“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (Hebrews 12:1).

My pastor preached on this passage this past Sunday. In this passage, the author has just finished extolling the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 (the Hall of Fame of Faith). He goes on to say, “therefore,” which looks back at chapter 11, and then offers the rationale “since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” with the thought being that all those who have gone before are in heaven cheering us on and encouraging us. He follows with the directive that we should throw off everything that hinders us in the race that has been marked out for us.

My older son hiked the Appalachian Trail many years ago. He started out with all the gear that he thought he would need, but it did not take long until he followed the lead of those who had gone before on this trail and began to shuck anything he didn’t absolutely need to lighten his load to be sure he could finish. As he evaluated his walk every day, he determined what was unnecessarily weighing him down, and he ditched it..

This is a good analogy. Paul used the analogy of a race. My son completed a long trek. Both are significant endeavors that require intention, planning, fitness, and continuous assessment and adjustment to be able to finish well.

I have realized that I tend to go on “autopilot” and do not even realize when some of my habits and activities get in my way, even those that anyone would consider to be good things. By examination we can determine if those things are the best ways to live our lives both for ourselves and for those who are watching us. For example, I like to play all the various word games on my phone. I rationalize that they are good for brain health. However, when they become an obsession that takes time away from other better things, then I need to stop and reassess.

Using the passage from Hebrews 12:1, my pastor called our congregation to a 21-day period of fasting and prayer. Fasting can be a temporary cessation of anything, not just food. Prayer with fasting then enables us to examine and understand what God’s better plan is for us and to exercise the fruit of the spirit of self-control in the healthiest way. As a disciple of Christ, while not running a footrace or attempting a trek, I am on the move. I am headed to my destination, and as I travel, I want to keep my eyes fixed on the prize and shed anything that hinders my ability to finish well. “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

 “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

In Christ,

Judy

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

This devotion will unpack the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand, as told in all four gospels; we learn these facts and teachings that we can apply to our situation at Nashville Rescue Mission.

1. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34).

We are experiencing larger than average numbers of guests, especially among our women and children. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that when Jesus sees our guests, he is filled with compassion for them for the same reasons—they are like sheep without a shepherd. Let us pray to have the mind of Christ, so that we will experience this same compassion.

• “Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat” (Mark 6:26).

The disciples observed the large crowd, and knowing their own financial situation, especially being in a remote area, decided on a very logical course of action. The people were hungry and needed to go somewhere else for food. We may feel the same way—seeing that our capacity is finite, and our numbers are exceeding all expectations, it seems logical to tell our guests that they should go somewhere else to find a place to stay.

• “But he answered, “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37).

In this case, Jesus disagreed with his disciples about sending the people away. Jesus knew that he was the source, not only of earthly food, but also spiritual food. That is the danger of sending anyone away from a place of spiritual refuge when they are hungry, needy, and unprepared.

• “… he gave thanks and broke the loaves.” (Mark 6:41b).

After making an inventory of available resources and finding only the lunch packed by one young boy, Jesus gave thanks. He then distributed the food among the people. He gave thanks. He did not bemoan their lack of foresight, lack of generosity, or lack of anything. He simply gave thanks. We are to do likewise. The scriptures speak often about giving thanks. We are not to be anxious about anything but instead give thanks. We are to give thanks in all situations. Giving thanks should be the continuous word on our lips.

• “Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.” (Mark 6:41b).

God used the meager gift from the boy, which of course was not meager to the boy. It was his entire lunch, yet he gave it willingly. And Jesus used the disciples in the distribution. What an honor! God does not need our gifts. He does not need our hands and feet. But we need to be used by Him. Let us be thankful that God has called us to this place of ministry to be his hands and feet.

• “They all ate and were satisfied…” (Mark 6:42).

Not only was everyone satisfied, but there were also leftovers! With God all things are possible! We know this, so let us live it out. Let us be thankful for the facilities that we have, the staff that we have, the generosity that is exhibited by staff, donors, and volunteers. Let praises always be on our lips, even as we lift our petitions and supplications. Let us be faithful to our calling, and faithful to our own growth in sanctification. Jesus will bless our faithfulness.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

In Christ,

Judy

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Freedom. Last week we celebrated freedom as a country—freedom from the rule of England and freedom to be our own country. We celebrate our individual freedom every day—freedom from the rule of Satan and freedom to live as Christ wants us to live.

The concept of freedom would suggest no restraints—physical or otherwise. However, as humans created in the image of God to live in unity with others, freedom in its highest state can only exist within the bounds, or restraints, of moral law. Even the secular Psychology Today states that “From an existential perspective, freedom and responsibility are inseparable. They constitute the foundation for understanding our experience, developing our sense of identity, and leading a purposeful and meaningful life.”

Even with all its flaws, I am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America. I am thankful to live in a country where we are free to worship as we please. Even when others choose not to worship or to worship in a different way, I am grateful that I still have the freedom to worship my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And I will do everything in my power to preserve this right and freedom as provided in the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

It is a challenge and an opportunity to be an evangelical Christian in a country where every citizen has the freedom of religion and freedom of speech. I have the right to worship as I please, and my God commands me to share the gospel. And those to whom we share the gospel have the freedom to accept or reject it. The challenge is to share the gospel in a loving way, modeling the love and compassion of Jesus, and praying that the Holy Spirit will open hearts to receive. We are to be bold, to not bow to the culture, and to trust God for the results.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge
of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness several weeks ago, looking at Peter’s instructions about growing in our godly life. We are instructed to make every effort to add certain character attributes to the foundation of our faith so as to participate in God’s divine nature.

If you have worked your way through these past few Chaplain’s Corner devotionals, you might feel fairly proud of yourself, and that is okay. (It is okay to take pride in what God is doing in your life, as long as you give God the credit.)

And then we top it all off with making “every effort to add…love.” Love is a tricky word. We overuse it, applying the feeling of love to things that are inanimate and fleeting, such as chocolate (guilty!). Love as a feeling can be so fickle—one day I “love” my neighbor, and another day not so much. The best way to sort this out is to realize that “love” is a verb. It is an action. Feelings can be fickle; but with the fruit of the spirit—self-control—I can take responsibility for my actions.

Back in 2019, I did a series of devotions on 1 Corinthians 13, sometimes called the “Love Chapter.” Below are links to those devotions which explain this marvelous teaching on what it means to love. I hope you will take some time to read them.

• The Greatest of These Is Love
• Love Is Patient
• Love Is Kind
• Love Does Not Envy
• Love Does Not Boast; It Is Not Proud
• Love Is Not Self Seeking
• Love Is Not Easily Angered
• Love Rejoices with the Truth
• Love Always Protects
• Love Always Trusts, Always Hopes
• Love Never Fails

When Paul writes that the greatest of these is love, he is not saying that love is more monumental or more important than faith or hope. What he is trying to get across is that love is transcendent. Other attributes such as faith and hope will be answered and resolved by our death and subsequent entry into heaven. But love will transcend death into eternity. John Piper says, “…in this present life, every relationship of love, and faithfulness, and loyalty, and sacrifice, and care will be celebrated for all eternity in tribute to the grace of God and the faithfulness of his obedient child. The ‘well done, good and faithful servant’ that Jesus speaks to his faithful followers at the resurrection is a well done in every fruitful relationship. Well done for that beautiful love. Well done.”

Love is eternal: “Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless…. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10, 13 – NLT).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness several weeks ago, looking at Peter’s instructions about growing in our godly life. We are closing in on the ultimate pursuit, which is love. That will be our topic for next week. This week is the penultimate (word for the day: look it up) objective, and that is mutual affection. We are to strive for mutual affection.

Thinking literally about this results in a conundrum. Since mutual means something that is experienced by two people, how can we strive for something that is the responsibility of the other person? Stay with me and we will figure it out.

Starting with affection, we understand affection to be a feeling of liking or caring for someone, a tender attachment, fondness. When we feel this way about someone, we want to show it. We demonstrate affection by our actions. The opposite of affection is being detached, uncaring, unloving, and perhaps even rejection, hatred, loathing. When we feel affection toward someone, we naturally want them to be happy, pleased, healthy, to have all the good things, and we will do what we can to provide these things for them. That further means that we will act with the intention for them to be pleased or at least for it to be for their good and not their harm. We are not being affectionate to serve our own purposes. Truly demonstrating affection is other-focused; it recalls all the “one-another’s” that the Bible teaches (here are just a few):

• Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32a)
• Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32b, Colossians 3:13b)
• Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2-3, Colossians 3:13a)
• Encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24)
• Do Good to one another (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
• Serve one another (Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 4:10)

So how do all these commands jibe with the adjective “mutual?” A key would be communication. We must be open and transparent with each other, asking what is pleasing to the other, and sensitive to both verbal and nonverbal feedback. We always assume the best intentions from the other. And since we can only be responsible for our own actions, we set the example. We do not give up, even when our affection is not reciprocated, because over time, the odds are that it will be.

Lastly: in order for our desire and effort toward mutual affection to be genuine, the foundation of the preceding attributes in our key passage must be in place. Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness must be increasing in our own lives to be the kind of person who is genuinely affectionate—with all that implies—toward another in a way that models and inspires those same attributes in the other.

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness several weeks ago, looking at Peter’s instructions about growing in our godly life. After building on faith, goodness, knowledge, and self-control, we come now to perseverance.

There are many enemies to perseverance:

• Recalling the preceding action of self-control, sometimes the whole practice thing just becomes boring. We crave excitement, which sometimes means doing something different. Taking a break. And sometimes that is okay, if we realize that the “break” we are taking is only temporary. And sometimes, it is not okay, such as when we are engaged in critical roles like parenting and ministry. That is when we must focus on the result and the rewards that will come eventually. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
• A huge enemy of perseverance is discouragement–not seeing immediate results. Like trying to lose weight and getting stuck on a plateau. We begin to question why we are even trying this; it is useless. The enemy will give us every reason to quit. But here’s where knowledge in this progression of godliness comes in. We know that results will come only if we keep on keeping on. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
• Sometimes we are tempted to change our priorities. The devil tried to tempt Jesus when he was in his 40-day fast in the wilderness by showing him “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” The devil said, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:30). But Jesus remained focused on the goal his Father had given him and said “Away from me, Satan! For it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10). Jesus persevered because he remained focused on his God-given priority.
• It is quite easy to question our efforts when we run into conflict or criticism. And it never hurts to pause and reflect on this feedback prayerfully. But we must prayerfully evaluate whether the criticism is coming from someone who has God’s priorities in mind. There are only two sides—if we are not with Jesus, we are against him. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Love is the ultimate test. If our efforts are based on love for God and love for each other, then we have God’s promise in the passage above that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 2:1).

“But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life! —even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.” (James 1:25 Message).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness several weeks ago, looking at Peter’s instructions about growing in our godly life. We come now to the part about self-control. I still remember the epiphany I had about self-control several years ago. I have always sought to be self-controlled; purposeful. I worked hard at it and was often frustrated because I never met my own ambitious standards. And then in reading about the fruit of the spirit, I realized that self-control was included. In other words, self-control is only really possible when endowed and supported by the Holy Spirit, and then only when we have accepted Christ as our Savior. This realization took the pressure and spotlight off me and put it where it belongs, on the Holy Spirit.

Where I had thought that I needed self-control in order to possess the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness; now I know that I need the Holy Spirit in order to possess self-control along with all the others.

So now that we know where it comes from, just what is it? “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control” (Proverbs 25:28). In earlier times, it was customary for cities to build walls of protection. Even in the early days of the United States, forts were common. The purpose was to provide protection from danger. But now, even as then, we know danger is pervasive. That is why we have firewalls for internet protection, and even parental controls for our children’s access to the internet—as much to keep the harmful stuff out as to prevent our kids from going where they should not.

Self-control works like forts and firewalls. We determine where we are at risk, and we develop protections in the form of daily habits, accountability, and even physical restraints. For example, I do not buy cookies. Why? Because I know myself well enough to know that I would eat too many. If I could keep cookies in the cookie jar and only eat one or two a day, then I would. But I know myself too well. Your fort will not necessarily look like my fort. Self-control presumes that we know that too many cookies (or whatever) are a bad thing. That is where the knowledge that precedes self-control in this progression comes from. We learn what is best and why, and then we develop ways to stay on track.

There are all kinds of good books on the subject. Two of my current favorites are John Ortwell’s The Life You Always Wanted and Atomic Habits, by James Clear. But the best book on the subject is the Bible. I think Paul struggled with self-control because of some of the words he wrote:

• “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:19-25)
• “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
• “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

In summary, know what is right, then practice, always calling on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength.

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness three weeks ago. In the past two weeks, we discussed that just as faith is belief in action, goodness is virtue and holiness in action. In the passage above, we are to “make every effort to add to our faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge.”

Right off the bat, this tells me that knowledge is not a requirement for faith or goodness. That means that we do not need to wait until we think we know enough in order to receive salvation, or to do or to be good. But knowledge is necessary at some point to continue to grow in godliness. In fact, three separate times, Paul tells his churches: “Do not be uninformed” (1 Corinthians 12:1, 2 Corinthian 1:8, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

God would not have given us his Word if He did not want us to learn it, to absorb it. Early on, baby Christians are exhorted to deepen our knowledge in order to grow in discernment: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

There are many Scriptures about knowledge:

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but foolsdespise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7)
• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10).
• “Wisdom brings strength; and knowledge gives power” (Proverbs 24;5-14).
• Knowledge is a spiritual gift: “…for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 12:8).
• “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Paul gives us a full picture of why God is calling us to grow in knowledge in his letter to the Colossians (what a beautiful blessing this is):

“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:1-7).

There were two special trees in the Garden of Eden. God forbid the eating of the fruit only the one: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. On its face, this seems strange, doesn’t it? It is clear that the tree itself was not bad. There is no indication that the fruit was bad–Adam and Eve did not immediately get sick or die after they tasted the fruit. So why did God put this tree there and then tell them they could not eat the fruit? What was the necessity of this tree? God is a God of love. It comprises his entire being. And if he wanted to give humans free will, something a loving God would do, he had to allow for the possibility for them to choose something over him, and therefore, sin. (From Crosswalk.com)

It is true that Paul, while extolling knowledge, warns the Corinthians “…knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). But that highlights the importance of keeping our priorities straight and in balance. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is meaningless, vanity. Knowledge for the sake of growing in wisdom in order to build up the church is right knowledge. God has given us brains to use for His glory. In our day and time, God has given us access to worlds of knowledge. Friends, there is so much information out there. As the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out (GIGO).” Use your free will to choose wisely what you put into your brain as you are growing in faith, goodness, and knowledge.

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness two weeks ago. Last week we discussed the topic of faith as the foundation of our ongoing sanctification. We discussed believing, and how faith is putting our beliefs into action. In the passage above, we are told to “make every effort to add to our faith goodness.”

What is goodness? What is the standard of good? Jesus gives us a clue in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all of which speak of the same conversation with a man. Here is the passage from Mark: “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Matthew reports that the man asked the Teacher, “what good thing must I do…”). In each account, Jesus answers: “Why do you call me good (why do you ask me about what is good? No one is good—except God alone.“ (Mark 10:17-22).

God is the standard for good. It does not matter how you were raised—religion, culture, education level, financial status. Good is not relative. Good is absolutely what God is; it is an attribute of God. “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble” (Nahum 1:7).

“Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ And the Lord said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you’ (Exodus 33:18-9). As Candice Lucey wrote for Christianity Today, “Moses asks for glory. God promises goodness. The two cannot be separated. If glory is the weight and worth of God, then goodness is the blessing and bounty of God. What Moses ‘sees’ is actually a declaration of God’s name and his character.” 

In David’s beloved Psalm 23, verse six tells us that “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life….”  Mercy and goodness are connected.

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). God’s goodness leads to taking action, to changing our minds and our direction, turning back to Him.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Goodness has the power to overcome evil.

Now that we have defined “goodness,” what should we do to demonstrate it? Here’s a passage from Got Questions, which gives us guidance:

In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists the “fruit of the Spirit“. “Fruit,” here, means “beneficial results,” the good things that come from the Spirit’s indwelling. As the Holy Spirit works in our lives, our character changes. Where we had harbored selfishness, cruelty, rebelliousness, and spite, we now possess love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Everything in the list reflects the character of God, and goodness is one that relates directly to morality.

Goodness is virtue and holiness in action. It results in a life characterized by deeds motivated by righteousness and a desire to be a blessing. It’s a moral characteristic of a Spirit-filled person. The Greek word translated “goodness,” agathosune, is defined as “uprightness of heart and life.” Agathosune is goodness for the benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous.

Someone with agathosune will selflessly act on behalf of others. Confronting someone about a sin demonstrates goodness. So do giving to the poor, providing for one’s children, visiting the sick, volunteering to clean up after a storm, and praying for an enemy. Expressions of goodness are as varied as the Spirit is creative.

Goodness is not a quality we can manufacture on our own. James 1:17 says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” This certainly includes a life characterized by goodness. In letting the Holy Spirit control us, we are blessed with the fruit of goodness. As others see our good works, they will praise our Father in heaven.

Just as faith is belief in action, goodness is virtue and holiness in action. Following through; putting our money where our mouth is. God, help us to add goodness to our faith, as we pursue godliness in our ongoing growth in sanctification.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness last week. The opening passage assures us that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. God has made promises to us that we can escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires, so that we can participate in the divine nature. There is a truth in these words that is borne out by other Scriptures—God’s divine nature is incompatible with evil desires. Frankly, that scares me, because I confess that I have evil desires. You may not see me often acting on them, but they are there. I’m human.

But God has promised us an escape from these evil desires. Picture that language of escape—running for our very lives! We must realize the danger and flee!! It is said that if we do not sense the corruption of the world around us, we have already been swallowed up in it. Again, that is such a scary thought. I am thankful every day that God has rescued me through His mercy and by the grace of Jesus.

We will dive into this topic of godliness, beginning with the doctrine of faith. Faith is the foundation of our ongoing sanctification. Jesus Christ once and for all provided the atonement (payment) for all our sins. By believing in him, we receive this gift of salvation, and are immediately set right with God. From this point forward, we know our souls are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven for all eternity. We will never experience the second death. Can we just stop for a moment and shout praises of gratitude for our loving God!?! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

We started this explanation of faith by talking about believing. Note that our salvation is predicated first on the work of Jesus on the cross, and secondly, on our belief that He did this for us. Jesus himself tells us through his word to his disciples: “Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” (John 6:28-29).

Jesus himself proclaimed “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

An English idiom states: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Cambridge Dictionary interprets the meaning of this idiom as “to advise someone not to refuse something good that is being offered.” That is wise advice. Jesus has offered himself as the Resurrection and the Life. When the jailer asked Paul and Silas, what must he do to be saved, “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

Faith is simple, but it is not easy. In the letter to the Hebrews, faith is described as “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Believing is the first step to faith, to seeing. “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). We have God’s Word, which contains many fulfillments of prophecies, which bear witness to the truth. Jesus himself says, “I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me” (John 8:18). We have the testimonies of the disciples, ordinary men who walked and talked with Jesus and saw him crucified, buried, resurrected, felt his wounds, and saw him ascend to heaven in the clouds. We have the testimonies of all the saints who have gone before us, many of whom died for their faith. They put their beliefs into action.

Faith takes belief to the next level. You can believe that your chair will hold you up. But until you sit down on it, you are not putting your belief into action; you are not demonstrating faith. Paul lists faithfulness as one of the fruits of the spirit. In his letter to the Romans, he writes, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). And he reiterates in his letter to the Ephesians, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Faith is simple, but it is not easy. The father witnessed Jesus performing a miracle of exorcising an unclean spirit from his son, and still prayed “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). If you have doubts, pray to God. He will answer your prayers. And pray that He will guide you to put your beliefs into action according to His will.

“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

In Christ,

Judy