Lesson Seven: The Fruit of Goodness
8 | SU STA I N
SUMMARY: In this lesson we will talk about the nature of goodness as it is seen in the actions of God, and the life of the Christian. We will consider goodness as a character trait that is imparted to us by the Holy Spirit, and consider whether it is possible for us, as Christians, to be truly good people. LEAD-IN QUESTIONS: 1.
If “evil” or “bad” is the opposite of good, what really makes a person good? Are there certain qualities that must characterize a person before they can be considered good?
2. Is goodness something inside of you; or, is it something that we do outwardly? 3. Can a person have goodness and still sin? 4. Can two people both be good even if they disagree on controversial issues? 5. Name one person that you have known (beside Jesus) whom you would say is truly good. What D I SCU SS made them good? How could you tell?
He shows His goodness by delivering us from our enemies; by preserving our life from death; by quickening (energizing) our spiritual life; by redeeming us from sin; and by keeping His covenants. In the church we often use the words, ‘good’ and ‘goodness,’ to express our understanding of God’s relationship to us. In some churches the minister says, “God is good,” and the group responds: “all the time;” then, the minister repeats, “all the time;” and the group responds: “God is good.” A popular worship chorus simply states, “God is so good; God is so good; God is so good, He’s so good to me.” In the contemporary worship song, “King of My Heart” (Sarah McMillan, 2015), the chorus is: “You are good, you are good, oh; you are good, you are good, oh.” Later, an additional refrain is added: “You’re never gonna let, you’re never gonna let me down – oh, you’re never gonna let; you’re never gonna let me down!” These songs remind us that we not only acknowledge Jesus as King in our hearts because of his position and power, but also because of his essential goodness and never-ending faithfulness. When God acts, or refrains from acting, it is based on His goodness, which guides His love for us.
How can we answer the What Does It Mean to Be Good? questions that arise about God’s In modern use we define the concept of good in many goodness? What ways, especially in English. Three uses for “good” do these ques- predominate: tions say about our faith – are we • A quality of behavior: “she is so good to her grandparents” (defining her behavior to her At times it is easy to affirm God’s goodness, but if we sinning by asking them? What can grandparents) are honest, at other times it is tempting to waver in our I do to help me faith in His goodness. We say out loud that “God is so through periods of • A quality of nature: “he is a good person” (defingood,” but then one of our friends dies from COVID, and ing the quality of his character) questioning and suddenly, we have our doubts about God’s goodness. doubt? • A quality of measurement or skill: “The scientist
is good at math” (defining a quality of measurement or skill needed to do the work)
The word “goodness,” on the other hand, is almost always focused on the qualities of a person. To have goodness is to have qualities that are good throughout the whole person so that the person seems to be a living example of the good. In the Old Testament there are two words that are most frequently translated as “goodness.” The one most often used is the general word, “tob” (also pronounced tov). It refers to anything that is good, pleasant, agreeable, of benefit, producing prosperity.
We say that “God is good all the time,” but we struggle with the fact that people still lose their jobs, women have miscarriages, widows lose their pensions, the innocent are treated unjustly, and the young die in accidents. Questions rise to the surface: Is the goodness of God true? Is He still being good to me when bad things happen in my life? I suspect that most of us have asked them at some point in our lives, and God does not mind us bringing our honest questions to Him.
God’s Goodness and our Free Will
To have a framework for understanding God’s goodness in the midst of suffering, we need to step back The other word that is occasionally translated as and look at our broader understanding of God’s Will “goodness” is “hesed” (with a guttural sound, like and human free will. In the late 1500s, the theologian “khesed”). This word refers to God’s goodness from the Jacobus Arminius took a stand against the concept perspective of the everlasting nature of God’s love. It of predestination, the belief that God decides ahead is translated often as God’s “steadfast love” or “loving of time who will be saved and who will go to Hell. kindness,” and it reflects a zealous commitment to Those who believe in predestination teach that human someone else’s good. When it is used to speak about beings have no say in their own salvation since God God’s relationship to humans, it often reflects the idea is All-Powerful. Arminians (those who followed the that God shows unmerited favor and undeserved teaching of Arminius, including John Wesley) argued kindness because of His Goodness, and not our own. that, while it is true that God is All-Powerful, the love
