Over the past few weeks, we’ve been discussing the Fruit of the Spirit, and this week, we’re diving into the topic of goodness. While it might seem like a simple concept at first, understanding what goodness truly means is an essential part of living a righteous and fulfilling life.
In Galatians 5, Paul uses the Greek word “agothosyne” to describe goodness, which translates to “uprightness of heart and life, kindness, and goodness.” This definition provides some clarity on what goodness entails, including being morally right and having the qualities required for a particular role.
The root word of “agothosyne,” “agathos,” further highlights the complexity of goodness. This word means “of good constitution or nature,” “useful, salutary,” “good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy,” “excellent, distinguished,” and “upright, honorable.” In essence, to be good is to be righteous, pure, holy, useful, uplifting, and loving.
It’s important to note that being good doesn’t mean blindly accepting everything. On the contrary, it’s about being truthful, just, and pure. In Philippians 4:8, Paul reminds us to think about “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise.”
The opposite of goodness is immorality, which can manifest in many ways. Sexual immorality is one type of immorality that we must avoid. The Greek word for immorality in the works of the flesh is “porneia,” which refers to fornication. The second meaning of immorality is the worship of idols, which is about taking on impurity from a false god. It’s about dirtying oneself with falsehood and mixing it with truth.
Another group of opposites to goodness is wrath, strife, and sedition. Strife, or creating contention and rivalries, breeds jealousy and breeds wrath and anger. Sedition is dissension and division, and it’s about letting things take a precedence in our lives that is above or equal to God.
When we choose to watch, read, listen to, etc. something, we should ask ourselves if it’s portraying positive morality as the ideal, whether it’s truthful, uplifting, and whether it’s spreading virtuous thinking. If it isn’t, we should turn it off.
To live a life of goodness, we must seek God and His will first. It’s about doing our best to do what He wills and live how He would have us, to do positive and uplifting things at all times. So what can you do to lift others up? What can you do to encourage? What can you do to bless?
In summary, goodness is an inspiration and aspiration, representing the Fruit of the Spirit in action. It is what God is, and it takes us from something that feels obvious and weak to one of the strongest fruits. So let’s strive for goodness in all that we do, and let’s encourage those around us to do the same.
Listen to this episode of the Jesus Name News Podcast!
093 – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
In this episode, we dive into the Fruit of the Spirit of Goodness and its true meaning. We explore the Greek word for “goodness” and discover that it encompasses much more than just quality work. We also discuss the two things that are the direct enemy of goodness and a contentious replacement for it that we can’t clearly define. Join us as we seek to understand what it truly means to be good and how we can uplift others by doing positive and uplifting things at all times. Tune in to this insightful episode to learn more about the Fruit of the Spirit and how it applies to our daily lives.