Are you a good person?

Religious rulers often refer to one another with titles such as “reverend,”  “most reverend,” or “The right revered doctor!”   

Jesus was once addressed as “good teacher, or good master.” 

"A ruler questioned Him, saying, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?'  Jesus began his answer by asking the ruler, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." (Luke 18:18-19)

This initial response went beyond the ruler's concern and straight to the heart of his confusion about himself.  It is obvious that the religious ruler did not understand that goodness and its resulting positive character qualities are derived from God instead of being independently produced by so-called "good" behavior. 

In asking the question of the ruler, Jesus was making a very important point about Himself. Yes, He was good because He was God. But, He had laid aside his divine prerogative to function as God in order to live as a man and walk among us. Consequently, He had no goodness that was not derived from God, with whom He was in union.  His own goodness, as a man, was not of His own doing but rather a result of His union with the Father.  In highlighting this truth, Jesus was pointing the ruler to the only Source of true goodness.   

People are still confused regarding the topic of goodness today.  We can trace this confusion all the way back to the forbidden choice of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” in the Garden of Eden. Satan suggested that man could “be like God knowing good and evil,” (Gen. 3:5), insinuating that man, independent of God, could be good.  Ever since the fall, in man’s natural condition (in Adam), “no good thing” (Rom. 7:18) dwells in man and there is “none good” (Rom. 3:12). 

That is because goodness is an attribute of God alone. The ruler, like many religious minded people today, did not understand the true source of goodness.  

Man is incapable of demonstrating any Godly character by what he does and always derives Godly character by God’s grace.  Religion, like the ruler, continues to engage in the hypocrisy of trying to do good “for God,” failing to recognize that man is unable to do so apart from God.  

Often, when people define what it means to be “good” (which encompasses morality and ethics), they do so in references to behavior: “good and evil,” “right and wrong.” In doing so, they begin with the wrong point of reference or source.  If we do not define “good” based on behavior, though, where do we begin?  What, or who determines what is "good" or "right?” Do goodness and righteousness exist in and of themselves? Does evil exist in and of itself? Is the goal of the Christian life to try to be good?  Is there such a thing as independent or autonomous goodness?

Christian thought asserts that God alone is autonomous and self-existent. Everything and everyone else is dependent and derivative.  These are two of the most important words of Christian thought in understanding man as God intended.

Goodness is not an independent standard or goal to be achieved. There is not a separate law of "right" behavior in contrast to "evil behavior" as so many have falsely believed.  It is this kind of erroneous thinking which has become a subtle replacement for God, what I call an "idolatrous goodness" of self-centeredness.  It is this kind of thinking that has caused society and religion to look to the morality of goodness as their god.  This idolatrous goodness takes comfort in good as defined by a moral majority.

Whenever "goodness" is falsely determined by what one does apart from God, it begins with the false premise of independence.  This is the lie of the sinful, self-centered thinking that forms the basis of secular humanism. Humanism can be either secular, known as “secular humanism” or religious, which has been referred to as “evangelical humanism” by Jim Fowler.  Regardless of whether it is secular or religious, it is built upon the lie of independence.

Independent thinking was first suggested by Satan to Adam and Eve,
Initially, Satan suggested that “good exists in itself.” In Gen. 3:4, when Satan said to Eve, “...has God said, You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?”

Next, Satan suggested that "good" was knowable, independent or apart from God.  Satan said in verse 4, “God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened."
Lastly, Satan suggested that "good" is do-able by oneself, v. 5 “...you will be like God knowing good and evil."

These three false premises are not only anti-Christian but stand opposite the gospel of grace.

Christianity denies all three lies that Satan spoke.
1) Man is never an independent self with some “self-inherent goodness.”
2) Man does not “self-determine” anything because he derives all that he does.
3) Man has no ability to “produce or generate” any character or behavior, good or evil.

As stated and contrary to popular opinion, there is no "natural goodness" inherent in man or anything else apart from God, who is good. "There is none good, no not one" (Rom. 3:12). "No one is good, except God alone" (Luke 18:19). When mankind thinks that he can know good and define good from his own perspective alone, he ends up calling evil "good", and good "evil" (Isa. 5:20).  Isaiah pronounces a woe upon those who are thus "wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight." (Isa. 5:21).

The man who uses so-called good intentions of morality and ethics, does so based on the fallen, sinful, and self-serving motivations of the devil. It is never man just on his own, doing his own thing. These falsely labeled good intentions are bound by social or religious standards of performance. Whether the goal is to be “socially acceptable” or to “be like God," they involve striving and struggling to be good by “good behavior,” believing the lie that if man can “do good,” then he is good.

The good news tells a much different story of what it means to “be good.”

First of all God says that He alone is Good.” The scripture declares that "God is good." "No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18). "There is One who is good" (Matt. 19:17). "Good" exists exclusively in the essence of who God is, as the only true independent self.  It is the character of God which defines what goodness is, for God is good.

Secondly, Goodness is only known as God reveals Himself to man.  Christians often find themselves trying to understand God, by what “they believe.” And where do they look for God’s exclusive revelation of God’s goodness...the good book, the Bible. As much as we thank God for the Bible it is not God’s greatest gift to man, Jesus Christ is God’s greatest gift to mankind. Therefore, God’s ultimate revelation of Himself is not found in a book but in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

God’s goodness will never be understood or experienced by merely studying the historical or theological application of Jesus Christ. It is not a static historical event (incarnation) or simply an experience (conversion). We can only know what good is by knowing God through the indwelling presence of Jesus Christ as our life.  Knowing God is to experience a personal and intimate spiritual union, whereby, Christ reveals His goodness and expresses His goodness through the believer, as the Christian chooses to participate in loving relationship with Him.  This brings us to the third point of “goodness.”

Thirdly, Scriptures declare that, "The one who does good is of God" (III John 1:11). In the Greek it is “ek theous” which means “to derive out of” God. We only “do good” as the character of God is activated and expressed in human behavior by the grace of God. We do not produce goodness but participate with (goodness) which is the character of God. Only God can express His goodness because only God is good. As we are receptive to God’s activity, which is grace, we are energized by His goodness which is expressed through our behavior. God is always the source of goodness because, once again, only God is good. Human behavior is always dependent upon the god who has dominion. The believer derives from God, the character or activity of God (grace) and his receptivity to God’s activity is faith.

It is important to know that God is not good because He does good but rather that God does what He does because He is who He is! His doing originates from His being. His conduct flows out of His character, and He always acts consistently with who He is.  

Are you a good person? Why or why not? 

If you are a Christian, then you have been made good.  You have been made good “objectively.”  The only question that remains is, have you believed, “subjectively?” Have you “agreed with God,” saying the same thing that He has said about you?

Romans 5:19

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made (good) righteous.  (emphasis added).