NINE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

                                                        

                                                                         "GOODNESS"!

                                                             

                                       Agathos(Greek) describes that which, a person

being good in character or constitution, will be beneficial in its effect on others.

Goodness is love in action, love with its hand to the plow,love with the burden on its back, love following his footsteps who went about continually doing good.

(James Hamilton)

"Goodness" has fallen on bad times in our day! It has a bad press connotation after all who really wants to be "good" It"s expecting people to be wimpish or weak somehow less than aggressive. 

In the minds of too many people today,It Seem to be an old fashioned quality which is out of date. 

We'd Rather Be Chic, Slick or Swagged out, popular, exciting, with it, or living on the edge.   Then When You Think About it, wouldn't you rather do business with a "Good" Merchant? Send Your Children To A "Good" school? Be a patient of a very "Good" doctor? 

Drive A "Good" car? Be married to a "Good" spouse? Do everything you can to raise "Good" children?

"Good" and "Goodness" are two very popular words in the vocabulary of our day.We like to think that what we do is "good" to benefit others.

 But what really is "goodness"? Are the actions of our living amounting to the greatest good for others?

Before We consider"being" good and "doing" good,we will be needing a working definition of goodness.

 The Measuring rod and the standard has been set by God and not by Humans, God Is the measure of all things, including goodness and what it means.

 So we'll attempt to starts with an understanding of "goodness" of God as a harvest of the Spirit's working in our living.

Wesley's Rule:

Do all the good you can,

By all means you,

In all the ways can,

In all the places you can,

At ll the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

( John Wesley)

Theological Insight:

The word Agathos is used of things which are physical such as a good tree (Matt.7:17) or good ground(Luke 8:8). It is also used in a moral sense of persons. God is essentially, absolutely, and consummately good. it also means that "the good "is morally honorable and pleasing to God.

We as Christians in our lifestyle are to prove to the world.

We are to be zealous of goodness and to overcome evil with it.