CATCH THE SPIRIT OF GOODNESS

Galatians 5:22-23; Matthew 5:16

A story is told about an old man walking along the beach after a storm had washed hundreds of starfish upon the sand and as he walked he would lean over and pick up a starfish and throw it back into the ocean. Eventually he met up with a younger man walking in the opposite direction, and the younger man said “you’re wasting your time, there are too many of them, do you really think you can make a difference?” The old man reached down picked up another star fish flung it as far as he could and said “Made a difference to that one”

People whose lives are making a difference in this world are sure winners. They are the ones who are willing to make sacrifices, many times forgetting themselves because they desire to help the people around them. They may not necessarily impact multitudes, but as long as they impact some consistently, their efforts make our world a whole lot better.

God is calling us to make a difference by trying to affect the world for the better. For sure, we cannot make it happen by simply doing; we need to first consider our being. Before we can do the right stuff, we need to be the right person.

This is the emphasis of our series – Catching the Winning Attitudes. God wants to empower us to be the right person so we can be real winners in this life.

Last Sunday, we studied how we need to be kind. This morning, we move to the sixth fruit of the Spirit, which is goodness. Let’s examine this attitude together:

I     THE GOODNESS OF GOD:

Goodness is an essential part of God’s nature and character. He does not merely do good things; He Himself is full of virtue and moral excellence. The Bible declares:

When you consider the word good, it came from the old Anglo-Saxon word with the same meaning as God So the word good literally means “to be like God.”

I think we need to see the important connection. A person who wants to be really good cannot do it by moving away from God. Man needs God to learn goodness. God is the absolute standard for what good is like.

You see, we live in a time wherein good has become relative. What’s good for one person might not be good for another person at all. You’ve heard of the expression:

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure

This simply suggests that what is good for someone; another might think it’s not good at all. Think about what many think of a good life. For some people the good life means:

• Looking good – we place high value on beauty and good looks.
• Feeling good – we place high value on pleasures.
• Having the goods – we place high value on material things.

However, when the Bible speaks of the good life, it means becoming morally excellent according to God’s standard.

To be good is not our nature. In fact, our natural tendency is to be sinful and selfish. Jesus Christ literally wants to help us overcome our sinful tendencies. If we let Him take control of our lives, we can be what God meant us to be.

II    THE GOAL OF GOODNESS:

Why should we be good? What is God’s purpose in calling us to live good lives? Based on Ephesians 2:8-10, we have two explanations:

A. Not to earn salvation:

Examining these verses, it is very clear that we can never earn heaven by good works. It is only by grace through faith. Jesus has finished the work of salvation in the cross for us. We have to accept His gift of salvation by believing in what He has accomplished for us. God wants to get the credit for our salvation. If we can be saved by being good, we will be credited for it, and so we can boast about it.

B. As evidence of salvation:

Everyone who is in Christ Jesus must recognize that in order to prove that he or she has a relationship with a good God, he or she must do good works. By the good we do to others, God can get the credit (Matthew 5:16).

“Christians themselves are the greatest reason for accepting Christ, but they are also the greatest excuse for rejecting Christ.” (Charles Finney)

III   THE GROWTH OF GOODNESS:

As Christians, we must aspire to grow into this character of God. We have some specific passages to guide us in this process:

A. Give time for the Bible:

God wants to equip us in doing good works, and His way is always through the Bible. The Bible will teach, rebuke, correct, and train us so we can live righteously in this world. Where else can you learn about God and His will? Only through His Word. Make some time to really read and study the Bible. Attend Bible studies. You will never go wrong if you spend sufficient time on the Word of God.

B. Guard your heart:

We all need to be careful with what we store in our hearts. The fact is, whatever a person thinks in his heart, so is he. Of course, we are not referring to the muscle that pumps blood in our bodies. We are primarily conscious of our thought life. The Bible always use the mind and heart interchangeably. Listen to this passage:

If we want to be good, we need to be careful with what we allow to go to our hearts. If we are filled with negative emotions – anger, resentments towards others, or if we fill our thoughts with the wrong stuff – sinful and sensual materials, we can never maintain a good life.

C. Good Company:

If you surround yourself with the wrong company, they will corrupt your character. The Bible reminds us to surround ourselves with people who will provoke us to do good deeds. In day and age, we need to be really intentional with our friendships.

In closing, let’s be reminded of the command given by the apostle Paul:

Literally, Paul is saying BE CEMENTED or GLUED to that which is good; we need to be devoted to being good in order for us to do good. Let’s continually seek the filling of the Holy Spirit, so He can make it happen in our lives.