Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
Therefore all good things come from above because God is good, His nature is good therefore He is the father of goodness, so when we add goodness to our faith, we are adding the expression of the nature of God placed in us by Jesus - His righteousness - that is good, to do good, because we are good. (2Cor 5:21)
Therefore, we are to find joy in every circumstance - knowing the Father’s goodness and good intentions and will always, ultimately, mean good.
We must realize that as we find ourselves, in any and every circumstance, we (Get to) bring joy into every circumstance.
In this context, when someone is suffering, we can bring joy to them, by mourning with them as they mourn, by suffering with them as they suffer, helping them see, with insight and discretion, that God is good, and has good intentions. As He promises (and is able to) “working all things out for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purposes” (Ro 8:28-39)
Therefore we (can) rejoice in our suffering (Ro 5; Ja 1; 1Pe 1) because we know that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) and with that God does and will work all things for the good (Rom 8), we can now do everything without grumbling and complaining because we realize, we see, we know, that it is God who works in us to will and act according to his purpose is - and that is good. (Phil 2:13, Ro 12.)
“...for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” NIV
“…for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” NLT
All of this should induce/produce goodness. As we look at them in the next few passages concerning our conduct, we are not only empowered to do such things, we are created in Jesus to do such things. We are created in Christ Jesus, with the seeds of faith, that bear the fruit of (Jesus’) righteousness, the character of Jesus as he has taken our sin and made us righteous. We are righteous and good, and therefore, are made, created, to do good works, and in that, we cannot.
Therefore as we look at these texts – Romans 12; Ephesians 4; Colossians3; Galatians 5; we can see what He is creating us (in Jesus) to be, we are what He is making us be (Eph 2), therefore we are not only empowered to do such things, but we are created to do such things, and then that empowerment enables us to live out what He is making us to be, what we are being created to be - that is, more and more like Jesus, more and more, righteous and good, to do good as Jesus did, as His goodness in us, is good and that good does good.
This is for all of us who know Jesus, every one of us as we are being made and created - conformed to His likeness, and each one of us uniquely as He and His goodness wills and purposes (1Cor 12)
Do we rejoice in the truth? Do we rejoice in righteousness? The righteousness of God? Which IS righteous and good in EVERY circumstance?
If God is good, and he makes everything good for those who love him, is there a time and place, where His goodness is not good? At least it’s the ultimate accomplishment?
It is perpetual perseverance through our circumstances, small and smaller, that enable less than two allow God‘s peace to overcome the current larger or bigger more comprehensive circumstance to trust that God will do what God does. This is a piece of transcends understanding.
Romans 12:3-21
Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought
Sober judgment
Do not lack humility
Do not be overly proud; arrogant
personal perspective regulating behavior
to act high-minded, lacking humility and a true sense of reality
to think more highly of oneself than is proper
Sober or think - to feel, to think
to have understanding, be wise
to have an opinion of oneself, think of oneself - a proper understanding or feeling about oneself (1Cor 4:6-7)
Mark 8;9; Luke 9;48; 22
Proverbs 16:18-19 “18Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
19Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”
1Corinthians 12:7,11 “7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good… All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
Ephesians 4:7 7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
Humbly, but with confidence (as God’s child - chosen) - happy in our poverty
