GOODNESS

summer's notebook, chapter 8

goodness is..

1. the sum of all God's attributes.

2. obeying God.

3. kindly activity on the behalf of others.

4. completely dedicated to helping others live well.

5. a readiness to do good.

4. the opposite of man's badness. everything we associate with goodness is not of ourselves, but God working in us. 'for i know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh' (romans 7.18).

goodness is my assignment

'hate what is evil; cling to what is good.' romans 12.9b

'i want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.'

'command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.' 1 timothy 6.18

'our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may.. not live unproductive lives.' titus 3.14

'we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.' eph. 2.10

in 1 timothy, we are called to dress ourselves with good works, which can be translated as living 'a life of selfless devotion to others, an adornment that lies not in what a woman puts on, but in the loving service she gives out.'

favorite lines from this chapter

• every assault upon us gives us an opportunity to live out godliness.
• 'christian character is not expressed by good doing, but by God-likeness'.. These words offer us a healthy reminder that our goal is to grow in godliness, not just to crank out works.
• forget your own comfort: 'the good life is not comfort, but godliness.'
• take the initiative in meeting the specific needs of others. after all, 'love means action.'

'our world, our churches, our homes need people who are actively kind: people who walk out their door every day ready to do good- not just think about it or pray about it; people who are devoted to making the lives of others better.'

reading assignment: chapter 9, looking at Jesus' actions

memory verse: philippians 1.27