Matthew 19:17 “And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
In 1966 the spaghetti western known as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly was produced starring Clint Eastwood. The story painted a picture of a ruthless, professional mercenary who always completed the job for which he was paid. The film followed three characters during the American civil war who used each other to find a stash of gold, double-crossing each other along the way and culminating in a three-way stand off in a cemetery. Eastwoods character referred to as “blonde” was supposed to be the good one, while the other two renegades were the bad and ugly characters.
Hollywoods depiction of what a good man looks like is far different than how God’s Word depicts such men. Blondie was looked on as the good one because he showed a measure of compassion for a fallen soldier, his desire to end the war, and sticking to his word. The others looked at each obstacle through the lens of greed or opportunities to abuse power.
The world measures good based off cultural definitions of what they deem as right and wrong. If it’s popular to end a war, then everyone who opposes the war are considered ‘good’ people. If it’s acceptable to lie for the greater cause, then everyone who doesn’t lie are stuck in their old ways without true perspective, at least that’s what the world would say.
Morality is fluid in a society that rejects God’s moral law.
James 2:10 “Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
When Jesus’ brother wrote his letter to the church he reminded them of God’s standard of righteousness. The importance of maintaining holiness was imperative to all who represent Christ to the world.
Has anyone kept the whole law?
Ecclesiastes 7:20 “Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”
Solomon knew that no one was righteous, that none had kept God’s law and never sinned. The reality of mankind’s universal sin was echoed by Paul(Rom. 3:23), David (Psalm 14:2-3), the apostle John (1 John 1:8-10), the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 53:6), Job (Job 15:14-16), Jeremiah (Jer. 17:9), and ultimately Jesus (Luke 18:19).
There are many more references that depict mankind as being utterly sinful. Not one person is good.
Goodness Defined
When Moses met with God on Mt. Horeb, he asked God for a request.
Exodus 33:18-19 “And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
Then He (God)said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
God’s name and His glory are synonymous with His goodness.
When Jesus counseled the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 He was reminding him of how to be good. Keeping the commandments perfectly is the only way for mankind to be found good in God’s sight. Since no one apart from Christ has been able to keep them, no one has proven to be good.
Romans 7:12 “So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.”
The holiness of God is directly connected to the Moral law. Righteousness is found among those who keep the law. Goodness is reflected by those who love God’s law and live by its standard.
Romans 2:13 “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.”
Goodness is perfected in righteousness.
Only God holds the value of goodness. For someone to be good they must have been made good by the sanctifying work of Christ.
When a sinner repents of their sin and follows Christ, they are brought from darkness into the light. They are made righteous in the sight of God because they have been given the righteousness of Christ. A true believer in Christ, a person who loves the Lord with all their heart, mind, and strength is placed into a position of righteousness before a just and holy God. But for the believer to do good, they must walk in the Spirit and be lead by God. When they act in obedience to the Spirit of God, they act in righteousness and it becomes a ‘good work’.
The Bad
For those who act according to their own will, apart from God’s purposes, they act in pride, selfishness, and contempt for God’s will.
Psalm 19:12-13 “Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.”
Believers and non-believers alike can sin. The bad are those who sin against God’s moral law. Every commandment of God, every instruction in righteousness can be traced back to the Ten Commandments. To offend the commandments is to offend God.
Acting badly is not exclusive to the world, I’ve known many people who love the Lord (including myself), who lose sight of what is valuable and act in such a way that brings shame.
The world offends God and it does not fully comprehend the magnitude of sin. When believers offend God the Spirit of God brings conviction since their offense dampens the anointing of the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
Believers must confess their sins daily since remaining in the Spirit is imperative for them to be found effective in God’s Kingdom.
The Ugly
For those who despise God, who willfully blaspheme His name and reject His measure of love given through the sacrifice of Christ, their lives are marked for destruction.
Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The pathway of the fool is to reject the only way of salvation given to mankind.
To willfully sin is to spit in the face of God and defile His holiness. To reject so great of a salvation is to reject the gift of God that cost Him everything.
John 8:34-36 “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
As much as God hates sin, He is always reminding us it doesn’t have to be that way.
He wants you to be free. He wants you to know Him and abide with Him forever.
Life can at times seem like a spaghetti western, lots of drama, people acting like your friend one moment and turning on you the next. There is even times it feels like you have to fight your way out to survive. But in God’s Kingdom, the one who overcomes is the one who submits to God’s rule and reign in their life.
The Lord makes His people good and He claims the victory over them.
If you want to be a good person, be a follower of Jesus and let Him do the leading. You will then see the blessings of being found faithful.
U.T. 