God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!
Psalms 53:2-3 NLT
http://bible.com/116/psa.53.2-3.NLT
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.
Mark 10:18 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mrk.10.18.NLT
Do we think that we are good?
Do we think that we deserve credit or reward for the good things that we have done?
Do we compare ourselves to others and say either, look how good I am compared to them – or look how much more good they are than me. Foolish pride and envious sinner, depart from us, satan.
Comparison to others is dangerous because it is going to generate either pride or envy. You see, we are are nothing at the foot of the cross – but it is Christ in us who is good. So if we see good in another, we must recognize that the hand of God upon their life is the only true good. We must recognize that the deceitful hearts of men can act good for their own benefit, honor, and exaltation – giving the appearance of good while serving their own selfish motives.
So we shouldn’t walk by sight, comparing what we see in others to what we see in ourselves – because who can know the true motives and the depths of darkness within the heart of man but God? We should walk by faith, comparing ourselves to Christ, humbling ourselves at the foot of the cross, not seeking glory our honor or recognition our reward, but seeking to be a servant to the Lord and to others – expecting persecution and trial in this life, but setting our sites upon reconciliation with our glorious Lord and Savior.
Instead of looking for good in people, either see Christ in them, or see the healing that they need in their lives to remove the influence of the enemy. See with spiritual eyes what is really occurring in the imperishable and eternal spirit.
Too often we rely on our physical senses alone, which leads us to assigning people to categories of either good or bad. The Word of God tells us, there are no good people. The only good is God. The only good is Christ who lives in His children. Claiming His good as our own leads to spiritual pride and evidence of a religious attitude, revealing the leaven of the Pharisees. Judging others bad because of visible evidence of their imperfection, not having yet been fully sanctified and reconciled to be like their teacher, is also evidence of the legalistic attitude of prideful comparison, revealing the evidence of that accuser of the brethren.
So let’s be careful and not compare ourselves to anyone but Christ. Let’s keep ourselves in that sororities position of safety, humble at the foot of the cross. And let’s boast not in ourselves, but in what Christ is doing in us and through us.
Let our hardened hearts and blind spiritual eyes be healed, be opened to see not just the theology, not just the logic, not just the religion – but to know the love, of Christ who lives in us and who is reconciling this world to Himself – destroying with fire what is diseased and dead, and refining what is part of His Kingdom.
Are you part of His Kingdom, friend? That doesn’t mean that you are good, that means that you have surrendered your life to the pursuit of Christ – given up the pursuit of self-fulfillment and traded it for a life of self-discipline – and you will find that in doing so, in seeking first the Kingdom of God, that all of the things that are wonderful and eternal are yours.
Don’t think yourself wise. Don’t think yourself good. The Word of God is faithful and true.
Harold J. Ballinger 