Goodness
The Fruit of The Spirit - Goodness
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness, self-control.
We humans often like to make distinctions, many of which are based on our personal biases and values. In a tolerant society, the definition of good and bad has become a matter of opinion. What one person considers bad, may seem perfectly acceptable to someone else, and expressing a differing opinion can lead to repercussions.
In today’s world, insisting on moral goodness can label someone as intolerant, self-righteous, or judgmental. However, we believers understand that true goodness exists, and that evil is real. We recognize that there are actions that can be classified as good and others that are clearly bad or evil.
In our last post, we discussed the fruit of kindness. We concluded that “higher-level” kindness is the act of doing good for those who may not deserve it.
(Remember how David treated king Saul’s descendants and Jonathan’s son)
However, kindness that is offered without an underlying sense of goodness can sometimes reinforce unjust and abusive behaviors. YHWH is wonderfully kind to humanity. Paul tells us that He provides people with rain and fruitful seasons, regardless of their moral character. He grants them basic necessities, but He does not bless the wicked, as doing so could lead them to think, “I am evil, yet YHWH blesses me anyway.”
If evil people prosper it’s because of their evil actions. Criminals can prosper in material possessions or money by stealing and taking unjustly from others. However, YHWH promises though, that they will reap evil, in the end.
Greek word used for "Goodness" is "Agathos."
In the Apostolic Writings (New Testament), the Greek word used for “goodness” is “Agathos.” According to Vine’s Dictionary, Agathos refers to an action that is fundamentally good in character and is “beneficial in its effect.”
True goodness is beneficial in its effect or its outcomes. In simpler terms, true goodness is driven by holy motives; it aligns with YHWH’s expectations and produces positive results.
Agathos is Motivated by Unselfish Motives
The actions that stem from Agathos are not motivated by a desire for personal gain. In other words, when we are inspired by Agathos, we do not perform good deeds to receive praise, recognition, elevation in status, or a sense of superiority. Our motivations are pure, honest, and completely selfless. They are not aimed at achieving any benefit for ourselves.
Scripture informs us that the human heart is deceitful.
The heart is crooked or (Deceitful - KJV) above all, and desperately sick – who shall know it?
In other words, the human mind, when influenced by selfish desires, can exhibit evil tendencies. Even when people engage in actions that seem entirely selfless, there may be hidden motives behind them. Surprisingly, these motives can be subconscious, meaning the individual may be completely unaware of them. This is why the human heart is often described as ‘deceitful’—it can effectively mislead itself. Discovering what truly motivates our actions can require a great deal of honesty and immense courage to look inward and recognize our real intentions. In this process, we might realize that we are not as good or as holy as we would like to believe.
Paul knew this reality all too well. He confesses this in Romans chapter 7
This signifies that Paul was incapable of always doing genuinely good and lacked the power to do that, which is truly good.
The Pharisees were a classic example of people who did what appeared to be good, but who were motivated by wrong motives. Agathos is the fruit of the Spirit that fights against that human tendency. With Agathos we act righteously, because of Yah’s righteousness in us. When goodness is the motivating force, there is no hypocrisy involved. We become the “real thing” and people will know over time that we are the real thing, because our attitude and the fruits will show it.
Hypocrisy has become a part of Christianity. Unbelieving people continually point out this fact about some Christians. They talk the talk, but do not walk the walk.
We should reflect on whether we are truly practicing what we preach.
Is YHWH’s goodness evident in our lives? Yes, we can all do good things:
- Help a friend in need
- Give money to someone in need
- Pray for others
- Offer to cut your neighbor’s yard
Are we truly displaying YHWH’s goodness in our lives? How are we representing Him and His goodness through our actions? After all, we are considered righteous solely because of His Spirit within us.
As we discussed previously regarding the fruits of the Spirit, our choices and activities significantly affect our ability to embody goodness and showcase it in our lives. We must ask ourselves: What aspects of my life are not good?
- Are the places you go good? Example: Sports Bar because the food is good.
- Are the things you’re watching good; T.V., Movies, Internet Streaming, ETC
- Is the music you listen to good?
- Is your social media account activity good? Do you scroll whatever or post whatever without a thought of it displaying goodness.
- Is the food you eat good? Even what we eat can make us feel sluggish, grumpy, foggy and does ultimately affect our ability to walk in the fruits of the spirit.
Now I know in our own minds we can say, yes for the most part everything I do is good.
- I’m a believer
- I’m saved
- I’m a Torah follower
- I keep the Sabbath
But are these things Agathos.. true goodness according to the standard of His goodness. Do we represent His goodness or are we stuck in the world that we have already been told to not be a part of. Why is this something that we must be convinced of or persuaded that we must do?
Is Your Cup Clean?
And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him, so He went in and sat down to eat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He did not first wash before dinner. And the Master said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is filled with greed and wickedness.
What we display on the outside and the things we freely partake in, ultimately reveals what is on the inside.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of Yah leadeth thee to repentance?
The goodness of YHWH towards a man or women living in sin is not meant to encourage him or her to persist in their wrongdoing, but rather to draw them away from it. The world and particularly Christianity has corrupted the goodness of YHWH to remain as we are or only to change enough to not feel guilty with the daily sins that remain in our lives. It’s that revolving door of getting “Re-saved” every week because of the same sins you returned to the previous week. The very same sins we attested to never commit again and re-committed our lives to the Father.
The Revolving Door Struggle
Yes, some sins, especially those that lead to addictions, are difficult to break and require an incredible amount of effort on the part of the individual. With the help of the Ruach Hakodesh, it is possible to overcome these sinful addictions and find freedom. If we truly believe that with YHWH all things are possible, we must operate in faith, trusting that freedom will come to pass. However, with all sin, we must also do our part.
In many cases, we find ourselves caught in a revolving door of struggle because we continue to engage with the ways of the world that entice us to commit the same sins repeatedly. Our inability to deny the flesh and resist the temptations that the enemy uses keeps us in bondage. As a result, we often live with a sense of failure, constantly trying to “find God,” so to speak.
We may feel entitled to continue watching things we shouldn’t, eating things we shouldn’t, listening to things that lead us astray, and maintaining friendships we should end. Even some “Christian” activities can lead us in the wrong direction. While this may offend some, it is the truth: “Not all things Christian are good.” For example, if you are a Baptist, you might disagree with a Catholic but remember that Catholics are Christians too—they played a significant role in the history of Christianity.
All is permitted me, but not all do profit. All is permitted me, but not all build up.
Are all Things Good?
Here’s an example: If you are someone prone to fear, and when anxiety overcomes you, your last resort to calm yourself is alcohol—perhaps in excessive amounts. Some friends have recently recommended the “Left Behind” series of books (which are theologically incorrect, so I wouldn’t advise reading them), but let’s focus on this as an example. Reading these so-called ‘Christian’ books about the tribulation period, the anti-Christ, and apocalyptic events, like judgments raining down, death all around, earthquakes, the mark of the beast, and the guillotine, may not be the best choice for someone who is already susceptible to fear.
Even though these books are misleading, as a believer, you know that the “tribulation period” is a real concept and may take seriously the events that are said to occur during that time. This brings me back to my earlier point: “Not all things labeled Christian are good.”
We have reached a point in time where those of us who are set apart can no longer rationalize our choices or behaviors. We must disengage from the ways of the world whenever possible and stop making excuses. As I mentioned in our “Where Are the True Believers?” series, this type of justification does not hold in the Kingdom.
We can no longer convince ourselves that these things are acceptable based on our sense of entitlement, as if we deserve a “grace card” to indulge in worldly pursuits; otherwise, we risk becoming overly ascetic. We must strive for goodness!
Eyes Full of Darkness
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, all your body shall be enlightened. But if your eye is evil, all your body shall be darkened. If, then, the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Another perspective on all things representing goodness can be found in Yeshua’s words in Matthew 6. He tells us that if our eyes are good, our bodies will be filled with light. However, He warns that if our eyes are evil, then our entire body will be darkened. He goes a step further to emphasize that if the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
The clear implication here is that we need to be mindful of what we place before our eyes. We must ask ourselves: Is it good? If we are taking in things that are not good, can we truly display goodness and operate in the Fruit of the Spirit?
Things that may seem good and right to the eyes of man but contradict YHWH’s Torah and the words of Yeshua are, in fact, not good.
The Goodness of YHWH
How great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those fearing You, Which You have prepared for those taking refuge in You In the sight of the sons of men! In the secrecy of Your presence You shall hide them from the plots of man; You shelter them in a booth from the strife of tongues. Blessed be YHWH, For He has made marvelous His loving-commitment to me in a strong city! And I, I have said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes,” Yet You heard the voice of my prayers When I cried out to You. Love YHWH, all you His lovingly-committed ones! For YHWH guards the trustworthy ones, And exceedingly repays the doer of pride. Be strong, and let Him fortify your heart, All you who are waiting for YHWH.
As we focus on this amazing passage in Psalms, let’s let’s expound on some of these truths.
- How great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those fearing You
YHWH’s goodness is reserved for those who fear Him. It’s important to examine yourself and ask: Do you truly fear Him? Do you willingly engage in the things of this world while convincing yourself it’s acceptable? Does your mind tell you that the Father understands?
Do you fear YHWH as you would fear your earthly father? Consider this example: Your dad comes home from work at 5 PM, and your chores are not finished. You know that if your chores are not done by the time he arrives, there will be consequences. Reflect on which of these two categories you fall into, as we have all likely experienced both scenarios at some point.
Scenario #1 Are you the type of person that just assumes Dad will not be mad at you? You reason in your mind “he will understand it was a little hot out today, so you figured raking the leaves could wait.”
Scenario #2 Are you the type of person that waits until 4:30 and then rushes to get everything done by 5 because you know dad will not be happy with you when he gets home?
The truth is our heavenly Father does not operate under this type of mentality. When the shofar sounds we will not have time to clean things up. We must be diligent, responsible and pro-active to walk in our covenant with Him.
2. Which You have prepared for those taking refuge in You In the sight of the sons of men
YHWH has prepared His goodness for those who take refuge in Him, visible to the sons of men. We can interpret this as being in plain sight of one another. We are all accountable for showcasing the fruits of our lives for everyone to see, and this begins when no one is watching or when we are at home. Our level of goodness will extend to others outside our personal space.
The amazing promise is that He has already stored up goodness for us if we trust in Him, take refuge in Him, and abide in His presence. This requires continually examining our lives and denying our flesh. We, the sons of men, are like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Joseph, who chose to live as sons of YHWH rather than as ordinary individuals with no greater purpose or vision beyond their own ideas and desires.
3. Love YHWH, all you His lovingly-committed ones! For YHWH guards the trustworthy ones, And exceedingly repays the doer of pride.
This verse indicates that those who are trustworthy are also those who are lovingly committed. It is a promise that if we show our loving commitment, YHWH will protect us. To be lovingly committed, we must love Him and remain dedicated to Him.
Let’s consider a marriage in which a wife knows her husband loves her, but she often questions his level of commitment to their relationship. She is uncertain from day to day whether he will come home or if the bills will be paid. She frequently notices that he spends more time on other activities rather than focusing on her.
Next, let’s reverse the scenario and say the husband is committed to his marriage. He’s dependable, trustworthy, and accountable. He provides well, among other things. However, he fails to show his wife love. He does not express affection, make her feel secure, spend quality time with her, compliment her, buy her flowers, hold doors open for her, or even take out the trash.
This reflects how we can behave towards YHWH if we fail to love Him while also claiming to be committed to Him.
Be strong, and let Him fortify your heart, All you who are waiting for YHWH.
The last verse of our passage in Psalms states “Be strong, and let Him fortify your heart, All you who are waiting for YHWH. Let all of us allow the Father to fortify our hearts. Fortify means “Strong & Secure!
“Today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured” (Jeremiah 1:18)
Let our hearts be strengthened by Him alone, and let us not allow the distractions of this world to capture our hearts. Instead, let us display the Fruits of the Spirit and showcase goodness for all to see. It is when we are lovingly committed to Him that we can bear fruit for the kingdom.
HalleluYah
Stay Salty!
“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how shall it be seasoned? For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and to be trodden down by men.”
