Add to your faith, goodness. Arete in the Greek, meaning that essential, intrinsic goodness that defines who we are deep inside when no one is watching. When Scripture deals with goodness, it is not looking at how we feel, look, or even what we do. People can do good things without really being good inside. History has proven that point quite well.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans was quite clear of something else. That apart from God no one does good, and that apart from God no good thing lives in us. Trying to be good on our own is not going to work.
I remember when I first read the verse found in 1 Peter 2:9. It made such an impact on me that I memorized it and I often return to it when I’m having doubts or wondering about how God can love someone like me who stumbles so often. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Want to be people of goodness? Then we need to declare the goodness of God who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. That phrase “praises of Him” is “arete Theos” in the Greek – God’s Goodness. We are to declare God’s Goodness.
Darkness cannot live in us when we legitimately praise God for His goodness. The more we praise, the more we begin to develop the character of God in us. When that happens, goodness begins to spring from the relationship we have with our good LORD and Savior.
