Fruit of the Spirit Goodness
God is good.
Few sentences will stir such a variety of reactions than the simple sentence, God is good. Some of you reading this have experienced such blessing in your life you have no trouble believing God is good. Others of you have struggled in such a way that you have come to doubt if God is good. Many, if not all of us, will go through a struggle so severe that we will have to decide if God is still good despite the situation we are facing.
I would submit that He is. If you have come to the other side of the struggle, it was God who gave you strength to walk through it. It was God who brought healing. It was God who gave you the strength to forgive.
We are Called to Be Good
Precisely because God is good, we are called to also be and do good and to show kindness.
One level of goodness is following the rules.
I have a propensity to follow the rules, walk a straight line, and do as I’m told. In school, that earned me the name “Goody two shoes” which at the time I thought was “goody tissues” and I couldn’t quite figure that out.
Often Christianity is framed in terms of following rules. We think that to be Christian means to walk the straight line, follow the speed limit, and obey posted signs.
Of course, this is good to do, and we must learn to walk in obedience to God, but there is another level of goodness.
Another level of goodness is active goodness. It isn’t just softly following rules, it is an active goodness that leads to benevolence. It’s the difference between not doing something because it’s wrong and doing something because it’s right.
The fruit of the Spirit is goodness and kindness. The goodness spoken about is an active goodness, not just following rules. Kindness in the greek means, “tender concern for others.” Kindness and goodness are not the same thing, but relate closely to one another. Think of them this way: The kindness (concern for others) leads us into goodness (doing something about it).
Goodness Because of Salvation
For the Apostle Paul, Christian practice is always couched in theology. The reason you are to act in a particular way is because of who God is and what he has done! When calling us to embody the kindness and goodness of God, he does so because of the salvation we have received in Christ (Titus 3:1-8).
In his short presentation of the Gospel in Titus 3, Paul outlines the basis, result, means, and hope of our salvation.
Basis: Mercy.
The only basis upon which you have been saved is God’s mercy! It isn’t anything you have done that has made you better than someone else.
Result: Rebirth and renewal
After receiving God’s mercy we are born again and renewed. Rebirth speaks of a new relationship being established. Namely, your relationship with God goes from being broken and unreconciled, to reconciled because of Christ. Renewal is an internal change. When we receive God’s mercy we are changed!
Means: Spirit
The means by which we are brought to salvation is the Spirit of God! The Spirit brings us to the point of conviction where we recognize we are in need of God’s mercy. The Spirit then cleanses you of your sin. The Spirit then empowers you for right living. The Christian life is life in the Spirit.
Hope: Eternal life
All of this leads to unwavering hope! Hope that we will live eternally with Christ. Hope that one day the struggle will be over, all injustice ended, and all things perfectly reflecting the glory of God.
God in Christ has done all of this because in his kindness and goodness, he saw our condition of brokenness, enter that condition in order to rescue us from it.
Kindness Toward “Outsiders”
Having received the kindness and goodness of salvation from God, Paul says that believers in Christ should embody those same traits to others. Titus chapter 3 begins with specific instructions (that precede the reason for the instructions). Those instructions are
- be subject to authorities
- don’t slander anyone
- be peaceable and considerate
- be gentle to everyone
What’s more interesting, however, is that these instructions are for how Christians are to treat those outside the faith (“outsiders”). Chapter 2 of Titus is about how to treat those within the community. Chapter 3 of Titus shifts to talk about how believers are to treat those who are not people of faith. This passage isn’t really calling you to be kind to those who are like you, see the world like you, dress like you, & share your hobbies. This passage is calling you to be kind to those who are different from you.
- different political persuasion
- unbelieving neighbors
- different skin color
- different traditions / culture
Showing kindness and goodness to those who are different than you is only possible because of the goodness and kindness God has shown us in salvation!
To learn more about our call to embody kindness and goodness to those who are different from us, click on these resources from Emmaus Road Church, a church in Fort Collins.
Download the sermon discussion guide
Prayer: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. (Source: Book of Common Prayer, Proper 17)