Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
01/07/2016, by John Kincaid
Lesson 839: Goodness, Pt.4
The word “goodness” is related to the word “righteousness.” Righteousness includes justice, equality, and right action. God in His righteousness gives justice that is deserved.
God in His goodness goes further, and gives us grace we don’t deserve.
Goodness includes generosity: giving someone undeserved blessings they could never earn.
In Matthew 20, Jesus told a story about some men who were hired to work in a vineyard.
Some started work in the morning; others were hired late in the day. At quitting time, the master gave everyone the same salary.
The men who worked all day complained, “It isn’t fair!” The master replied:
Matt.20:15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?
The early workers hated the master’s generosity. They refused to be happy about his blessing on the last men.
The word goodness (as a fruit of the Spirit) means to be generous, not selfish. Goodness is generosity that flows gladly from a kind heart.
About This Series
The goal of this series is to become more useful in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, as an instrument in the Redeemer's hand. The theme verses for the series are Ephesians 4:22-24, Philemon 11, 2 Timothy 2:21
- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
- and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
- Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.