Theme:
"Living and Enjoying the Fruit of the Spirit"

Day 7

Fruit:  Goodness

Day Verse:

"These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you"--John 15:11, 12

We smile at the young man who brings his girl friend a box of candy the night after they have quarreled.  But, how many unbelievers in Christ think they can suddenly become good by doing something good?  Unbelievers cannot be good by doing good deeds or even thinking good thoughts, for in God's sight "there is none that doeth good, no not one" (Romans 3:12).

Goodness is a way of living, it is being.  Every Christian who wants to be what God wants her to be has a deep desire to be "full of goodness," as the Apostle Paul expresses it.  (Romans 15:14).  But can we be good when the devil and our own unruly natures are so busy tempting us to disobey Christ and do what's bad?  (II Corinthians 2:11; 11:3; Romans 7:19).

The word good refers to that quality in a Christian which is ruled by what is good and true and right because that person loves the Lord Jesus, as her Good Shepherd and puts Him first in her life.  She recognizes the fact that the Lord's thoughts are as much higher and greater and better than hers as the heavens are higher than the earth (Isaiah 55:8, 9). She knows that her merely human judgments are faulty, but that God's judgments are always good (Psalm 119:39).  Therefore, she goes to God's Word.  If she asks the Lord to make His Word clear and understandable to her, the Holy Spirit will do just that.

 So she thinks and she prays as she reads the Bible--she searches for the Lord's guidance, His wisdom, His comfort, and His help to meet her daily needs.  God's judgments in His Word are always GOOD and right.

Titus 3 makes clear the place of good works in a Christian's life.  In verse 5 we learn that we are saved "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to Hs mercy."  From verses 8 and 14 we find that they who believe in God should be careful to maintain or set an example of good works, so that we won't be unfruitful branches in the Vine.  In other words, good works cannot buy our salvation, but after we belong to Christ, we show our relationship to Him by doing all the good we can, to as many people as we can.  We're willing and eager to put ourselves out so that others can hear the gospel and have a chance to be saved.

We will trust the Lord to take away our natural timidity and inertia, and we will visit those who don't attend church.  We will go out of our way to call for them, knowing how many excuses they will make if we do not.    We will remember the apostle John's question, "If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need; yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (I John 3:17)  

We will be willing to share our possessions with those less fortunate than ourselves.  Not all of us have money to give, but if we do we will be willing to share it.   Especially, we will want to share our love and joy in the Lord!  We can give a tract that we have carefully chosen, and invite a friend to come with us to church.  

We many not get much, if any, reward on this earth, but we can confidently look forward to hearing our Lord say at His judgment seat (Romans 14:10b), "Well done, thou GOOD and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21; 16:27).   On that great DAY when our Savior will judge our works, how glad we will be if during our life time, we were willing to suffer some inconvenience or even persecution for the Lord's sake!  Our fruit of GOODNESS will be ripe and mature if we live "with eternity's values in view."