Goodness and Forgiveness: Lost Virtues?

Aristotle named four virtues that promote goodness: courage, justice, self-control, and wisdom. To these four add forgiveness. Have goodness and forgiveness lost their place in our society? A virtue should reflect goodness, integrity, righteousness and honesty. Galatians 5:22 ranked goodness as a Fruit of the Holy Spirit.

We've heard of people being characterized as having a good heart. The attribute of goodness is intimately connected to a person who also practices forgiveness. This person refuses to hold on to a grudge or keep a lists of wrongs that have been endured. Whoever possesses goodness will consequently practice forgiveness.

Goodness as an attribute of personality will balance what matters for the moment with what matters for the future. The virtues of goodness and forgiveness are given importance by remembering it is by God’s goodness and mercy and the righteousness of Christ Jesus that we have purpose and significance for living this life.  

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Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me perfectly good? No one is perfectly good but God himself.”

~Luke 18:19 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.

~Ephesians 2:10 Contemporary English Version

Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.
~1 Corinthians 13:5 The Living Bible