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Changing Lives Ministry
Daily Devotional
"grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity."
2 Peter 3:18

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
.

 

Changing Lives Ministries
Asheville, NC 28803

ministrychanginglives@gmail.com

Phone: (828) 318-9825

For Further Reading

These authors and books were
helpful in preparing this series:

Bryan Chapell:
   "Holiness by Grace"
Kris Lundgaard:
   "The Enemy Within"
Jerry Bridges:
   "The Pursuit of Holiness",
   "The Practice of Godliness",
   "Respectable Sins",
   "Trusting God",
   "The Discipline of Grace",
   "Transforming Grace"
Warren Wiersbe:
   "Bible Exposition Commentary"
A.W. Tozer:
   "The Pursuit of God", 
   "The Knowledge of the Holy"
J.I. Packer:
   "Rediscovering Holiness"
Russell D. Moore:
   "Tempted and Tried"
Paul Tripp: "Instruments
   in the Redeemer's Hands"
Timothy Lane & Paul Tripp:
   "How People Change"

Copyright © 2016 Peace In Believing Ministries, All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from: The Holy Bible: English
Standard Version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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