Why Isn't Our Goodness Good Enough?

The Bible says, `'There is no one righteous, not even one." and "There is no one who does good, not even one". But we know we all do good, at least sometimes. So what does the Bible mean when it says that no one does good?

The Bible is looking at it from God's view point, what God thinks of us not what we think of ourselves and others. Looking at it from our view point we all know people we regard as good people, kind people, decent people who are doing kind things. They may or may not be religious but they are good kind people. In fact most of us have met people who are not religious themselves but they do more good things and seem kinder than many religious people. So how can the Bible and God say that these people don't do good when we all know that they do?

Let's look at their goodness from God's point of view. Often it is selective goodness. They are good towards those in their group or those they have special feelings for. But to those they have no feelings for, all their goodness seems to disappear. When someone wants to get some money from you they will sometimes use selective kindness and goodness until they get what they want and then all this special goodness you have been receiving suddenly disappears.

Then there is impulsive goodness like helping people in need. Look what happens at an accident, people often do amazing things to help others. We can be moved to tears by the suffering of others and give of our own resources to help them. All people have this impulsive goodness in them and when you are on the receiving end of course you are grateful. But we must remember impulsive goodness does not make us a good person. For example, imagine you were walking beside a swift flowing river and suddenly you trip and fall in. You are swept by the current down the river towards a waterfall. It so happens that a murderer running from the police is running beside the same river. He sees the danger you are in and on it feeling of compassion for you he jumps in and being a strong swimmer, he rescues you. Now you will always be grateful to him for saving your life but you still know he deserves to be caught and punished for his terrible crime.

Then there is the "Look at me everyone" goodness. Goodness done to receive the applause and praise of men. Some people are really proud of their goodness. This kind of goodness craves the worship of other people. Many people we regard as good, live as if God didn't exist, they have all their human goodness and leave out God. They do not humbly honour their Creator. Their whole testimony and influence speaks of being a good person without God. But how good are they? if you lived with them 24 hours a day and 7 days a week you would soon find out that they are not good all the time. That they don't measure up to God's perfect standard of goodness. The truth is, our goodness is flawed it does not measure up against the goodness of God.

Now if we have any conscience at all about our behaviour we will try to earn some merit points against our bad behaviour. The basis of the religions of the world is to do good or religious acts to gain favour with God or gods or even spirits depending on which religion you are born into or choose to follow. The problem with this is we never know if we have done enough. lf God is good and He wants us to be good He must require total goodness. But we all come short of total goodness. We may not be evil, but we are not totally good. If we live just by our conscience we will come hopelessly short of even our own standards. We may deceive ourselves by comparing ourselves with others and put our conscience to sleep but one day it will wake up and condemn us. We may decide to become very religious and do lots of good and religious works and deceive ourselves that we are earning our salvation, or forgiveness or heaven, but it is impossible for us to right all the wrongs we have done.

Imagine what it would be like to be in a situation where you had just been told you owe a debt of one billion dollars, to be paid the next day by 3 p.m. or you would go to prison for life, how would you feel? Would you try to earn it by working hard for the rest of the day and night till three the next day hoping to save yourself from prison? You would be fighting a losing battle, there is no way you could earn one billion dollars in time. But suppose someone offered to pay your debt, would not that be good news? You would be saved from going to prison. How foolish you would be if you refused the offer and doggedly tried to earn the money yourself, yet that is what many around the world are doing, trying by good works and religious works pay their debt to God.

The Bible talks about grace, or favour we don't deserve. It talks not of works, so that we have nothing to boast about, it talks about a gift that you can't earn but which you receive by faith.

Ephesians 2:8, 9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast".

We all owe God a life of perfect goodness which it is impossible for us to pay. We can try all the religions of the world or reject all religions and go it on our own but we will never know for sure if we have made it, if God accepts us. However, there is a crystal stream of hope flowing from the Bible that can give hope to all of us. It is the teaching that God offers to wipe away our debt at great personal cost to Himself. That He will bring us into a relationship with Himself and an assurance that He will be with us in a special way now and forever.

If you would like further help or information, or if you made a commitment to the Lord through reading this, please write to us at office@pcf.gen.nz

We'd love you to visit us at PCF on Sundays to learn more about following Jesus.