God is not looking for good people

One of the most glaring misconceptions about Christianity that I observed among church-goers, non-church-goers and unbelieving people alike, was their preoccupation with the thought that it required them to be “good” people.  Spoken or unspoken, many people conveyed the message that they could never attain the perceivedstandard required of them; that is, “I’m not good enough and never will be.”  On the other hand, others gave strong indications that they could and were in fact, on the path to the required standard.  I came to the conclusion that the fault for this  misconception lies not with the people, it lies with the church.

One man told me, “After thirty years of not being near the church, I can still hear the voices of those old, hell-fearing priests telling us all we had to be good!”  He went on to say that the message was constantly reinforced by a fearful mother and father, but it was one he felt he’d never lived up to.  It seemed he was reliving those times as he spoke with me.  This man was spiritually blinded and bound.  He had fear written all over him and all I could think of was how much this deceptive, lying message must anger the loving, merciful and gracious God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ His Son.

A twenty year-old lady told me she doubted God’s existence. Her eyes gave her away however, so I mentioned that to her. She began to frown and then tell me that she preferred to doubt, because, “I don’t think there’s anything He would like about me, I am not a good girl.”  What a pleasure it was for me to give her the good news that Christianity is not about being “good.”  She had lots of questions following that statement and at the end of our time together she thanked me as she said, “I often think about these things, but nobody has ever explained them like you did today.”  I asked her to think of the explanations as coming from God, more-so than myself.

I met another man who used to be a church practitioner and he was clearly embarrassed as he informed me of this.  He said the pressure to conform to the church’s standards got too much for him so he, “opted out years ago.”  I’m very glad he did opt out and I told him so.  None of the pressures he was put under were from God, because none of them were biblical.  The Bible was used by the leadership in their preaching and teaching, but the Scriptures chosen for their doctrinal development were lifted out of context, then twisted and bastardized to make them say whatever they wanted them to say.

Mrs Lexton, a mid-thirties mother of three young children told me she had never heard the gospel message presented in the manner it was on the day of my first visit.  She too used the word “good” in relation to Christianity, but felt that it was a standard that had to be constantly met if she was ever going to meet with God’s approval.  When I shared a little of my past life with her and how it was anything but “good” she was very surprised.  Mrs Lexton also heard for the first time that Jesus was/is interested in every aspect of her life and that of her family, not just in the “religious” or church part.

A young man said in relation to God, “I have my own thoughts on these things,” so I asked him to share them with me. His thoughts were developed as result of rejecting his church doctrines. He was trying to break free from a legalistic group-think that had brainwashed him into believing he was part of the, “one true church.” Many denominations and groups claim to be that special “one” and I have learned by experience that it is simply not possible for a person to be free from any one of these who claims this for themselves unless we permit the Holy Spirit of God to do the work for us. The man thanked me for, “telling me in the way you have. It’s a nice change.”

Not everyone I spoke with was concerned for this lack of ability to be “good.”  Especially those associated with churches, lodges and service clubs.  The mere fact that they were part of such groups qualified them in their own mind as good people – giving, loving, tolerant – “far more-so than a lot of you Bible-bashers,” said one elderly man to me, in no uncertain terms.  Whilst it is true that many of these people are giving, loving and tolerant, I have observed that they can put limits on such noble qualities and behaviour, especially when their own required standards are not met in those whom they are serving.

The late J B Phillips once said, “People without Christ can be nice, but only to a point.  Nice people without faith (in Christ) have nothing to offer those who are not nice.  They have no gospel to offer.”  “Nice” people, or “good’ people, it makes little difference in my opinion, I have found Phillips’ statement to be true.  As long as everything is going along fine according to their own terms, these people can be giving, loving and tolerant, but the moment there’s some form of violation from the recipient, they will cut them off without hesitation.  In the words of one of my favourite old American Bible teachers, “They take no prisoners!”

So why is it that I say the fault lies with the church, rather than the people, who’ve embraced this misconception to be “good” ? Because most churches throughout the world in the past one-hundred and fifty years or more have limited the gospel of Jesus Christ down simply to morals and ethics and the “Golden Rule” mentality. In other words, “religious” leaders have dumbed down their people to think only in terms of goodness, morality and ethics. There is more emphasis placed on, “keeping the Ten Commandments,” than keeping the word of Christ, who alone came to fulfill what those Commandments require from each one of us.

When it comes to the Commandments – if these people see themselves as not honouring God, idolaters, taking His name in vain, not going to church, dishonouring their parents, or if they see themselves as murderers, adulterers, thieves, liars and covetous of their neighbour’s wife, servants, animals or property, then naturally they will see themselves as anything but good.  On the other hand, the opposite applies.  A person may see him or herself as one who meets most of those do’s and dont’s and will go on to judge themselves as “good” as a result.  They know they break some, “but……nobody’s perfect.” They justify their shortcomings, but judge others for theirs.

People say, “good is the enemy of best.”  God says, “Good is the enemy of righteousness.”  In other words, God is not looking for “good” people; He is looking for righteous people.  “Good” people go to hell, along with bad people.  Righteous people go to heaven.  God wants to work His miracle of righteousness in and through each one of us, but there is only one way in which this miracle can be received and that is through receiving the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ, alone.  Far too many churches do not teach this truth in it’s purity. They have added their own standards to it. 

Because the “not-so-good” person is ignorant of the pure truth, they think the (added) standards are from God and they resign themselves to thinking they’ll never make it, and so don’t bother to take it any further. They live with the guilt of it however.  Not so the thinking of the “good” person. Church-goer or not, he or she is out there making it happen and wants others to know it. They carry within them their long-established checklist of what is good and tick it off on a daily basis when they’ve met each condition, completely satisfied. But equally – completely oblivious of the smugness, conceit and self-righteousness that they manifest.

So what is righteousness?  It is a very important word to God, that’s why we see it mentioned in the Bible over three-hundred times.  The word ‘good’ is a very important one to God also – but never at the expense of righteousness.  In other words, no righteousness, no goodness.  This is the message the mainstream church has failed to proclaim.  The Bible shows us that righteousness is a characteristic of God alone.  It expresses all that God is and all that He does.  As well, righteousness is the word used in the Scriptures to describe whatever is pleasing to God. 

Most importantly of all, we see in the Scriptures that ‘righteousness’ is the word used to describe the right relationship each person is brought into with God when they humble themselves and receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. So what that means is – no Jesus Christ, no righteousness. We can only be made righteous in Him. All that God requires of each man and woman to become, we become in Christ – through faith. There is no other way of achieving within ourselves that which is good. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.