EPH.v. 9. “The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth.”
THIS should read “the fruit of the Light.” God is light,
and Jesus came into the world to brighten it. The true
light now shineth.
Light reproves and exposes the darkness just by its
presence. Do not deny the light outside the Church or
amongst the heathen. But the clear full shining is on those
only who receive, love, and obey the doctrine of grace.
Three aspects of the Christian character—the good, the
right, the true. So in Psalm xlv. And it is the side of
meekness that is going to win.
I. Goodness. The word does not occur in what we call
heathen Greek books. It is only in the Bible—used much
by Paul.
It is opposed to malice. The child of God must put
away all bitterness. Common sense of mankind is quite
right when it says a man’s religion is not worth much if
it does not make him good. Have goodness first—out of
goodness, good works will come. Have the well of water
within you.
II. Righteousness opposed to all crookedness and dis-
honesty. You may see people very dishonest yet very
benevolent. But religion twines its tenderness and hope-
fulness round the immutable pillars of equity. Some point
out that the handicraft with which our Saviour was pleased
to make Himself familiar during the years He spent at
Nazareth, was one which requires the application of the
most exact rules of rectitude.
III. Truth. We have deceitful hearts, and God puts
truth into the inward parts by possessing the heart with
Jesus Christ who is the truth, and by leading us so to
follow Him that there shall be no guile in our mouths, as
there was none in His.
The light is come into the world. Why do men not
come to the light? The old plain answer is the true one.
Because their deeds are evil. We do not hear people
speak of human depravity now, but there is as much of it
as in the days of our fathers.
Donald. Fraser, D.D.