But the fruit of the Spirit is … goodness …
Summary: Goodness is a word that comes from the word “good,” but has a unique meaning.
Continue reading “Galatians 5:22g – God is Good”Ephesians 6:13b – The Day of Evil
… so that when the day of evil comes,
Summary: “Good” and “evil” are two terms we toss around a lot. But what do they mean? Do we all use the same definitions? If we don’t use the right one, we might not recognize when the day of evil is here.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:13b – The Day of Evil”Ephesians 6:12b – Opposition
… but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world …
Summary: As we pick our way through the text of Paul’s letter, we discover treasures and insights. Today’s insight is confirmation that we are not alone in this world.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:12b – Opposition”John 8:15 – The Judge of All Things
You judge by human standards …
Summary: How we define “good” and “evil,” says a lot about our relationship with God. Using God’s definitions is a way of honoring our Creator.
Continue reading “John 8:15 – The Judge of All Things”Mark 10:15 – Hey, Kid!
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
Summary: Jesus throws us a curve ball with this passage. How do we become like a little child?
Continue reading “Mark 10:15 – Hey, Kid!”Mark 10:18 — The Law of Goodness
No one is good—except God alone.
Summary: Being the center of the universe is great if you actually are the Center of the Universe. If you are not but you think you are, then you are simply fooling yourself.
Continue reading “Mark 10:18 — The Law of Goodness”2 Peter 1:5c — The Bridge
… to add to your faith goodness …
Summary: Faith is that precious gift of knowing Jesus Christ personally. Goodness is what we do with it.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:5c — The Bridge”1 Peter 2:15 — Doing Good
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
There are some words in the ancient texts that give translators trouble. If you look in the NIV it might say something different than the King James Version. Sometimes out of thirty or more English translations you might find as many as ten different English equivalents. “Ignorance” is not one of those troublesome words.
Except for one or two exceptions, every English translation uses the word “ignorant” to express the Greek, “agnōsia.” In English, the word “ignorant” is often confused with “stupid.” These are two very different words. The word “ignorant” means a lack of knowledge. The cure to ignorance is knowledge.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:15 — Doing Good”