Can someone be good just for the sake of being good? In an isolated circumstance, sure. Long term, I don’t think so. I know I can’t. But I don’t feel so bad because the apostle Paul couldn’t either (Rom 7:19).
The question is how good do you have to be to be good? Who gets to define “good” in the absence of God? Does the definition change with time, culture or circumstances? Is there one definition, or do we each get our own? At some point, does the discussion become meaningless in the absence of absolute standards?
So where would we find absolute standards to measure good? Jesus said, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Mk 10:18)
It’s self evident. You can’t be good unless you know what good is, and only someone who is good can tell you.
By the way, why even bother to be good if being bad is more fun...unless of course we’ll be responsible at some point to someone who is good. Something to think about.
Bottom line; not only do I need God to be good, I need God to even want to be good.
P.S. This has nothing to do with getting to heaven. For that you have to be perfect.
I love your PS comment that we must be perfect to get to heaven. I had a neighbor once who said to me that he hoped when he arrived at the pearly gate that the good he did outweighed the bad. I am so thankful that I am covered in the righteousness of Christ, and I don't have to rely on a set of scales. Bonnie
ReplyDeleteeverytime i think about trying to be good in my own volition, what comes to mind is a movie from the 90s LAST DANCE with sharon stone, randy quaid, and rob morrow. there was one particular scen that stood out in my mind rob morrow and randy quaid both played defense attorneys for the clemency board. it was rob morrows first day on the job, and hes shown the file room. its an entire room of nothing but clemency files for capital murder cases. rob morrow asked how quaid stayed on top of all this, and the answer was you dont, all you can do is prioritize at best. that sort of what its like to try to use the humanist approach to earn your way into right standing with God. the fallen
ReplyDeletehuman nature is so full of flaws i wouldnt even know where to begin. taking one look at all the purification rituals one had to go thru in the OT, if i were to try to keep all those as a means of earning my way to God thru my own merits would make my mind shut like a clam. where would i even begin. for everything i do right in my life and want to give myself an attaboy and think im all that and a bag of chips, the holy Spirit is quick to point out to me at least ten things im doing wrong. the law as given to us to show theres no way we could ever keep all that and that theres no way our own goodness would ever get us right standing with God.its only thru grace and the utter faith in what Jesus did for us for us 6to see we all fall short of what God expectsof us, but He loved us enough to give us His son anyway.
can i be "good" minus Jesus as the way to the Father and heaven. could i really "love" my neighbor? maybe for a brief while, but my own selfish fallen nature aftr awhile would cause the incessant demands of this to wear me completely down. ive got to heave help. ive got to have grace. i nee Jesus. end of story