What does the word “goodness” mean? Goodness may be understood as a constant condition of the heart that moves a person to do what is good. When it is said that a person has “goodness” it means they have a propensity for doing good; it is like a spring of water within them, welling up and overflowing. Goodness could be said to be “good in action.”
Who Decides What is Good?
How do we know something is “good”? Maybe the better question is, “Who decides what is good?” The answer must be that only God sets the boundaries of good and evil. There are at least three sound reasons for this. First, He is the Creator. In His creation He has stamped what is good, for repeatedly it is said on the days of creation, “And God saw that it was good.” Second, God is all-knowing. Everyone has said or done something foolish because they didn’t know all the facts. This is not the case with the One who knows the end from the beginning. Third, He is all-powerful. Once God makes a decision, there is no person in the universe that can veto it and no higher court to appeal to. His decisions are final, and He has the power to enforce them.
It is also important to note that goodness is a revelation of the character of God. Just as we know that God is love, we see that God is good. In fact, that concept is one of the great themes of the Bible. We all have experienced His goodness in at least one of the following ways: deliverance from troubles, protection from hurt, abundant blessings, daily provisions, comfort, instruction, and much more.
So how do we know what is good? In the end we know what is good because God has told us. The Holy Spirit has been revealing this by the testimony of creation, through our conscience and finally in the Word of God.
There is No Goodness in Ourselves
Sometimes we put ourselves down in a false show of humility or to beg a compliment, but the plain, ugly truth is that we have no goodness in us (Rom. 7:18). The Apostle Paul, quoting Psalm 14:1, says this, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:12). To this Solomon agrees, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Eccl. 7:20).
It is sad that many people are relying on good works to win God’s favor when the truth is they really have no good works at all. The Lord has clearly stated, “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment…” (Isa. 64:6, nkjv). Jesus told a “good” and religious man that he needed to be born again (Jn. 3:1-21). Even though we may feel we are good according to our human standards, we are in fact wicked according to the Lord’s standards. Sin has polluted us so that no work on its own merit is pure and acceptable in the sight of God.
The Perfect Example of Goodness
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of goodness. If God is good, and we define goodness as “good in action,” then one could say that Jesus Christ is the goodness of God; Jesus came to completely do the will of the Father. In fact, He lived a life without ever once sinning, for He was “in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Jesus said, “I do always those things that please Him” (Jn. 8:29). The Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17).
To see that His heart was good, we only need to consider how Jesus dealt with people. We see how His goodness poured out to help those who were in need. He touched lepers and healed them. Harlots touched His feet. He ate with publicans. Twice He looked with pity on the crowds and miraculously gave them food. He released the woman caught in adultery. He wept over Jerusalem for their unbelief, knowing the suffering they would therefore endure. Most of all, He bore our sins on the cross and suffered there so we might be saved. Oh, He showed that the heart of God is very, very good!
Imitators of God
The Lord wants us to be just like Him; this is clearly seen from the verse, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Eph. 5:1, nkjv). He wants to develop in us the same goodness He showed in His life. What does this mean? We will help the needy and heal the wounded. We will accept sinners into our presence and freely forgive anyone who has offended us. We will weep over the lost and with joy see them saved.
It must be noted that goodness is a fruit of the Spirit and not a work of the flesh. Goodness is only possible in us through the working and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5), and anyone who is honest must agree. But this is a blessing! The Lord promises us that “He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (Jn. 15:5).
This is the life! Living a life in pursuit of pleasure and ease is vanity and emptiness, but a life of goodness brings joy and fulfillment to our souls. And above that, when we bear the fruit of goodness like the Lord Jesus, we too are pleasing to the Father. While we can never repay God for all His goodness to us in saving our souls, we can give Him pleasure in bearing much fruit to His glory. We can have a spring of goodness welling up in us to the refreshing of others. May this be true in both my life and yours.
Stephen and Marisha Schletty attend Northeast Gospel Chapel in Minneapolis, MN. Stephen works as a webmaster for a computer company.
Written by Stephen Schletty