The Harvest: Goodness - More Than Just Being a "Good Person"

If you’ve been following along with our fall sermon series at Blue Starr Church of Christ, you know we’ve been diving deep into Galatians 5:22–23—exploring what it means to bear the Fruit of the Spirit.

Our goal throughout this journey is simple: to prepare us for the Harvest. As believers who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism, we aren't called to just sit on the sidelines. We are called to bear fruit that reflects God’s character—not only preparing us for eternity when Jesus returns, but equipping us to live out our mission here on Earth today.

So far, we’ve looked at love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. This week, we turn our attention to the next fruit on Paul's list: goodness.

1. Goodness Begins with God

When studying the Fruit of the Spirit, it’s easy to notice how closely tied these characteristics are. Kindness and goodness, in particular, overlap significantly. But as Paul reminds us in Galatians 5, these aren't isolated virtues—they are all part of one single fruit produced by the Spirit in our lives.

To understand true goodness, we have to start at the source. Goodness begins with God.

Throughout history, God’s people have proclaimed His goodness without hesitation. The songbook of the early church—the Psalms—is overflowing with praises celebrating who God is:

"Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! ... For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." — Psalm 100:1–2, 5

• Psalm 34:8: "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!"
• Psalm 119:68: "You are good and do good."

God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. It was because of His goodness—not our own righteousness or achievements—that He offered us salvation through His Son. As Paul writes in Titus 3:4–5, when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us according to His own mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

We don't assemble, worship, or serve because we are inherently "good people." We gather because God is good.

2. Goodness Is More Than "Doing Good"

In our culture, we often oversimplify goodness. We reduce it to a simple moral code: "Just be a nice person. Don't hurt anyone."

But if God is our standard, biblical goodness goes far deeper than outward morality. By the world's standards, plenty of people seem "good," yet they don't have a relationship with God or know His transformational grace.

In fact, during His earthly ministry, the people Jesus confronted most harshly were the ones the world considered the "good, religious people"—the Pharisees and scribes. In Matthew 23:25–28, Jesus called them out for cleaning only the outside of the cup while remaining full of greed and self-indulgence on the inside:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness." — Matthew 23:27

True goodness isn't about scrubbing the outside of the dish to put on a show. It’s an inside-out transformation powered by the Holy Spirit.

A Heart Change for Good Works

Does that mean actions don't matter? Absolutely not. While we aren't saved by good works, we are saved for them. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8–10 that we are God’s workmanship, "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

When the Spirit changes our hearts, the why behind our actions shifts completely:

• In Luke 6:27–36, Jesus challenges us to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, and lend expecting nothing in return. Doing good to those who are good to us is easy; showing radical goodness to those who mistreat us reflects the heart of the Father.

3. Goodness Shines Brightest in the Midst of Evil

It’s easy to display goodness when life is smooth and people are kind. But true, Spirit-led goodness is put to the test when faced with hostility, mistreatment, or injustice.

Scripture reveals a powerful truth: goodness shines brightest against the backdrop of darkness.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." — Romans 12:21

When Jesus lived among us, He provided the ultimate pattern for responding to evil with goodness:

"He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." — 1 Peter 2:22–23

1 Peter 3:8–9 echoes this calling for every follower of Christ: "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called."

When the world around us feels dark, exhausting, or hostile, our calling isn't to retreat or match the world's bitterness. Our calling is to let the light of God’s goodness shine through us all the brighter.

4. Abiding in the Vine

How do we produce this kind of goodness when our natural inclination is to protect ourselves or fight back?

We can't do it on our own.

In Mark 10:17–18, when a young man called Jesus "Good Teacher," Jesus reminded him: "No one is good except God alone." Apart from God, we cannot generate true goodness. As Jesus teaches in John 15, He is the Vine and we are the branches. If we want to bear fruit, we must remain connected to Him.

Goodness is both a character trait we display and a gift showered on us from above:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." — James 1:17

The Holy Spirit living inside us is that perfect gift. As we walk in the Spirit, His goodness overflows into our daily lives, relationships, workplaces, and church family.

Don't Grow Weary

Living out God’s goodness in a broken world can be tiring. But take heart in Paul’s encouragement in Galatians 6:9–10:

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

Let’s be a community that refuses to give up. Let’s hold fast to the God who is good, abide in His Spirit, and shine His light brightly into every corner of our world.

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