The Fruit of the Spirit is Goodness: The “Good” Pastor

“God is good … all the time.” Does that saying give you warm fuzzies or make you cringe? While absolutely true, it’s one of those saccharine cliches in the evangelical Christian subculture that people regularly parrot about God. But the saying cries out for unpacking and reflection. So, let’s go a bit deeper and explore the topic of the goodness of God.

God Is Good

One day, as he set out on a journey, Jesus was met by a man who asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus at once retorted, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:17–18). Even Jesus refused to be called “good” so that the attribute of goodness was preserved and reserved for God alone! Just like God is love in his very own character (1 John 4:8, 16), he is also the essence of goodness.

But what does it mean for God to be good? And what is “good,” anyway? Seven times in the creation narrative, we read that God’s creation is “good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) or even “very good” (1:31). Paul rightly affirmed that “everything created by God is good” (1 Tim. 4:4). The goodness of God’s character and the goodness of his creation are integrally connected. The good God made a good world—a world that is beneficial, life-giving, and nurturing.

All the Time?

But is God good “all the time”? Is God good when things fall apart? Is God good when we experience excruciating pain? Is God really good all the time, or just some of the time, depending on our circumstances?

That is ultimately a question of faith. As believers, God calls us to believe in His all-time goodness, even when circumstances seem to militate against it. This is possible because we know that the Bible teaches that God is not the ultimate cause of sin, pain, and suffering—Satan is. And because our first human parents succumbed to his wiles, so do we.

True, at times, we may suffer for doing what is right. But we may also suffer because of our own sin, the sin of others, or more broadly because we live in a fallen world—a world ruled by the devil, the prince of “this present darkness” (Eph. 6:12).

When God Doesn’t Seem to Be Good

God really is good all the time, whether or not we always feel that way. But that doesn’t mean we should be insensitive toward those who are going through a rough time. That’s why telling people who are currently experiencing trying challenges or some form of suffering that “God is good all the time” is likely not the right course of action.

Paul counsels, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). James writes, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church” (Jas. 5:13–14). As pastors, we need to determine how best to minister to people in various circumstances.

God is always good, but because we live in a fallen world, it may not always be easy for people to see how that is the case. We need to believe in the bedrock truth that God is good and yet treat those who struggle with this truth at the present moment with sensitivity, empathy, and an appropriate word of encouragement.

God’s Preeminent Good Gift

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his followers, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11).

What are these “good things”? Luke elaborates, “…, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).

God gives many good gifts—in fact, as James writes, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (Jas. 1:17)—but God’s preeminent good gift is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit manifests God’s presence in our hearts and fills us with God’s abundant, never-ending goodness.

Because of the Spirit, we can know that God is good and can extend God’s goodness to others.

Goodness a Fruit of the Spirit

What does it mean, then, that goodness is not only an attribute of God and a characteristic of the gifts the good God gives, but also a fruit of the Spirit? “But the fruit of the Spirit is … goodness” (Gal. 5:22).

In the final chapter of Galatians, Paul elaborates on the way in which we are to apply this biblical truth: “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches” (Gal. 6:6). That is, the people in our congregation are called to share “all good things” with their teachers! Presumably, this includes (but is not limited to) supporting them financially (cf. 1 Tim. 5:17–18).

Paul adds, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9–10).

As those who walk by the Spirit, are led by the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and keep in step with the Spirit, we can sow to the Spirit and reap from the Spirit eternal life (Gal. 5:16, 18, 25; 6:8). In and by the Spirit, we can sow good seeds of kindness, and one day we will reap an everlasting reward.

Pastoral Implications

Pastors imbibe deeply from the goodness of God.

Long ago, a biblical sage set out to explore “what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life” (Eccl. 2:3). His conclusion: “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man” (Eccl. 3:12; cf. 5:18).

Enjoy life and take pleasure in your ministry. If you’re married, enjoy your spouse! Exude gratitude and appreciation for the goodness of God.

Also, exude goodness in your character. Be good as you are filled with the good Spirit of God, and do good to others as you have the opportunity.

Because God is good and has given you his Spirit, you can be good and do good—at least most of the time.

©2024 Andreas Köstenberger. Used with permission.