No One Is Good But God

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone – Luke 18:19,NIV

Who comes to mind when you think of a “good person”? Perhaps someone you admire? Someone who does “good” things and serves the community? A generally happy person with a calming and joyful presence? Maybe you even think of yourself as a “good” or relatively “decent” person. Mostly, people see themselves as good, decent, or at least “not that bad”. We may not be as “saintly” as well-known missionaries such as Mother Theresa, Amy Carmichael, Elizabeth, or Jim Elliot. But we’re certainly not as bad as the objectively deplorable people we hear about in true crime documentaries or thriller films. Humans generally think of themselves as relatively “good”. 

As creations of God, we are regarded as “Very Good” in God’s word (Genesis 1:31). However, do you know that the word of God also says that NO ONE is good? (In and of ourselves, that is).

Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) says: 

“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.” (Emphasis added)

Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV) also says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

In our limited human minds, we tend to forget that God’s standard of good is so much higher than we could comprehend. Our idea of “good” is usually linked to doing or saying the right things. We often justify our behaviour, actions or thoughts based on our moral compass. As Christians, I would encourage us to be careful and recall what God says through the prophet Isaiah: 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

As you may have read from a previous Pruned Life article, I got saved at 19 in 2015. Before this, I grew up in a well-known Pentecostal Church. I went to church most Sundays, was involved with the choir, went to as many youth group meetings as possible, and generally kept up a “good girl” image in an attempt to do all I was taught was required to “make Heaven”. I took so much pride in how I was perceived by church leaders and older people in my church and how I was compared to my peers as an example of what a good girl should be. I was extremely concerned with keeping up this image and tried so desperately to be seen as a good girl, that I became a people pleaser. This is a source of pride that I still sometimes struggle with. However, as I said earlier, the character I portrayed was just an image. I mirrored the character I thought was required to be in God’s good graces. I was very prideful and sometimes thought, “at least I’m not as bad as other teenagers!” indeed, I’m doing enough for God to spare me His wrath and let me into Heaven!”. 

But deep down, I couldn’t deny my sinfulness, and I knew I wasn’t good enough. After all, I knew what went on in my mind and how filthy my heart really was. I knew the pride, jealousy, lust and bitterness in my heart and my motives for the many “good things” I thought I did for God. I knew that God saw all of this and that I couldn’t hide my true self from Him. Still, I continued living in denial and thought that if I answered altar calls, led worship and (pretended to) speak in tongues enough, I could appease God with my goodness.  

I use my testimony to point out that in our attempt to be good people, it’s very easy to forget that we are all descendants of Adam, and we all inherited his sinful nature and are equally capable of despicable things. 

In Romans 3: 10-12 (KJV), Paul reiterates what is said in Psalms 14 & 53 

“… 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.”

No amount of good in us even comes close to the perfection of God. Since the fall of man in Genesis 3, the Bible has shown time and time again that by God’s standards, we humans are NOT GOOD. We consistently fall short of God’s perfect way. Think of the Israelites, God’s chosen people. After they were led out of slavery in Egypt, they constantly complained and worshipped idols because they had made themselves the judge of what is good and bad instead of God. 

As Christians, we often get so caught up in the things we do or the ministries we are involved with that we forget that the goodness in us is God’s goodness and not ours. Even as creations of God, we are only good because of Him! We forget that when we compare ourselves with others that may not be doing as well as we are. We are Christians only by God’s Grace.

Though we are not good and fall short of the Glory of God, let me encourage you, my fellow Christian, by reminding you that GOD IS GOOD, and HE alone is all the “Good” we need! When He calls us to accept His precious gift of salvation, He isn’t asking us to clean ourselves up or make ourselves presentable; He asks us to come. He sent His only Son to die a death on the cross that we deserved so that HIS righteousness and not our own would cover us. 

Before I was saved, I desperately wanted to be as “spiritual” and godly as I thought various church leaders and peers were. So I would often answer altar calls repeatedly with a promise to do better at being a good enough person and reach that level of spirituality. My eventual salvation took coming to the end of myself, realising my standard of righteousness was “as a filthy rag” and fully accepting what Christ did for me on the cross.   

With my story, I’m reminded of the parable Jesus told the disciples about the Pharisee and the tax collector. One thanked God for his own goodness, and the other humbled himself and asked for mercy. I had to abandon the mindset of the pharisee and humble myself as the tax collector did.

Luke 18: 9-14 (ESV)

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

As Christians, we are given a higher calling and set apart to be like Christ, but it is impossible to be like Christ out of our goodness! When we accept God, we have eternal life and are made entirely new, not just a better version of our old selves. GOD’S righteousness continually sanctifies us, and the Holy Spirit works and is made manifest through us as we yield to Him. Therefore, the glory is all His and we have nothing to boast about.

Let us humble ourselves and only glory in the goodness of God and not our own. A very common verse to quote is the final part of Philippians 2:12 “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”, but don’t forget the next verse! “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 KJV, emphasis added) 

Psalm 25: 8-9 says:

“Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 The meek will He guide in judgement: and the meek will He teach his way.”

As we walk with Christ and strive to look more like Him, let us continually remind ourselves that God is the only good thing about us! He makes us good and covers us with His righteousness. Let this thought be an encouragement to you as you walk with God.  

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5: 8-9 (KJV)

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (KJV)