Are you a good person?

Pastor Kevin Lea – July 16, 2004

The answer to this question depends on the definition of good. I have visited prisons and been told by those incarcerated that they believe they are good and don’t deserve to remain in prison. They do not deny they committed the crime for which they are serving time, but they consider that their prison mates, who have done worse crimes, are the “bad people” and they, in comparison, are good.

If this is the standard by which we should judge who is a good person, then, following the same logic, everyone on the face of the earth is a “good” person, except for the one individual who is the vilest. Would the family of a murdered young girl feel like justice was done if a judge released the murderer because his attorney stated that his client was a good person compared to a mass murderer who killed many more? I believe that most would say that letting a murderer go free with this argument would not be just.

Jesus said that there is no one who is good except God (Matthew 19:17). God makes it clear that we are not to label our goodness by comparison with other people.

2 Cor 10:12, 18 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. ------------ 18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

So who is it that the Lord commends as “good?” The answer is two-fold. When the Lord is comparing the goodness of man to Himself, then He declares that NO ONE is good.

Ps 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. (NKJ)

Rom 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." (NKJ)

Paul the Apostle further emphasizes this in Romans 5 when he states that when we are compared to God Himself, we are all ungodly. When Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins, He was doing so not because we were good, but because we were all ungodly sinners.

Rom 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NKJ)

However, when you, an ungodly sinner, admit that you are not “good” and instead are a sinner in need of a savior, and embrace Jesus as your Lord, then you have done the only thing that can make you “good” in God’s eyes.

The following verse explains how this kind of goodness is a gift from God. He takes the true goodness of Jesus and puts it on us.

2 Cor 5:20 Now then, we [believers in Jesus] are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled [stop fighting and become a friend] to God. 21 For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NKJ)

In summary, you are not a good person and neither am I, and no one is, unless God makes them “good.” Therefore we are all sinners and the Bible teaches that that wages for our sin is spiritual death (Romans 3:23 and 6:23a). However, there is a way out of this sentence of death, but it must be on God’s terms.

Belief in Jesus is this “only way (John 14:6)” If we repent and believe in Jesus as our Savior, then we will be declared good in God’s eyes. Jesus took our sin upon Himself and then died on the cross as just payment for our sin. If we believe in Him and this act of love on our behalf, then Jesus takes His sinless goodness, His righteousness, and places it on us (Revelation 3:18). Therefore, when we stand before God on judgment day, the Father will see the goodness and righteousness of Jesus, rather than the sinfulness and evil of our own works. It will be this imputed righteousness of Jesus that will give us access to heaven where we will be with God forever.

Those who reject, through unbelief, the imputed righteousness of God will stand before Him with their own deeds open to His scrutiny. The all-seeing and all-knowing God will then judge the unbeliever based on their works, and those works will demonstrate that they were not “good” but instead were evil. After this pronouncement is made, the unbeliever will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (NKJ)

It is our prayer that all those reading this will cease trying to establish a righteousness of their own and embrace the righteousness (goodness) that only comes through a saving faith in Jesus (Romans 7:18-8:4).

Rom 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." (NKJ)

Gal 2:16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (NKJ)