Being Good Is Not Good Enough

“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.’”(Mark 10:17-18 NIV)

Most people have a difficult time understanding how a good person could end up in Hell.  In fact, it is a stumbling block for many.  If their very good grandmother, aunt, mother, or uncle is sent to Hell, then they want nothing to do with a God like that.  But they are failing to realize that being good is not the standard God set for any of us.  Being good will never be good enough and Jesus tells us why.

In this conversation with a man, Jesus is not denying His divinity; instead He is making a point.  It was typical then, as it is today, to laud a man for his goodness, as if somehow that gained him favor with God.  This man didn’t recognize Jesus as God, only as a good man.  Jesus points out that only God is good, echoing the words of the Psalmist (Psalm 14:3) that no man is good.  

If God is the only one that is good, then where does that leave us?  In a world of hurt if we rely only on our goodness to somehow please God. The bar is set way too high.  Our goodness can never be good enough. So we can be kind and thoughtful, always showing respect to people and doing many good deeds in the world, but it will not be good enough.  If it were, then why would Jesus’ crucifixion be necessary?  If we could earn our way into Heaven based on our good deeds, then why would Jesus have to die?  As Paul clearly states, we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own good deeds. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It is difficult to know how to respond to the person who asks, “but what about my grandma?  She was a wonderful person but she never went to church.”  All I can say is I know God is fair and He will never give anyone a raw deal.  I also know that everyone must come to God humbly acknowledging themselves as sinners in need of forgiveness.  For only then are we in the position to receive God’s grace, and it is by that grace we are saved.  

Many strive to be good and that is not a bad thing, but for it to count for anything, we must be doing it as a result of receiving God’s grace, not to earn it.  He is the only one that is good and we will never be good enough without His grace.  

© Jim Musser 2014