Articles

Full of Goodness

by Justin Huffman

Have you ever wondered what made Jesus so effective in reaching out to and helping others? Granted, He knew the Scriptures backwards and forwards and applied God’s Word perfectly to each person’s situation. But what made the people willing to listen to Him in the first place? How did they know they could trust Him, that He had their good at heart?

The people had countless religious teachers and counselors available to them, and yet you do not see multitudes swarming to them for advice or help. But there was something about Jesus that, while maintaining an uncompromising standard, drew people to Him in droves.

Publicans, prostitutes, even some of the Pharisees—sinners of every description flocked to Jesus for help and spiritual healing.

As we’ve already mentioned, Jesus’ popularity was clearly due in part to the very wisdom of the words He spoke. The multitudes were constantly marveling at the authority and understanding that was so clearly displayed in His teaching. Yet even this does not explain what made untouchable, despicable sinners snuggle up with Jesus at the dinner table and converse so eagerly with Him.

The fact is that the goodness of Jesus was at least as much of a draw for the people as the content of His messages. They could see—anyone could see—that Jesus lived a very different life than the pompous Pharisees and Sadducees. This man lived what He preached.

Not only that, it was also clear, from His actions as well as His words, that He had a genuine, consistent, and intense compassion for the pains of those around Him. This man wept with those who were weeping, went to those who were lame, waited for those who were blind, and sought out those who were otherwise overlooked.

It was the goodness of Jesus, as much as anything else, that made His ministry so effective. This should not surprise us, because the Scriptures make it plain that this is one of the absolute essentials for real ministry. Whether in private or in public, whether declaring the gospel from the pulpit or sharing it in the break room—any ministry must flow out of good living, good motives, and good counsel in order to be Christ-honoring and personally useful.

This is the unmistakable implication of Paul’s words to the Romans:

I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another (15:14).

The confidence that Paul expressed in the church’s ability to admonish one another was grounded, first of all, in the goodness that was displayed in their lives.

Good Living

We cannot help others draw closer to God if we are not ourselves maintaining a close walk with God. As elementary as this may sound, this fact is being widely ignored in many of the modern approaches to church organization and growth. People who have experienced little, or no, sanctification themselves are put in positions of leadership in Sunday school classes, small groups, or even public preaching.

Several years ago I actually had a preacher sit across from me and tell me to my face that he was unrepentant for some well-known sexual sins in his life, because he felt that he could not possibly minister effectively if he did not understand the sinners among whom he labored. On the other hand, he said, if he was living in sin himself, then he would be able to reach out to and help other sinners.

Apparently this man did not consider the best example of ministry in all the Bible—Jesus Christ Himself. According to this man’s criteria, Jesus could not have had a useful ministry, because He rubbed shoulders with sinners His whole life, without ever sinning Himself. Of course, Jesus’ life is to be our model. Any other philosophy of ministry results in one drowning man or woman trying to save another drowning person. Neither will be helped.

The Bible makes it clear that personal virtue, or goodness, is necessary in order for even Scriptural knowledge to be useful.

Peter exhorts us that the first thing we need to add to our God-given faith is personal virtue—and then, to that virtue, we are to add knowledge (2 Peter 1:5). Paul expressed his desire that the church at Colossae be filled with knowledge so that they “might walk worthy of the Lord…being fruitful in every good work” (Colossians 1:9-10). Knowledge and goodness go hand in hand.

This language of “goodness”—especially being filled with goodness—may sound strange to those who feel themselves to be great sinners and unworthy of the least of God’s mercy. But you see, God’s mercy is exactly where this goodness comes from. Paul tells us in Galatians that goodness is a fruit of the Spirit (5:22) and, again, in Ephesians that “the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness…” (5:9).

Certainly, sanctification and growth in godliness is not something we can aspire to on our own. And, yet, it is clearly expected of us and should be displayed in us. Paul shared his prayer request with the church at Philippi, that they would be “filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (1:11). The fruits of righteousness can only come by Jesus Christ; but they are expected from us in order that God might receive praise and glory through us.

Good Motives

However, the idea of goodness carries with it more than just right living. Even the Pharisees could put on a show of “good works.” But goodness carries with it also the idea of right motives. In other words, the person who is trying to encourage, or admonish, or advise another must be clearly doing so out of a desire for their good.

This seemingly obvious criterion is broken by households all over the world, every day.

Husbands hurl instructions or expectations at their wives or children and wonder why they are not well received in the midst of their tirade. Wives criticize and belittle their husbands and then are surprised when they do not see any change in behavior.

The problem is that knowledge without genuine love—without good motives—is utterly unprofitable (1 Corinthians 8:1). We cannot realistically expect to helpfully advise or counsel anyone, if our advice and counsel are not flowing from a deep, Christ-centered love and desire for the other’s good.

One of the pastors under which I grew up used to remind us, as up-and-coming leaders in the church, that people will listen to you only if they already know that you love them. But if they do know you love them, they will follow you almost anywhere and receive almost any criticism. How many young ministers need to remember this maxim, present company included!

Our goal, then, with any counsel that we give should be the good of the person to whom we are speaking and, ultimately, of course the glory of God. Our goal for each other, in other words, should be the same goal that God has for us, when He chastens or corrects us. As Paul prayed, in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, our hope for each other should be that God will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness,” in each of us.

Good Counsel

Despite living a godly life themselves, and desiring the good of some loved one, many a saint has failed to actually share helpful counsel when it was needed. This is because good counsel does not always feel good, or sound good, to the listener. Since every one of us struggles with a people-pleasing nature to some extent, we can sometimes hesitate to share what we know needs to be said, simply because we know it will not be easy or pleasant to hear.

Goodness sometimes requires that we be stern, or share unwelcome advice, or even “wound” a loved one for their own good. The writer of Proverbs, however, reminds us that “faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (27:6).

As much as we may be tempted, at times, just to say, “Everything is going to be alright” or, “Things will get better soon,” this is simply not always the case.

Sometimes drastic, personal change is needed before things can turn around for the better.

If a person doesn’t stop spending more than he or she makes, he or she will not get out of debt; if a couple continues to fight and wrangle over every little thing, their marriage will not improve; if parents does not correct their child, their relationship with the child will only get worse.

Goodness, then, does not always look like a warm-and-fuzzy hug or an encouraging slap on the back (although it may include these). Goodness is a personal investment in the glory of God, which overflows in a desire to help others draw closer to God, no matter what challenges we may have to face together with them in order to achieve this end. Personal goodness, coupled with an intimate knowledge of God’s good Word, equips us to help the many hurting people that need “the good pleasure of God’s goodness” to be fulfilled in their lives.

Recommended resources for biblical counseling: Competent to Counsel; Christian Counselor’s Manual; Helps for Counselors

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