Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Kindness and Goodness

 

Pursuing the Fruits of the Spirit: Kindness and Goodness

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

 

In a person’s hour of need, a kind word, or hug goes a long ways. We all experience emotional trauma. The loss of a loved one, unemployment, sickness, bad relationships, etc. is examples of times when we need a friend to comfort us. God’s Word teaches us to rejoice, as well as weep with others. (Rom 12:15) Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

 

During our hour of need, Christ is our rock to lean upon. However, Christ also displays his love and comfort through the kindness of his children. Christians need to take the time to help bear one another’s burdens. If we will reflect the love of Christ toward others, we will give them a reason to believe in the risen Christ, who alone can save their soul. We are salt and light to a dying world. A harsh word may push a person away from Christ, but an act of kindness may win them over. There are many ways to show love and kindness toward others. If you have a sick or disabled friend, mow their lawn, or help them with their house work. Go the extra mile with others and learn to be selfless. If we bear good fruit unto the Lord, we will reap blessings. However, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

 

(2Peter 1:5) But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

(Eph 5:9) (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

 

The fruit of goodness is to pursue righteousness with all your heart. To be good, is to be righteous, and this does not mean perfection. Righteousness is living right in accordance with scripture. If you are truly born again, you will live a godly lifestyle set apart from the sinful world. God’s Word teaches us to die to sin and live for Christ. Whoever is born of God does not sin (1 John 3:9). (Rom 6: 1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

 

 Living a lifestyle of habitual sins (bondages) will lead to damnation. Christ said that any tree, which does not bear good fruit, would be cut down and cast into the fire (Matt 3:10). 1 John 3 states that we must purify ourselves just as He is pure, and he who commits sin, also commits lawlessness. John continues that whoever sins has neither seen Him, nor known Him. These powerful scriptures are contrary to the distorted grace message that is preached in most churches today. Many churches encourage sin by teaching that there is grace for un-repented sins. Many teach that God does not care about your sins, only your actions. There are dozens of scriptures that teach us that without holiness no man shall see the Father. The apostasy (falling away from the truth), is the failure to teach believers to get sin out of their lives, as well as to love one another. Grace is not automatic, grace is given to those who repent and turn away from their sins.  

 

(1John 3:3) And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of  God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

 

(Titus 2: 11) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,