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).
