The Fruit of the Spirit Day 6: Goodness
The word used for “goodness” in Galatians 5:22 is the Greek word “agathōsynē,” which Blue Letter Bible defines as uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness.1 This word only appears 4 times in the New Testament. Once in Ephesians 5, where a similar call as Galatians 5 is given, calling believers to put aside desires of the flesh and embrace the ways of the Spirit. It also appears in 2 Thessalonians as a prayer and call to carry out the good works of God, and in Romans 15, Paul tells a group of people that they are full of goodness.
Putting this all together, I would say the “fruit of the Spirit is … goodness” means that when our lives are dedicated to God, then out of our lives will flow a desire to be and do that which God approves of.
It all starts with a desire to do that which pleases God. Proverbs 4:23 tells us of the importance of our heart: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” It’s out of our heart, what we desire at the core of who we are, that will dictate what we do with our life. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” David Guzik, in his commentary on Matthew, says that “pure in heart” is not only being morally pure, but also singular in your heart’s devotion. “The idea is of a single, undivided heart — those who are utterly sincere and not divided in their devotion and commitment to God.”2 At the core of who we are, do we desire God and God alone, or do we allow other things to have space in our heart that pollute our heart?
When we look at passages like Galatians 5, Ephesians 5, and 2 Thessalonians 1, there is a tendency to look at good works as doing tasks that are good. If we have that view, I think we are missing out on what God is truly getting at. When studying for this devotional, I noticed that many resources link goodness and kindness together. My mind cannot help but go to 1 Corinthians 13:3: “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
I can do a good deed while still not living out the fruit of goodness in my life if I do not treat the person I’m helping with goodness (with love and respect). It’s not selective holiness, but a holistic embodiment of what God has declared good in our thoughts, desires, and actions. That is why I like what Paul wrote in Romans 15:14: “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness.” That embodiment of goodness starts with our heart. May they be singularly focused on God and that which He declares good.
Adam Deering
[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G19&t=ESV
[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Mat/Mat-5.cfm?a=934009