Remember they're triplets, they're tied together in three groups of three. These are fruit of the Spirit that involve our heart and our relationship with the Lord. The demonstrative fruit, long-suffering gentleness and goodness. We're going to see the last of that group of that triplet there. And then faith, meekness, and temperance. Against such, there is no law. We have seen that love in these lists, and I don't have a PowerPoint up for you. I did it in a PowerPoint at the beginning of this series. But each one of these fruit is under a heading of love itself. And so the very first fruit is love that is going over in these fruits. Our fruit, our manifestation of some kind of love. So the very first fruit is love that is self-surrendering to God fully and completely by serving others. Love is being a servant and doing what is right to those around you. We've seen that joy is celebrating deeply that's grounded in truth. It's not a byproduct, it's not a product you go and buy at the store. Joy, so that it'll help you in your day. It is a byproduct of a life that has lived in the truth of God's word, that is dependent upon the promises of God's word. And no matter what the situation is, God's promises are always true. And so we can have joy, it is a byproduct of our relationship and our satisfaction in who he is that comes out in our life. And it's deeply grounded in the Word of God. We've seen that peace is love resting quietly in the hands of the one who gives peace. He is the God of peace. And he gives us peace in our mind and in our heart. And this peace also is not something that we go and buy or manufacture or set up. You know, you can go up to the cabin and look out over the mountains You can produce a short, small atmosphere that looks peaceful, but in fact you can be worried and stressed. And there can be no peace even in an environment where you would think on the beach there would be peace. But peace is a byproduct, again just like joy, of a relationship that is settled and resting quietly in the Lord. knowing that we don't have to worry. We can lay our head down and know that He gives us peace. Peace with God and peace of God that can keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And then we saw that longsuffering, the next three, longsuffering and gentleness, and goodness that these are relational virtues. They have to be rubbed off. They have to be demonstrated to see them used. You can find peace and joy and love in some ways in your bedroom and in your car and in your closet place with the Lord or on a mountain peak or in a valley or on the beach. But you can't demonstrate, you can't have long-suffering and gentleness and goodness without irritating people around. Without coming to church. without getting up and getting out of your bedroom and coming to the living room and sitting at the table with your children, without getting in your car and going to your work and sitting next to the cubicle where your irritating co-worker is or your boss walks into the room. That's when these fruit need to manifest themselves in your life. Long suffering, bearing with circumstances and situations and people that are difficult. and irritating. That's how God is to us. And then we talked about this with long-suffering is love enduring patiently. Let me go with the definition that I gave you back a while back. Long-suffering is love enduring patiently the insults and hurts of people without revenge and retaliation and anger. That's what long-suffering is. I'm not going to get you back. I'm going to bear it. and I'm gonna cover it with love and endure patiently those hurts and those abuses and things that have come to my life because that's what Christ did and that's how Christ demonstrated. And then we've seen gentleness or kindness as love performing benevolently and concretely towards others because God has dealt kindly and gently with us despite the fact that we are yet sinners. Now we saw that. and went through that. And I want to just turn back to Matthew 11, and let's just see this again. Let's jump off where we ended with this, because I think this is so much connected with the next virtue that we're going to see with goodness. Matthew 11, 30. the fruit of the spirit of gentleness or slash kindness and goodness. They're connected together. Goodness is the fruit of the spirit and that is demonstrating others and this must rub shoulders with other people around us. And when we're thinking of rubbing shoulders, we go back to this word gentleness that is translated in our Bible in this verse as the word easy. In fact, the best example and picture of this virtue in practice in the spiritual way is in Matthew 11, 30, when Jesus said, in verse 29, you take my yoke and learn, for I am meek and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. This word easy here, it is gentle, it is kind, it doesn't rub you the wrong way. It fits. It's exactly your size. What exactly God has put on your shoulders so that you can bear it with His help. And a bad yoke, a yoke that doesn't fit, is going to chafe. And this word of gentleness, and kindness, that God is gonna, you take his yoke and realize that you give it to him, you come to him and you're gonna find rest and you're gonna find, it's not that it's not work, but it's not harsh. And when we talked about this fruit of the spirit of gentleness, gentleness is someone who is kind and gentle in his dealings with others. And this is the way God deals with us. Even the yoke that He puts on our shoulders is gentle and kind, and is not harsh, and is not mean. And that is the demonstration that we are to have with this spirit. John MacArthur states this about gentleness. It is tender concern for others, reflected in a desire to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats all believers." In other words, it's this concern that we have, this love that is in us, that we have a tenderness about someone's circumstance or someone's situation, that tender, kind compassion that's in the heart. The Old Testament would translate the word, this loving kindness. It would connect that together with the Hebrew word, chesed. where it was the acts of kindness and love towards his people. And that is how we are, to have this spirit of kindness that desires to treat others in a kind and gentle and tender way. We talked about this in the home. Instead of treating someone harshly, critical, Walking all over someone, this fruit coming out in our life as a reflection of what we know of God comes out in our life in the way we talk, in the way we help. in the way our heart is towards those that are closest to us and those also that are enemy. So when we go back to Galatians chapter 5 in verse 23 and we see the next virtue, we have gentleness and then goodness. They're back to back. And these two terms, gentle in the King James and goodness are actually very close. They're considered twin fruit. A kind person is a good person, and a good person is a kind person. And let me just describe for you a little bit of the nuance of the difference. In fact, some translations use this word goodness as the word gentleness. and the word gentleness as the word kindness. Okay? So they're using the English word, it kind of synonymously together, almost like they're interchangeable. But what is the difference? Why did he mention goodness and gentleness if they both have the same idea? Well, they're twin, but they are a little different. Someone said this, long suffering is suffering kind of love. Kindness is a compassionate kind of love. Goodness is a serving kind of love. And so gentleness and kindness is what's going on in the heart, treating people and having a concern and a care for others. Well, goodness is going to make its way out in our hands. because it's in our heart, right? And so that's how these work together. And just as an example, I wrote above the top, in fact, as an illustration, and I jumped right over it, but I think I ought to come back to it. I can think of two couples that have been in my ministry that have these two twin fruit and had these two twin fruit in our church, and it was evident to people around. Two churches ago, in my youth ministry, there was a couple, John and Patsy Williams. They came out every day. They were a retired couple, just doing whatever they could at church, however they could. They weren't custodials, but they were often seen in the church vacuuming the floors. They didn't have any children around, all grown. Their grandchildren had all moved away, but they came in every week and donated time during the lunch hour in our school. And John and Patsy were always in the school making hot lunches for our students. They weren't on staff. They just volunteered and donated time throughout the week. many hours. Anytime there was a program that would happen, they were just always there, usually with a broom or a rag in their hand. And the way they treated people was always gentle and kind. I never saw them ever have a harsh word at one another, all right? Even with a mop and a broom in their hands when they're trying to work one another, there was always just this tenderness and kindness. I remember a couple in the previous church in Sparta, Joe and Jerry Erickson. He had Parkinson's, was a handyman for many, many years, could do anything from electric work to carpentry work to concrete work. He'd done pretty much everything. And as a young pastor coming in in my late 20s, and he would just come in and he was always there. He always had any tool that he needed. And his dealings with me and his dealings with people in the church when he was working with them, even when they didn't do it right, and oftentimes I was helping him out and I didn't do it right, he would show me how to do it. And he built our whole room downstairs, which became our prophet's chamber in the parsonage in our guest room. And I would come over there and we did it. He did all the work. In fact, he had gotten to the point he couldn't climb ladders. He shook so bad that he would show me what to do. And then I would do it. And then when it came to the serious stuff that was between life or death, he would take over and make sure that was done. But I just remember, and then Miss Jo was just as sweet. We sat at their table multiple occasions, inviting the pastor and our kids. And we were young parents with just little ones and coming in. And of course, they're, you know, like all little ones are, they're not sitting straight. And this is, you know, a grandma's house. And you go, all these, don't break this and don't touch. And they were so tender and gentle and kind and good. You probably know a couple or a person that has those characteristics and those virtues. And you just say, well, that's just not my personality. I just come in, and I'm brash, and I'm gonna tell people as it is, and you know, it's just gonna be this way, and if they can't get it in a few minutes, then it's just, I'm gonna do it, and I'm gonna barge in, and I'm just, it's just the way my dad was, so that's the way I am. Well, Paul says it doesn't work that way. These types of virtues are the outflow of your DNA of who you are in Christ. And these characteristics ought to come out in your life despite your genes. Despite your upbringing or your environment, because you are a child of God and Christ lives within you and the Holy Ghost is working through your veins, what comes out in your life, whether you like it or not, should be these types of virtues. And some of them are going to be more difficult than others. Some of them may correspond with a gift or a talent that you may have. And some of them you may need to work at a little bit harder. as it just doesn't come that natural and that easy to you. But it's not an excuse to just pass that on. Oh, those are the kind people and I'm the person of truth and I'm just going to tell it the way it is and come across. No, those characters know your weaknesses, know the fruit that you need more help in and work at those and ask God to help you. in those areas of your life of those weaknesses. So, let's look at this term, goodness, that is used here in this verse. When you look at this term, goodness, it's the Greek word that Strong says means it is intrinsically good or good in nature. Thayer says this, it speaks of perfection. Lewanida defines it in their lexicon, it is the positive moral quality of the most genuine nature. So in some level, the word itself, agathos, is coming down to this place of a quality, of a character, and a nature of something. That is good. When God spoke, and I know it's Hebrew, but when God spoke and He created the world, when everything was done, God made a moral pronouncement upon the earth. It was very good. God made a judgment, a moral judgment that that quality, that thing that I did is morally good. And that's the way that the term is used. that this word that is used in this form here is a combination of two words that Paul uses. It's not found anywhere else in the Greek language. Paul had a tendency to do that. Paul had a tendency to use the Greek language as his own, you know, his own web, you know, dictionary where he could just kind of say, I like this word and I like this word. How about we put them together and then they'll fit. And it said, okay, that's a really good Christian idea that Jesus was trying to, and he would make up this word. That's why I think pastors ought to have the ability to make up any words that they want. Change the English rules and make up any word and just fit it in. Especially, I've seen it a few times with some pastors when they're trying to force some alliteration in their messages. You know, they make up some kind of word. And so, but my mama says they can't do that. So. All right, so it's this word, but Paul could do it. His mama didn't tell him that. And so he puts these two words together, and it's not found anywhere in the Greek language except four times in the New Testament. And there are four places in the New Testament that use this word, this word of goodness. It speaks of a personal quality, but it also stresses the kindly side of goodness, in the lives, both of heart and of behavior. So not just talking about an inward quality, but an inward quality that now works its way out in life, in demonstration. So, there are four times that we see it in the New Testament. Turn over to Romans chapter 15 and verse 14. Paul uses this. In fact, I believe, yes, Paul is the one who invented this word, so he is the one who has the sole authority over this word, and he's the only one that uses it in the New Testament. In Romans 15 in verse 14, he says this, I myself also am persuaded of you, my brothers, that you also are full of goodness. There's that Greek word. filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." So here in this verse, Paul is saying, You ought to treat one another with this type of goodness and I'm persuaded that it is in you. He's commending this church at Rome saying this is a good and kind church. You're kind in your heart, you're tender, but you also demonstrate that tenderness from your heart out in your life and how you treat one another. No wonder in this next chapter would Paul had so many names that he would list. You ever read Roman chapter 16? Just glance, flip over and glance and look at all the names that Paul commends and says, would you commend so-and-so. It starts with verse 3 and works its way all the way down to verse 23, name after name after name. And what Paul is saying is in this church, this church at Rome was filled with people who were gentle and kind and good. and making a judgment. That's interesting that he would use this word. And he commends them. Moose says in his commentary, this goodness can denote a general uprightness in both conduct and a kindness and generosity towards others. Then the second time he uses it is in the verse we already read, Galatians 5.22. The third time is in Ephesians 5. Turn over the book of Ephesians. Ephesians 5 in verse 9. And it is a parallel concept because in Ephesians 5 he's going to talk about it. It's a parenthesis here. He's talking about in verse 8, you were sometimes in darkness but now you're in light in the Lord. So walk as children of light. How do children of light look? When they no longer have the DNA of the flesh, now they have the DNA of the Spirit who is living out in their life. So children of the light look like this, for the fruit of the Spirit is all goodness. So of the four times that is used in the New Testament by Paul, two of them are specifically in a list of fruit from the Spirit. They're both the same. It's a demonstration. However, he only picks three fruit, goodness, righteousness, and truth. Proving what is acceptable, that's what pleasing, that's what fit unto the Lord. This is what God expects of His children of light. Paul states that believers should walk as children of light, and so what does children of light look like? Light manifests itself, as Paul sees, through the fruit of the Spirit, lived out in the lives of the believers. Goodness, righteousness, and truth. And these things reflect the character of God. The new creature, who is made from the kingdom of darkness, made into the kingdom of light, now looks like this, a person who is good. And Paul invented this word and he puts it together here as he brings these two words together. The last time he uses it is in 2 Thessalonians 1. Turn over to 2 Thessalonians 1. In verse 11. I'm glad my wife went and rolled my windows up. See? It's good to have a good wife. That's what Proverbs says. So findeth a wife, findeth a good thing. They roll your windows out of your car. 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 11, wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of his calling, of this calling. This is referring back to the calling in the first few verses. this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure, some have translated this word purpose, of His goodness and the work of faith with power. Now, there's some translation phrases and definitions here that can sometimes be different if you have a different translation here this evening. But basically Paul is saying this, he's praying that these believers would have this kind of desire in their life to know the purpose and the pleasure of God, lived out and produced goodness in their life. This active quality that constantly pursues what is right and beneficial for others. Thinking of others. Paul prays that they would reflect their good God. who has made them and takes care of them. And he prays that they would act in faith, in ways that are good towards other people. Their faith demonstrated is gonna come out in their benevolent acts of goodness towards others, because God has given them his goodness in their life, and has changed their life. So this goodness is defined as love behaving morally, that's character, and generously towards others. So in this word goodness, a definition is love behaving itself morally because you're a person of character and integrity. You're gonna do right because you believe that God is right and does right and is good and there is a morality, there is a right and wrong. and then your acts towards those around you are going to be generous and good in how you treat them. So the difference in goodness and kindness is this. Someone said this, kindness is the inner quality, the inner disposition of tenderness, compassion, and sweetness towards others. Goodness is kindness in action as you serve them. All right, so maybe Two sides to the same coin. How it flows from the heart first and then out. Kindness is love not rubbing people the wrong way because you're harsh. You have a spirit of compassion. Where goodness is behaving towards others in the right way. So one is I'm not going to get irritated. I'm going to have this long suffering. Therefore, I'm going to have compassion in my heart and a tenderness to see them. And I'm going to be kind to them, not because I feel like I want to, but because I know it's right. And I'm not going to be harsh in how I answer. But then I'm going to go a step further and I'm going to change their tire. I'm going to take them some groceries. I'm going to cook them a meal. I'm going to clean their bathroom. I'm going to go the step further and do something good and demonstrate my kindness towards them. See how this has to be done to be used? Other than that, it just sits on the tree and rots. It's got to be plucked, and gloves, and goggles, and a worker's belt, and a spatula, and an apron, and you've got to get out there. Maybe I'm mixing some of the illustrations. You don't want too much of that type of stuff in your cake. The right tools at the right time, and the idea is that it is now serving itself. because it comes from a heart that is that way. Now, I got nine minutes left. Let me just talk about the goodness of God here in a moment, because I believe we did this with gentleness, and what motivates us is to see how God treats us, and these are fruits that come from him, or fruit that comes from him, and the way it helps us to understand is not when we compare ourselves with ourselves, but when we compare ourselves with how God treats us and how God is. Goodness is probably, somebody wrote this, goodness is probably God's most underrated attribute. We know about His unsearchable wisdom, and His all-knowing omniscience. We know about His pristine holiness. High and lifted up is He, and His train, and the angels, and the holy, holy, holy, and the songs that He sang, and His justice, and His judgment, and His righteousness. Oh, by the way, God is good. It sounds kind of like a faint phrase. Almost like giving God a B and not an A+. You see, to us, it's like good is just normal. We've got to use bigger words than that. We've got to say great, awesome. You know, I mean, I don't know what another word is. We've got to, you know, to get from a B to an A+, we've got to use a different word because good is just, you know, on the list that you're going to, you know, how was your Airbnb? Okay. All right. Really, really bad. You know, below average. Average. Good. But it could be better and very much better, or I don't know how the English comes on to some of this, you know, and it's gotta go up, but good is kinda somewhere in the middle, just a little above average, all right? And when we think of that, we think of the goodness of God, that is how we use the term good. Someone said this, it's like we borrowed the word good from the bargain bin of the English language. Nobody advertises anything good anymore. It's always has to be something better and improved, new and the best in town. All right. Unless something is totally awesome, it will never sell. You see, God is awesome, of course, but the Bible says he is just plain good. Good. There's nothing bad about him. He is good all the way through. Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good. The psalmist doesn't have, oh, give thanks to the Lord because he is totally awesome. That word was enough in the Hebrew language and in the Greek language. And it is enough in the English language if we understand what we're talking about. God is good to his servants, Psalm 1, 1968. Thou art good and you do good. And the psalmist says, teach me thy statutes. Because you are good and you do good, God teach me how to know this goodness. Goodness shows two great truths about God, just demonstrated in Psalm 1, 1968. God is good. God is infallibly good in himself. That means that he is morally perfect in his nature. There is no bad thing about God. He doesn't have a bad slipper in the closet. He doesn't have a bad, you know, day because he got up on the wrong side of the bed. Or he doesn't have any hair that's out of place. I mean, just trying to think of it in human terms. He is perfect. There is no one like him. And good is the word that is enough to define him. Because there is nothing bad about him. There's nowhere up in that word. That's the word God used when he created this world, which demonstrates the second truth. Not only is God good, but anything that God does is good. God is not only infallibly good in and of himself, but he is infinitely good to us. This means he is genuinely benevolent in all his actions towards us. 2 Thessalonians 1 and 11, we just read that in the New Testament. God is the ultimate source of all good things. That's what Paul is telling the church at Thessalonica. It all comes from Him. Anything good that is ever going to be done. Because Paul would say in the book of Romans, I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. It was enough for Paul, he understood. Anything that comes out of me is bad, it's twisted. Even the good things that I try to do, it ends up being the bad things that come out. And the bad things that I don't want to do, and it just all comes out of my life. And even when I try, my self and my flesh turns it, brings that good thing that I did, pats itself on the back and says, what a good job I did. And I'm going to get all the credit for it. And then that very good thing is just all destroyed because I did it with a motivation to receive a pat on the back and applause for man. See how we even turn the things that are good to our own benefit? and instead of giving praise to Him and how foolish we are in thinking that we can do anything good. These two things are tied together and the reason God does good things in His action is because He is good in His nature. Now we have to ask the question just playing devil's advocate because I know you're going through your mind and went through my mind when I think of that. How can God be good and let bad things Happen you ever been asked that question by someone You got to wrestle with that and this is not a lesson to completely just deal with that whole circumstance of situation But anything bad that has ever happened to this earth is not because of God It's because of man sin and the consequences of sin the consequences of man's sinful heart And God has allowed sin upon this earth, but He will come back and He will restore and make things right. And He will bring goodness back to this earth, and He has the ability to do that. And we say, well, why doesn't He? Because He's also long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He's also merciful. He's also loving. He's also gracious. And so when he allows those things to happen in our life, he knows exactly what's going to go on. He's not the author of that bad thing, but because we live in a broken world, in a cursed world, and in a cursed body, things are going to happen to us. People are going to mistreat us and abuse us, and people are going to kill. others, and abuse others, and there's going to be war, and what we think as innocent people, or people who are good, or righteous, are going to be affected by those things. But God knows that He can bring His grace, and love, and strength, and goodness, even in those situations, and show His glory, and take what the devil meant, and even man meant for evil. and use it for our good. So we can rest in the Lord. The problem is, and I need to hurry, the problem is that when it comes down to you and I, we are by nature not good. We are by nature bad. And though we don't share in God's perfect nature of goodness, by His Spirit, given to us at our spiritual birth. He gives us the ability to be able to tap into himself and this basket of fruit that now we can use as tools to show forth his nature in our life. And that's what Paul was saying in 2 Thessalonians 1.11 when he used this word. He's saying, God is good, God has good purposes, and I'm praying that you will demonstrate that in your faith, that you will demonstrate that goodness because he's given you all the tools, he's given you all the fruit that you need to be able to show his character of goodness in this world. So pack a meal, put on your gloves, and go demonstrate the fruit of goodness. Goodness in believers not only suggests a moral integrity. This is a those who recognize the good will be a believer who will stand for good and hate evil. All right. What is it that Micah 6 in verse 8 says? He has showed thee, O man, what is good. and what the Lord doth require of thee, do love walk. All right. and those characters. Study that verse in your devotions this week in the context of this. We are in a battle of evil and we have a culture that wants to call evil good and good evil and twist it around. And using this fruit is recognizing the integrity that God is the one that determines what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad. And I better be on the right side of that and call good good that God calls, call evil evil and hate that which God hates. And in a culture today that has changed the morality of what is good and what is evil, that is going to mean that oftentimes we're on the wrong side of the culture. Because demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit is also a recognition of what is morally good and agreeing with God. And then doing practically goodness through our life in generosity. Only in the fullness of the fruit of the Spirit can we do this, it is even possible, being generous. It is the opposite, one person said, it is the very opposite of the work of the flesh in verse 21 of envy. Generosity is not holding on like greed or envy, I want, but is willing to give up and do good for those around. Being and doing good is mandated for all of God's people in Ephesians 2 and verse 10. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. Which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. That is our purpose. We are to be good and we are to do good. The song that we sing, and I had this, I was thinking about that as we sing. The Lord is good. Tell it wherever you go. The Lord is good. Tell it that others may know. Tell of his blessings and tell of his love. Tell how he's coming from heaven above. The Lord is good. Tell it wherever you go. So can I ask you in a practical application this week, can you do something good for someone You may have to go back and work on the gentle part, okay, and the kind part that's inside your heart that you're struggling with, being kind and gentle and not harsh toward, and keep doing that, but while you're doing that, also go outside of yourself, and instead of being greedy and envious of what everybody else has, or greedy with what you have, try and demonstrate goodness by serving someone around you and doing it without a pat on the back, doing it because you're reflecting a good God who has demonstrated that goodness in your life, so therefore you're gonna do good for those around you. Father, pray that you'd help us that we would demonstrate this fruit of goodness in our life. You are good, and every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from above. The Father of light, thank you for looking around and seeing all the good that even in this wicked world that you have done for us. We may, different ones may experience suffering and hardship and abuse and those things. And we don't call those things good. But we know you have a purpose and you have a plan and you can intervene. And sometimes you stop bad things from happening. Sometimes you choose not to. We can't wrap our minds around when you do and when you don't and why. We're not to question the creator. But Lord, we can step back and say, we've been so blessed. We have so much of your goodness in our life, and if everything like Job was to taken away, we would say, though he slay me yet will I still trust in him. What a good God you are. And Lord, sometimes we struggle with that because we get our eyes upon this world and the hurts and the pains that are around us. And Lord, help us to demonstrate the goodness that has been given to us in this fruit. do something for someone else to show that goodness whether they deserve it or not and Lord to have a kind disposition about us and a love that is in us that is gentle and not harsh towards others and motivates us to go back to the closet or go back to the the toolbox or some kind of demonstration that we can come and pick up a chair for someone, open the door for someone, let someone go first and continue to act in a benevolent way, doing for others and not for self. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. God bless you. You are dismissed. Drive safely.