The Fruit of the Goodness: The Moral Compass
by Daniel Burton
There is often talk of a person’s “moral compass” often referring to the intrinsic drive within a person that compels them to behave in moral and good ways. Yet, we also live in a world shaped by moral relativism where the idea and concept “goodness” becomes hotly debated if not entirely eroded. According to moral relativism a person’s experience and worldview determines whether an action is “good” or not. Since there cannot be complete truth, as everything is relative to the individual, there cannot be anything purely good either. Yet for the Christian impacted by the Redeemer, our standards, our worldview, and our actions adhere to a much higher standard. We display the fullness of God’s goodness. While one aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit is kindness which gives of itself, goodness gives of itself in right and holy ways. Kindness and goodness work together through the outward actions of man together in both grace and truth. Goodness roots itself in the love and holiness of God who has proclaimed His mind from the beginning of time. God is the ultimate good as He exudes excellence and purity in great abundance.
So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
The Heart of Mankind
On our own, mankind is not good. While this may seem harsh and abrupt, it is nonetheless true. At our core, we are not a people who exude goodness. When a person gives the advice to “follow your heart” we must bear in mind that this advice runs absolutely counter to the word of God. 
The prophet Jeremiah says “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”(Jeremiah 17:9, NIV) Goodness is not an elusive resident inside of the hearts of mankind. Instead, mankind abandoned goodness in our rebellion against God. If goodness resided inside of the heart of mankind, then Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is highly diminished. Our inability to do the good we crave and keep the law of God displays the condition of our heart that most definitely should not be followed. We may give lip service to doing good, but at our core, we desire sin and pride over all others.
The heart of mankind is precisely the reason why Jesus Christ came to save. We were powerless to meet the conditions of the law. Then, stemming from our inability to keep the law, we tried to say that the law was sinful since it led us all to sin. Paul makes it clear that the law comes from the Lord as a grace. It reveals our inability to be Holy. Yet, by the grace of Jesus Christ, we have been given an opportunity to seize the goodness of God by making Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives. Jesus Christ died to rescue us from the ravages of sin and free us from our heart’s desire to continue to spiral deeper into sin. God imputes His goodness to mankind through the sending of the Holy Spirit to live in the hearts of all who can rightly say “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.”
Goodness is Holiness Expressed
The word that Paul uses to discuss the fruit of goodness holds a couple significant connotations. The obvious one, that has been alluded to, is the moral right standing of the individual to claim to be good. While this is a key component of the word, it is not the only component. The moral actions are not only pure, they are excellent in the sense that they are of high standard and quality. Goodness isn’t merely thrown together but is crafted with intentionality. It rejects the subjectivity of the current culture and stands in the purity of objective truth. Finally, in rare cases, this word has also carried the meaning of abundance where goodness is not only an action but an abundance of expression.
God fulfills every standard of goodness. While the hearts of mankind are deceitful, craving to pursue our selfish gains rather than the truth of God, the heart of God is beyond good. As the angels and heavenly hosts proclaim the holiness of God in their appearance, God is described as “Holy, Holy, Holy.” One would simply not be sufficient for the goodness and perfection of God. The morality of God is absolute and perfect as He reigns in the throne room as the Sovereign High King, seeking the salvation of His people. Furthermore, God is excellent in His perfection. Nothing can compared to His greatness and goodness. Finally, God pours out His love and goodness, abundantly, in excess. God doesn’t pour out on His people just enough to bring them to the minimal of salvation, but extended the fullness of His presence to reside within the hearts of man and overwhelm them with His lavish grace. Only by the goodness and redemption of God can we, as sinful people, properly and fully express the goodness that each of us are called to express.
For more in this series, check out The Fruit of the Spirit
