1. Fruitology… Kindness and Goodness
Galatians 5
Fruitology… Kindness and Goodness

2. 2 Peter 1:5-9 (ERV)
“…5 Because you have these blessings, do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness (godliness/ESV); to your goodness add knowledge; 6 to your knowledge add self- control; to your self-control add patience; to your patience add devotion to God; 7 to your devotion add kindness toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to this kindness add love. 8 If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who don’t grow in these blessings are blind. They cannot see clearly what they have. They have forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins…”

3. Kindness… - The Greek word for “…kindness…” is “…Crestos…”
- Greek word word for “…Christ…” is “…Cristos…”
- In the days of the Roman Empire, non-Christians often confused “crestos” with “cristos” and assumed that the early Christians who made up this new “religion” were simply people who believed in kindness.

4. THE KINDESS OF CHRIST Colossians 3:12AMP
“…So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well- beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]…”

5. As sinners in a fallen world our kindness starts in a DEFICIT…
C. S. Lewis
“…For those of us who are a little better at kindness in our lives, it’s easy for us to look critically at people below the line who have this unkindness streak in them. It’s pretty easy for us to feel superior…to look down our noses at them.”
Question “…What made this person so un-kind? What made them this way?...”
Answer “…Hurt people—hurt people…”

6. Our First act of Kindness is to UNDERSTAND BETTER

7. Psalm 103:12-16
“…And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children. 14 He knows all about us. He knows we are made from dust. 15 He knows our lives are short, that they are like grass. He knows we are like a little wildflower that grows so quickly, 16 but when the hot wind blows, it dies. Soon, you cannot even see where the flower was. He knows all about us. He knows we are made from dust…”

8. Growing in Kindness is growing in CHRIST LIKENESS…
2 Peter 1:7-9 (ERV)
“…to your devotion add kindness toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to this kindness add love. 8 If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who don’t grow in these blessings are blind. They cannot see clearly what they have. They have forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins…”

9. Basically ask “…What would Jesus do…”
Brotherly Love…MEANS…
- We carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
- We bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2)
- We love the un-love-bles (Romans 12:10)
- That our love be genuine (Colossians 3:14)
Basically ask “…What would Jesus do…”

10. Kindness that leads to salvation...
Romans 2:4
“…Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?...”

12. “…Aretee is a state of being that leads to doing…”
Goodness…
The Greek word Peter uses for goodness is…
- “…Goodness…” “…Aretee…”
- Meaning – “…Essential, intrinsic goodness…”
“…Aretee is a state of being that leads to doing…”

13. Biblical Goodness is a quality of the soul that results in good actions
- Giving mercy to the sick,
- Showing kindness to strangers,
- Showing hospitality to outsiders,
- Showing justice to underdogs.

14. Biblical goodness flows from our relationship with God.
Romans 7:18-19/25
“…Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is not spiritual. I want to do what is good, but I don’t do it. 19 I don’t do the good that I want to do. I do the evil that I don’t want to do…”
“…24 What a miserable person I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? 25 I thank God for his salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord!...”

15. Christ is the source of true goodness…
2 Peter 1:3-4
“…Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, 4 through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want…”

16. “…The opposite of Goodness is Selfishness…”
2 Timothy 3:1-2
“…Remember this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days. 2 People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. They will abuse others with insults. They will not obey their parents. They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God…”

17. Goodness based on the personal Attributes of God…
Holiness,
Love,
Goodness,
Truth,
Faithfulness,

18. How then are we to do Good?
Find a concrete way to help.(Proverbs 3:27 )
Minister to people.(Proverbs 16:26)
Do good, help others, but only for the right reasons.(Luke 14:12-14)
Ultimately our acts of Goodness should lead people to Christ.(Acts 3:6)