We are to make every effort to add to our given faith, goodness 2Pet 1:5;Rom 12; Isa 64; Mat 7; 12
He has done all of this by his mercy and his grace - His goodness - having placed His goodness in us, that is His righteousness, which is His virtue, His character. And as He as revealed HImself, His love to us, we delight in God because He is - love, He has loved, and he still does love - and His love has done, does, and will continue to do.
Therefore, God has made us good. We are good, not in and of ourselves, but in Jesus as Jesus is now in us. As Paul said”...there’s nothing good in me, that is in my flesh.” (Roma 7) But that same writer goes on to say in 2Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus is “my righteousness.”
Goodness: a virtuous course of thought, feeling,and action; moral good; a moral vigor - we are excited by goodness, virtue and what is right
Moral goodness, virtue - excellence, moral excellence
Romans 12:9-21 “love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good…, ...conquer evil with good.”
So, I thought our good works were “filthy rags”?
Isaiah 64:5-7 “6All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. 7No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins.”
Yes, but, no…
Isaiah 64:5 “5You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?”
Good stored in the heart
2Corinthians 5:2 We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Salvation, sanctification - justified and made, not just right, but righteous - good.
Warning -
Matthew 7:15-21 15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Therefore not everyone who says the believe is what they say they are… it is not about our good works, but Jesus’ work in and on and through us…
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Salvation - Jesus in the heart of the believer
Matthew 12:33-37 33“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit... 35A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus said… “Make a tree good…” He has made the tree good. He’s exchanged are propensity for evil and sin, with a heart of flesh and given a spirit to incline us to Him and His word.
Ezekiel 36:24-27 (John 14; Rom 8; Eph 1) 24“ ‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Sanctified - Jesus set apart in the heart of the believer as LORD - as the maintenance of our relationship - from our side: Filling our heart with Jesus - Jesus will come out (to play). Why? Because we’re friends
Luke 6:43-45 43“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Proverbs 4 - the good work of storing good…
Fear of the Lord
Make Jesus Lord
My Father and I will make our home in Him
