Goodness -How do you define it? When looking up the word goodness in most dictionaries these synonyms are listed: integrity, honesty, uprightness, virtue, and my personal favorite -moral excellence. And evil, yes, there are synonyms for this too, but let’s just call it by its real name -sin.
Daily, I struggle against the sin within me to achieve some level of goodness. However, apart from God, it is an impossible task. My human nature is weak, but He is strong. Let’s use God’s litmus test for judging if we are good or sinful.
The Ten Commandments:
1.“You shall have no other gods before me.”
2. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
3. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”
5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
6. “You shall not murder.”
7. “You shall not commit adultery.”
8. “You shall not steal.”
9. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:3-17 NIV
Have you sinned lately? I know I have done my fair share of breaking the commandments. In some fashion or form, we all commit these 10 categories of sin, on various levels, throughout our life.
Goodness, however, is the essence of being without evil or sin. Of all the fruit of the Spirit, this is the hardest nature to pull off -why? Because no one –no man, no woman, no child– is good apart from God. God simply brings something to the table we don’t possess -purity in motive. We are all guilty of this simple fact.
The goodness of God cannot be achieved without the Savior.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with underserved kindest, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24 NLT
The blood of Jesus is our covering. We must have this covering to be seen as possessing any amount of goodness. Thankfully, He offers this freely –and when we accept Christ as our Savior His goodness graces us! That is good news!
Today, let’s praise Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength (Duet. 6:5) and be filled with His goodness!!!
Blessings!
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Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.