in and through you—His goodness will shine through.—Rafael Holding⁶

What Is True Goodness?

Growing up, we were often told to “be good.” Maybe this looked like helping your mom with the household chores or getting good grades in school. I think the true meaning of the word “goodness” is commonly overlooked, though. Goodness is action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous.

When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, “agathosune,” means “an uprightness of heart and life.”⁷

When we act out of true goodness of the heart and reflect the fruit of the Spirit, we are obedient to God’s commandments and seek the benefit of others. Our actions come from a place of selflessness, and we place the needs of others before our own.

The life of Jesus Christ is the perfect example of goodness, as He died on the cross for the sins of humanity in order to give us the gift of eternal life. His ministry and sacrifice are an example of God’s goodness toward mankind. After all, the term “gospel” means “good news.”

Peter, a disciple of Jesus, talks about the goodness of Jesus’ ministry in Acts 10:38: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” In addition, Jesus is called the “good shepherd” in Scripture, because He laid down His life for His sheep.

We are called as Christians to live in a way that reflects the character of Christ. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Goodness is not about doing elaborate things to gain recognition. Oftentimes, it is the small acts of goodness we do throughout our day that mean the most to those around us. Is your friend having a bad day? Write them a note to let them know how much you care about them. Is someone putting you down? Pray for them.

It is in these acts of goodness that we reflect Christ’s character and possess the fruit of the Spirit. While it may seem like no one notices, God does. Ultimately, when we show goodness, we bring glory to God’s name.—Lauren Abraham⁸

The Fruit of Goodness

The sixth fruit of the Spirit is goodness. What exactly is goodness? The word “good” is used so frequently in our everyday lives that it almost loses its meaning. For example, how many times a day do we say, “good morning” and “good luck” and “good work”? But, the Bible tells us that the word “good” actually means holy, pure and righteous. Literally, goodness is godliness.

Goodness can often be seen in our actions, but our heart also has to be pure. The goodness of Christ is to be demonstrated in our lives every day. Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

God calls us to be filled with goodness from the inside out, being holy in what we do and say because Christians should have a heart that seeks goodness. We are not to just do good works, because doing good works without a good heart is empty. The “goodness” described as a fruit of the Spirit is not merely moral behavior, but an excellence of character. This goodness is only possible through God’s grace and mercy.

We often say, “God is good all the time. And all the time God is good.” Does this mean that our lives are always good? No, of course not. It means that … God is good, and He wants us to grow in the fruit of goodness so we can live a fulfilling life full of righteous love.—Kelly Wise Valdes⁹

God at Work

Doing good for the purpose of blessing or benefiting others occurs when the Holy Spirit makes us alive in our spirits. It is an act that stems from our very soul or being. No one is good except God (Mark 10:18), so it is the indwelling of God Himself in the believer’s life that generates good deeds.

The Bible is clear that in and of ourselves, mankind is incapable of being or doing good (Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5; Ecclesiastes 7:20). It is God who works in a believer’s life to become more like Jesus (Galatians 5:16), which is the whole point of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)—to make us into the image of Christ.

As the characteristic of goodness grows in a believer, it is acting out God’s love to others by helping others. It manifests itself from within the heart, so a believer does everything heartily (from the soul), as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). This can only occur through the living out of the Holy Spirit in our lives.…

God, by nature, is inherently good. He is the ultimate example of goodness (Psalm 34:8). … The Goodness of God is evident in all His creations and accomplishments (Genesis 1:31). We cannot earn and do not merit His goodness. It is available to us just because of who God is (Psalm 145:9). And God’s goodness is personal. He is good to each of us personally, in ways that meet our individual needs (Psalm 119:68).

God is our perfect role model. Being good, demonstrating good, for the purpose of benefiting others, is what God demonstrated to all of mankind (Romans 5:8). ... Goodness is not a quality we can manufacture on our own (James 1:17), neither for us nor by us. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, we grow the characteristic of goodness. As others see our good works, they will praise our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).

The Holy Spirit indwelling us allows us to experience the fullness of God’s goodness (Psalm 84:11) in the fullness of His time. When the Holy Spirit indwells us, seals us, and grows His fruit within us, we can state with the Apostle Paul that we are full of goodness (Romans 15:14). It is He who is good.

It is He who can transform us into good. It is the fruit of the Spirit that allows us to demonstrate zealous goodness to help and benefit others so that they may have a strengthened relationship with God Himself.—Randy DeVaul¹⁰

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We see from these articles that the virtue of goodness is not based on our own goodness, but the goodness of God. Reflecting God’s goodness to others is a part of our witness and being the salt and light that He has called us to be to bring people to Jesus and transformation to the world around us, as the following excerpts from the “Force for Good” series I wrote some time ago highlight.

Manifesting God’s love to those whom the Lord places in our path each day is at the heart of becoming a force for good. As the apostle Paul said, “the love of Christ compels us.”¹¹ In whatever specific ways the Lord leads each of us to reach our part of the world with His love, He has called us as Christians to be “the light of the world.” He has told us to “let your light shine before people, so that they will see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”¹² Letting that light shine in such a way that people will see your good works and see them as a reflection of God’s love is at the heart of the concept of being a force for good in your community, in your neighborhood, and in the lives of others.

Throughout the centuries, since the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have often reached the world through becoming known as a force for good in their community. Even when others didn’t necessarily embrace the Christians’ faith or understand their religion, or when they were persecuted and maligned, their kind deeds and good works shone brightly before all men, resulting in people wanting to know what made them so different from much of society. As the apostle Peter said in his Epistle, “Live such good lives among the [unbelievers] that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”¹³

As we each strive to reach out to share the good news with others; as we provide assistance—spiritual or practical, or both—to those the Lord puts in our path; as we do our part to bring God’s love to others and to better their lives in whatever ways we are able, our witness and our works will grow and serve as a “candle on a candlestick” to shine forth His light and a “city set on a hill” to draw others to Him.¹⁴

Reaching our part of the world is ultimately about reaching our neighbors (whether they’re those who live near us or those who don’t) and translating our faith into tangible actions and “good works” that express our love and concern—being a living example of our faith and God’s love, which is manifested in “walking the talk.” Showing our neighbors, colleagues, and community that we genuinely care, in ways that are meaningful to them and that tangibly express our faith and our values, provides a real-life application of our witness.¹⁵

Cultivating the virtue of goodness in our lives starts with reflecting on the goodness of God and His wonderful works in our lives and in the world around us, as the following quotes bring out:

Occasionally it’s helpful to spend a few quiet moments looking back over our lives to review how indebted we are to God for His goodness and mercy. Of course, no two personal histories are the same. But we can all echo the words of David in Psalm 23:6: “Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” If we are trusting Jesus Christ, those few words sum up the whole of our experience in life.—Vernon Grounds

Praise consists in the love of God, in wonder at the goodness of God, in recognition of the gifts of God, in seeing God in all things He gives us, and even in the things that He refuses to us; so as to see our whole life in the light of God; and seeing this, to bless Him, adore Him, and glorify Him.—Henry Edward Manning

God’s goodness imparts what we don’t deserve; His mercy withholds what we do deserve. In times of pain and sorrow, our heavenly Father faithfully meets our needs, comforts our hearts, and gives us strength to bear our burdens. Although we are believers, we still sin and fall short of the holy standard set by His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet He keeps on pouring His forgiveness into our souls as we confess our sins. We may think of ourselves as decent people, but we must still admit that “we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done” (The Book of Common Prayer).

May gratitude continually fill our hearts, because God’s goodness and mercy will follow us all the way to glory. We are indebted to Him forever.—Vernon Grounds

A Prayer for God’s Goodness

Loving Savior,

Help me to live your goodness and kindness each day. Remind me that my actions express who I am even more than my words. May I love as you love. Let me be good to those who wish me harm, forgive those who need forgiveness, and reach out in kindness to all I meet so they can experience the unconditional love of God. Set our hearts on fire for you. Amen.¹⁶

Food for Thought

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:8 NKJV).

“We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.”—Brennan Manning

“Pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11 AMP).

“We cannot become good on our own. We need to abide in Jesus, depending on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. The Spirit can transform our inner being so that God’s goodness flows out of us.”—Joel Kime

(To be continued.)

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Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.