Good Person

Well, I’m just as good as the next person!” Really? Do you know that next person? You may have just met them in line at the grocery store, been neighbors for a few years or sat beside them on a church pew or worked with them for years but in truth we really don’t know how good someone is. We see upstanding good people in the news all the time for shocking crimes and allegations. So, what’s good in being good? We all strive to be good people. We want to be remembered as a good person but as we learn growing up people have different ways of measuring good. Some measure with a yard stick and some measure in millimeters. But it is a good thing to want to be a good person. You can ask many people if they are good people and they will answer, “Yep!” It’s something we want to think of ourselves. We think we aren’t as bad as other people, and we have a few in mind when that question is asked. But again, what are we measuring ourselves against? A thief can say they are a good person because they haven’t murdered someone. A liar can say they are a good person because they haven’t stolen anything. That slippery slope of measurement ends with God. He kind of puts the squash on all that “good” business. In fact, in the Bible, his word tells us, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:10-12.” Um. God, kinda being harsh here? I mean, we’ve all got some redeemable qualities, right? Unfortunately, we don’t. God REDEEMED us. In fact, there was this one guy who came up to Jesus and put forth this very question, “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! Mark 10:17-23.” This guy was a pretty decent guy. I mean he kept all the commandments from his words and Jesus didn’t say yea or nay to the fact but then Jesus asked him to prove his goodness by taking up the cross, give all he had to the poor and follow Him. The man walked away in grief because his love of stuff was greater than his love for God. Please! We say, if Jesus was here today, we’d never do that. We’d drop everything in a heartbeat and follow Him. Like the disciples who dropped their nets and their living to follow Christ. Really? Would you? Would you give up security, a place to sleep, your family, your friends, and your reputation to follow Jesus? That’s what He was asking and, in a sense, He asks that today too. He asks us to give up what we hold as sacred to hold Him sacred. This one man came to Jesus, Jesus now, and said, “And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” Jesus was like, “this isn’t my area of practice, seriously?” He came to save souls, not solve disputes! So, he made that a lesson (he’s good at that), “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness (wanting for the sake of wanting something or because someone else has it): for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” This doesn’t mean we can’t have nice things. For a long time, I thought that, but we need to be smart with our money and use it to bring God glory while helping ourselves. Having things doesn’t make you a good or bad person. I’m sure you can relate to meeting someone who had nothing who was happier than a person with money. It’s all in how we view what’s good in our life. “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?” This man had a good year! He had a problem, he had too much! So, he had to solve the problem, “And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.” Problem solved!  Bigger, greater, more, more, more, more! That’s what the world wants us to think is a good thing. The man then says, “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” Sounds good right? But what he didn’t do is prepare his soul. His barns and goods were taken care of but not his soul. He was a hard worker, a probably decent man, but was he good enough? “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. Luke 12:13-22.” There are a lot of great things out there, but nothing can fill that heart-filled hole like Christ can! This man thought he was doing good, but it doesn’t do us any good (literally). Paul, a bad guy who turned good said, “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” The law is good. Always has been, always will be. God’s law that is. His Word is good and holy. It is good for Moses; it is good for us. It was good for Abraham; it was good for us. It was good for David it is good for us. Doesn’t mean we aren’t tempted to break them, us being a good person, “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. Romans 7:11-21.” Being good is a struggle because of sin. Sin wants us to do things against God even though it may LOOK good it isn’t God’s good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.” When we love God and serve Him good things will happen, but it may not be the good we seek. It may not be the good we think about but the good that God needs in our lives at that moment. Goodness is a scale and that scale no matter how high will not get you to Heaven. The best most meaningful person will go to Hell without the saving blood of Christ. If being good could get us there, no one would because we’re all sinners. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Psalms 14:1-3.” No one is perfect all the time, the only one that was hung on a cross for our sins because they thought He wasn’t good! The perfect, sinless Lamb of God was found not good enough for the religious and politicians of the day. Sounds familiar. See, they measured goodness in a different way. They measured goodness in following the status quo, tradition, and acceptableness. Jesus blew that all out of the water. He came and shook things up, turning over tables in the temple, saying He was the only way to Heaven that the blood of bulls and goats wasn’t satisfactory anymore and that being good in the eyes of God wasn’t enough to see those pearly gates.  Jesus tells the disciples (and us), “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” I can almost picture Thomas looking around at the rest of the disciples and raising his hand and asking, “Um Jesus, we don’t know where you’re going and how can we know the way?” Good question Thomas! At least someone had the nerve to ask! Jesus answered something that has been written for millennia, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” There’s the statement that shook the nation of Israel. Jesus didn’t say if you were good enough, if you tithed enough, if you gave to the poor, if you did all these great and wonderful works you’d go to Heaven. Nope. He said that He was the way. He was the truth, and He was the life—eternal life. The only way to God Almighty was through Him! He then says, “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” Another disciple probably emboldened by Thomas’ question asked their own, “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth (please) us.” Can you hear Jesus kind of moaning after seeing all the miracles and listening to all the sermons? Jesus, like a good teacher reminded Philip, “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  John 14:1-10.” God the Father was within Jesus and because of that Jesus could do all those good works.  Just because our goodness cannot get us to Heaven doesn’t mean it doesn’t pay to do good! It doesn’t mean we should be the biggest sinners around just because Jesus died on the cross for us. Because one day when our last breath is taken, we will have to answer for our actions, not our family, not our crowd, not our preacher, but OUR OWN actions.” For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10.” Some religions believe in a scale that if your goodness outweighs the bad then you’ll go to paradise. Some believe that goodness is just a type of mindset, but goodness is something that only comes from Christ because our goodness seen as righteousness is a drop in the bucket to God. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6.” But, but we are supposed to be good right? I mean, that’s hard to do but it’s satisfying, it’s normal, it’s what is expected. We are supposed to be good, and we should strive to be but to what measure? Paul tells us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Serving God is not beyond our scope of living. It is possible by doing God’s good and not the world’s standard of good. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The Christian life isn’t easy nor is it for someone looking for an easy way to Heaven (salvation is free and keeping it is for eternity) but living a life truly pleasing to God is hard work, harder than any job we could ever do. Paul continues by teaching us how to live a life pleasing to God, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12:1-3.”  God doesn’t want us to blindly follow everyone who talks about God or Jesus but wants us to think about what they are saying. So, they give to the poor? Great. So, they say good things? Wonderful! But do they follow the scripture or are they just telling you what you want to hear so you can be the best person you can be without even putting God in the formula? That is where our Bible knowledge should come in and say, “if it doesn’t go with God’s word, it isn’t worth it in my life. No matter how good someone is, we don’t know their hearts or true motives. As a good quote says, “That which is striking and beautiful is not always good; but that which is good is always beautiful.” - Anne de l Enclos. The Bible tells us how to life and how to walk and how to watch for people out to trip you up and live a life pleasing to God and not to man; “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (Yes, those people exist today, they look towards other religions, self-improvement, any many more). We do need to examine ourselves and figure out who we are serving, God or our own selves. “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought (worked), but that we receive a full reward.” God will reward us for not following what the world says and following what He says. But those who follow their own desires and not after the Bible will have their reward as well, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 2 John 1:6-11.” There are many people out there saying, “Look at all the good I’m doing. LOOK! LOOK! Jesus says, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:1-6.” Going around saying you’re a Christian is noble and okay but saying it and living it are two different things. Just like Jesus said about the hypocrites and they know who they are and will have their reward. We don’t want to be hypocrites. We don’t want to just “act” like a Christian but fulfill that word and BE a Christian. As a good quote says, “Good character is property. It is the noblest of all possessions.” -Samuel Smiles. “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. Ephesians 6:6-9.” God knows our heart and our motives. He knows good people can make bad choices and bad people can make good choices. But to truly be a good person means to follow God’s will. “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. Psalms 112:5-7.”