07/18/2024
Goodness is our topic for consideration this morning. Let’s explore goodness and see how it relates to our faith and holiness. There are people who do good things and are considered good people, but have no, or very little, faith. There are people who have faith, but don't do good in their lives, and finally, there are those of faith who in their holiness do good many things. Which of these do we envision ourselves to be?
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23:6 ESV
But goodness cannot stand alone. Pastor E.M. Bounds, the devotional author that I am reading this year, marveled at this state of goodness in the world considering the lack of faith he found there, and wrote these words:
"We might wonder why so little is accomplished for the great work that God has in hand. The fact is that it is surprising that so much has been done through people with such weak faith."
He continued this thought by calling out for us to increase in holiness and to couple our faithfulness with the good works we do so that we could be used to greater effect in the world... God is good, but He is also holy, and so many other virtuous things, so it is not enough just to be good, listen to this summation…
"Strive towards higher spiritual quality and holiness through Christ Jesus, so that He can use you to do His great work on earth." – E. M. Bounds
None of this is radical new thinking. No, when Bounds taught in the late 1800s, and early 1900s, this was neither new, nor radical, teaching. Paul wrote about it too in his letter to the Galatians many centuries prior, and Bounds is merely rephrasing those words. Listen to what Paul wrote:
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:7-9 ESV
We are directed to lead holy lives and to do good in our lives. If we accomplish those two things then eternal life is our reward... Not just an eternal life on earth, but an eternal life in heaven with Jesus, and with God Himself.
As I was reading my morning devotional this morning it touched me profoundly. We are not just to be good people, but to go further. The bar was being set high for us by revealing a need to increase in faith and righteousness... to become holy.
"Let it be said again and again that holiness is the divine standard of religion. Nothing short of this will satisfy the divine requirement." – E. M. Bounds
So as I leaned back in my chair today I thought about how there are indeed good people who aren't holy, but in the end they will have missed the mark. There are marginally faithful people who try to compensate for their laxity with goodness, but they too have missed the mark. The goal in our struggle for eternity is a fullness of faith, a holy life, and to do the good things that come from living our lives that way. Paul encouraged the Galatians to meet this standard and we should heed his teaching as well.
We have all watched good hearted people show empathy for their fellow man. They have served meals with me at the Rescue Mission, but they don't have faith, and their service is based on things like pity, or a simple moral desire to help their fellow man. Their deeds are good, but they rest on their humanness and not on an outpouring of spiritual holiness... They are good people who have taken a step towards God but aren't quite there yet. Let’s ask ourselves today if we too are simply moral people, or if we are men and women of great faith who are striving every day to become holy as we live lives of goodness?
This morning as we pray, let's ask God for a deeper spirituality, faith, and holiness, and then let's ask Him to provide us with many opportunities to serve Him in a life of goodness that will allow us to demonstrate His character to the world. Let's ask Him for these things so that through His blessings, we will become more than just good people; we become holy people doing the good works of the Father. As we pray today let's ask that we be allowed to touch the lives of those who are simply doing good things, and to help bring them to a strong and holy faith in Jesus Christ… all for the glory of God.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for teaching me to be good, but more than this thank you for calling me to you through your Son Jesus Christ, and showing me how to believe, have faith, be righteous, and to elevate my love and relationship with you to the level of holiness, so that my goodness will be like yours, and will glorify you. Only you are good Father, but you give us of yourself as we strive to know you better, and to truly be display that we were created in your image. Help us to be holy as we abide in you, and you in us. Help us as we reach out to those in the world and show them how good you are, and how willing you are to redeem them through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God, and we pray that you will give us a helping of your holiness as well. Help us to be divine in our nature as we perform acts of kindness, mercy, and goodness in your name. We pray that in this way you will judge us worthy of eternity with you when at last we stand before you in judgement with our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ. We pray that you will see only those things we have learned of you, and not our old selves before the sinfulness was washed from us by the blood of Jesus. We pray for mercy, forgiveness, and your goodness to be applied to us and our lives, and that we are made perfect in our holiness. Praised be your name Lord, and we long to hear the world say as one, and forevermore… Amen to your goodness.
“And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
Mark 10:17-18 ESV
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Rich Forbes