Christ's Goodness

Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.


When we communicate our faith it's not always effective is it? We hope for it to be effective in bringing knowledge of the Lord's love, His message of salvation to others, but we can't always know that it is.


Here Paul is exhorting believers- fellow soldiers in Christ- telling them that he hopes the sharing of their faith is effective BY acknowledging all that is good in them through Christ Jesus. Our 'goodness' is not OUR goodness, but Christ's. Any good that comes from us comes from Christ.


When we share our faith with others it's not about US doing good, but about Christ doing good through us. We are not faith sharers because of our own volition to be faith sharers. All glory must go to Christ who awakes in us the desire to communicate His love with others and gives us the means to do so.


Too many today are asleep to the workings of the Holy Spirit, not understanding that we are given the Holy Spirit's guidance when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit gives us all we need and it is from the Holy Spirit that we are able to communicate to others effectively.


IF we have any goodness in us, it is from our Savior. We have not manufactured the goodness, we have not created the good things in us. Of ourselves we are NOT innately good. Sure, you might know a person who is a Pagan, openly worshipping nature and not God; you might know a Moslem person who openly believes that Jesus Christ was NOT God's Son and Salvation is NOT found in Him- these people might be the friendliest, the nicest people you could ever meet and yet you know from what the Bible tells you that these people are not saved because they refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior- and adamantly so. The same goes for atheist and even professed witches- of the religion Wiccan, they too might be the sweetest, kindest people you know- above many professed Christians. Where does their goodness come from? We know that even Satan can appear to people as an angel of light.


2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.


The Bible also tells us this-- speaking of Satan--


2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.


Satan's ministers- transformed as the minister of righteousness.


There is deception all around us even in GOOD things. Our goodness must be Christ's goodness- no goodness of our own, no goodness we falsely believe comes from within ourselves. All goodness we can communicate to others must be Christ's, we can take no glory to ourselves, to do so is to believe falsely that somehow we have the power to make ourselves good and if we have that power we have no need of Christ's power to work in us, transforming us by His grace and mercy into the beings He would have us become.


Phm 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.


Acknowledging every good this in us- IN CHRIST JESUS.


We don't want to boast to ourselves, to anything good we might think we have, let's give all glory and honor to our Savior that anything that is a good thing in us IS in us from our Savior, through HIS love!


All glory to God!!!


Amen.