How to Be a Fruity Christian (Part 16)

I and my family enjoy watching cooking shows on TV, especially the reality cooking shows.  After spending several years watching these shows, you start noticing familiar faces over and over on these shows.  A cook may come in as a rookie, but if they are any good, they will advance to a point in which they will be recognized as a "great chef."  What makes a person a great chef?  There are many answers to that question, but I believe one on the top answers is that chef who is now considered "great" has spent many years developing their skill and their recipes.  The longer the development, the better the food.  The same can be said about the spiritual gift of "goodness".  Goodness in the life of a person can only be perfected by time and experience.  Let us look at some of the ways goodness is developed in our lives. 

First, it is developed as we work in this world.  Matthew 5:16 states that as we work, those around us will, "see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven."  Second, it is developed as we warn and are warn by our brothers.  What I mean by this is that we are to "sharpen each other", as we grow as Christians.  True "goodness" looks out for the best of our brothers and sister, and sometimes it is best to say, "STOP!"  Third, goodness grows as we walk in God's righteousness and truth (Eph. 5:9).  Fourth, when our prayer life and faith grow then it will positively affect the goodness within our heart toward God and others (2 Thess. 1:11).  Goodness does not grow overnight, it takes discipline to live and do right according to God's Word.  When we struggle to do good, and are tempted to do wrong, please remember the Apostle Paul's instruction, "always overcome evil with good." (Rom. 12:21).  Until next time, keep walking close with Christ. 

How to Be a Fruity Christian (Part 15)

Years ago, I read an article that interviewed people at work about their co-workers.  The key subject dealt with those co-workers who were always going out of their way to please others or do good around the workplace.  The conclusion of this article found that most coworkers did not like their peers constantly doing good around the work place.  The mentality of most came down to the following phrase, "Don't be a goody two-shoes!"  Yet when we come to Galatians 5:22-23, we see that the sixth fruit of the Spirit is "goodness" or "loves' quality". 

In the Old Testament the word for good is "tob" and it is first used by God in Genesis 1 & 2 to  describe "the good creation."  In the New Testament the word goodness is connected to the word "benevolence".  Goodness speaks of moral and spiritual excellence.  In Scripture, a person can not be considered "good" if separated in their relationship with God.  Since God is the standard for goodness (Ps. 100:5, Nah. 1:7, Ps. 23:6), only those who walk with the True and Living God are considered good.  Man is not naturally good, because sin defiled that good standing before God.  Man's goodness can only come from his relationship with God.  That is why we ought to be careful when making statement like, "They are good", or "They do a lot of good things", of people you do not know their spiritual condition.  In the eyes of God, there is no such thing as "good" unless that goodness flows from a personal relationship with God.  The prophet Isaiah makes this thought crystal clear when he writes, "All of our righteousness (goodness) is as filthy rags!"  Only those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ have God's power within to live a "good" life before Him.  Until next time, keep walking close to Christ.