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Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no
law.
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October 20 Fruit of
the Spirit - Goodness
Kindness and
goodness are closely related fruits of the
Spirit. They often go hand in hand as
people who are kind are thought of as being good
and people who are good are thought of as being
kind.
Kindness can be thought of as an outward
expression of love toward other people.
Goodness is the inner quality that motivates
that kindness. This is why the two are so
difficult to separate.
People who are good will constantly strive to
do what is right. They will try to follow
God's commands even though they can't achieve
perfection.
Because good people are trying to live good
lives, they will do good things. The
phrase "out of the goodness of their heart" is
often used. It is because of goodness that
many of the other fruit of the Spirit are
manifested.
Goodness is a general term so it is hard to
describe precisely what it is. But
everyone knows goodness when they see it.
The goodness that is motivated by the Holy
Spirit is evident to everyone, even if some
people deny its source. |
