What standard do you use to measure your own and others goodness?
I ask because perceptions of goodness, our own included, are relative to the standard by which we measure them. C.S.Lewis once said, 'The holier I get, the unholier I realise I am.' In other words, the more he matured toward Christ's likeness (Lewis's standard of goodness), the greater his realisation on how far he had to go. Likewise, for Jesus, the standard was his Father (Mark 10:18). Which is to say: God's standard of good is Himself. A standard by which God looks upon humanity and declares, "There is none that does good, no, not one." (Romans 3:12); another way of saying that in comparison to God our goodness is negligible.
Sound too harsh? Surely some part of how we live could be commended as good?
The problem, again, is perspective. So easy it is to measure goodness by the standard of the fallen creation, rather than the Holy Creator. A perspective that prejudices us against the seriousness of our sins. For example, a close work colleague once told me he considered himself a "good person", this in response to a discussion about having to one day face God in judgement. It seemed an odd response to me, for I knew he'd committed adultery, was a liar of convenience, and quite happy to steal items from work if he knew he could get away with it. Yet, by his standard of measure, he was good.
Compare this to the lament of King David (a man after God's own heart), who wrote,
My iniquities have overtaken me so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart fails me. ~ Psalm 40:12-13
I wonder how the 'think-positive' gurus of today might have counselled David. Maybe told him to forget the past, just focus on the positive? Told him that, overall he was a good man. That you, David, are the sum of your better self, therefore don't let your sins enter into the goodness equation, they will only make you feel bad about yourself. Unlike the worlds wisdom, the wisdom from above advises sinners this way:
Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour. ~ James 4:9-11
Dismissing truths about ourselves so as to present a pleasant measure of ourselves is delusional, and ultimately foolish. Akin to the person with cancer asserting their health, or the homeless their material wealth. After all, whose perspective of us is more real? Gods, or our own?
Also, the perspective we choose to believe will have far-reaching and eternal ramifications. For if I am to believe that I am 'good enough', I'm very unlikely to seek a God who calls for sinners to repent. In truth, humanity is lost because it seeks its own way to goodness, not understanding the truth about goodness, nor having the power to live as truly good. Thankfully, Jesus tells us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Therefore, he advises, give up on looking to your own goodness as merit before God. For God's measure of goodness cannot be met by fallen man. Rather we are called to accept our lack of goodness, our lack of merit, and present ourselves before a God who has said that he can make us good despite ourselves. Not by lowering his measure of goodness, but by promising a future change in us that both He and we can look forward to. A future change made possible through Christ. A change that can begin now, by the transforming power of Gods Spirit of grace (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2), and be perfected at the time when Christ returns to give His followers new bodies fit for the presence of a perfectly good God.
I have no doubt that even when the best of us finally see God, they will fall to their knees in both awe and wonder. At that time, we will all, at last, behold God. A Being who is so far above us in every way as to put the lie to all our misconceptions of what true goodness is.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~1 Corinthians 15:51-57
I ask because perceptions of goodness, our own included, are relative to the standard by which we measure them. C.S.Lewis once said, 'The holier I get, the unholier I realise I am.' In other words, the more he matured toward Christ's likeness (Lewis's standard of goodness), the greater his realisation on how far he had to go. Likewise, for Jesus, the standard was his Father (Mark 10:18). Which is to say: God's standard of good is Himself. A standard by which God looks upon humanity and declares, "There is none that does good, no, not one." (Romans 3:12); another way of saying that in comparison to God our goodness is negligible.
Sound too harsh? Surely some part of how we live could be commended as good?
The problem, again, is perspective. So easy it is to measure goodness by the standard of the fallen creation, rather than the Holy Creator. A perspective that prejudices us against the seriousness of our sins. For example, a close work colleague once told me he considered himself a "good person", this in response to a discussion about having to one day face God in judgement. It seemed an odd response to me, for I knew he'd committed adultery, was a liar of convenience, and quite happy to steal items from work if he knew he could get away with it. Yet, by his standard of measure, he was good.
Compare this to the lament of King David (a man after God's own heart), who wrote,
My iniquities have overtaken me so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart fails me. ~ Psalm 40:12-13
I wonder how the 'think-positive' gurus of today might have counselled David. Maybe told him to forget the past, just focus on the positive? Told him that, overall he was a good man. That you, David, are the sum of your better self, therefore don't let your sins enter into the goodness equation, they will only make you feel bad about yourself. Unlike the worlds wisdom, the wisdom from above advises sinners this way:
Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour. ~ James 4:9-11
Dismissing truths about ourselves so as to present a pleasant measure of ourselves is delusional, and ultimately foolish. Akin to the person with cancer asserting their health, or the homeless their material wealth. After all, whose perspective of us is more real? Gods, or our own?
Also, the perspective we choose to believe will have far-reaching and eternal ramifications. For if I am to believe that I am 'good enough', I'm very unlikely to seek a God who calls for sinners to repent. In truth, humanity is lost because it seeks its own way to goodness, not understanding the truth about goodness, nor having the power to live as truly good. Thankfully, Jesus tells us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Therefore, he advises, give up on looking to your own goodness as merit before God. For God's measure of goodness cannot be met by fallen man. Rather we are called to accept our lack of goodness, our lack of merit, and present ourselves before a God who has said that he can make us good despite ourselves. Not by lowering his measure of goodness, but by promising a future change in us that both He and we can look forward to. A future change made possible through Christ. A change that can begin now, by the transforming power of Gods Spirit of grace (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2), and be perfected at the time when Christ returns to give His followers new bodies fit for the presence of a perfectly good God.
I have no doubt that even when the best of us finally see God, they will fall to their knees in both awe and wonder. At that time, we will all, at last, behold God. A Being who is so far above us in every way as to put the lie to all our misconceptions of what true goodness is.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~1 Corinthians 15:51-57
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