Thursday, March 25, 2010

Goodness

I absolutely loved my Beth Moore study on the fruit "goodness" today because the word "goodness" is not always the kind of good we think the word means. In the Greek, goodness is agathosune which means "benevolent and active goodness. It is character energized, expressing itself in...benevolent active good. It does not spare sharpness and rebuke to cause good in others. A person may display his "agathosune" , his zeal for goodness and truth, in rebuking, correcting, or chastising." Doesn't that sound like what we do as a parent all the time with our children's discipline? In fact, it is the same "good" word found in 2 Timothy 3: 16:17 when we use teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training to equip us for GOOD work. This kind of good is profitable for the good of the kingdom. Beth Moore states: "God's word is always for the purpose of bringing good. His Word prioritizes GOODNESS over GLADNESS because God knows goodness ultimately brings gladness. "Agathosune" is sometimes pleasant and profitable; other times it is painful and profitable. But the emphasis on the profit will always outweigh the importance of the pain or pleasure."

It is important to remember when we are called upon to deliver a painful exhortation or confrontational rebuke to do it in a manner that is kind. It is no accident that the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit proceeding goodness are love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. Our words must not be the kind of sharp sword that maliciously cuts and destroys, but instead like that of a surgeon's scalpel that carefully cuts out the bad and leaves the good, so a healing can take place. I just love the word, the whole counsel of God! My prayer would be that I would guard my tongue carefully that words of life would come out of it.

Beth Moore concluded this lesson well. She said, "Self cannot be involved because self must be crucified for the Sprit to be freed in you; therefore, goodness is never a personal issue, nor a personal platform, nor for personal gain. It is never the means by which we take up for ourselves or pamper our opinions. Remember, good works are always appointed, never assumed! We cannot be trusted to do good works until the Word of God does its good work in us. If we cannot accept the teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training of God's word in our own lives, then we cannot be vessels of teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in other lives."

1 comments:

Eryn said...

Eryn says I loved being your "subject"!!! I loved how the pictures came out!

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