THE ESSENCE OF GOODNESS AS FRUIT AND KEY TO DIVINE SUCCESS

By Benjamin Haruna Bala

In Joshua 1:8, we find a powerful promise from God to Joshua as he prepares to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The verse reads;

" Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

This verse is often cited as a key to divine success as in our theme this session, but what does it mean to be successful in the eyes of God? Being successful in the eyes of God is having certain characteristics that reflect God’s divine image and character. As we can find in the Fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22-23, goodness which is seen as a moral excellence or virtue is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. In other words, to be successful in the eyes of God is to live a life of goodness. Living a life of goodness simply means doing good in righteousness, purity and holiness; that is to say doing good both in works, character and actions towards God and Man.

An example of goodness can be found in Jesus' teaching in Matthew 22:37-40;

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

This tells us that living a life of goodness means loving God and loving others, being kind, helpful and respectful to each other. It is one of the essence of the Christian faith, and it is the key to divine success. When we are good, it clearly shows that we love God and are living in accordance to His will, and this will lead us to greatly experience His blessings and favour. That’s why the Psalmist said in Psalms 23:6;

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

2 Corinthians 9:10

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Just as we say that “God is good all the time and all the time, God is good”, we ought to emulate this characteristic of God as His sons and daughters. We ought to be good from the inside out, doing good deeds that come from a pure heart. Goodness is a show of moral behavior and excellent character in a Christian. We cannot be good in our own might; we need God to equip and strengthen us.

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Jesus tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9

“…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…”

This is the essence of goodness as fruit and key to divine success. When we love and do good, it shows that we are living in accordance to God’s will. We will therefore experience His blessings and favor. Let us all strive to live lives of goodness in Christ by always seeking to do good in purity, righteousness and holiness then can we experience divine success.

Note: All Scriptures are cited in NIV

Question

According to the passage, can an unbeliever do good works? If yes, how possible is it since he doesn’t have the Holy Spirit? If no, how can you account for the fact that many unbelievers do good, give to the poor and are morally upright?

(Not more than 100 words) Avoid plagiarism!

Send answers to this Whatsapp number 07031096273

Deadline for submission: Wednesday, 28th February 2024, on or before 3pm