Is man good because he does some humanly good things?

If you can get to know someone well you learn things about them, perhaps you learn what their favorite color is, their favorite food, what type of music they enjoy, etc. From there the relationship usually goes into the area of religion and politics. Two things people say we are not to ever discuss. Ironically, it is the two things we probably discuss the most. For this article, I want to discuss religion and worldviews.

If you ask a person if they believe they deserve to go to heaven, most would say, “Yeah!” When you ask them why the general response would be, “Because I am a good person.” Many give to the poor, feed the hungry at the mission centers. Counseled those who have abused alcohol and drugs. Demonstrated through marches and protests for equal rights for all people through the doctrine of civil disobedience and the benevolent deeds go on and on.

These things humanly make our souls feel clean and free wouldn’t you agree?

But, is man actually good? Who determines if someone is good, man or God?

Let’s journey through God’s holy word and explore the truth.

The word good has a few words in the Greek language one of which is agathos. This word is an adjective. It describes that which is good in character or constitution; it is beneficial in its effect.

The Bible tells us that God is good and his mercy endures to all generations (Psalm 100:5). Simple verse but extraordinarily powerful. This describes God’s wondrous character. It’s a life verse for me. 

We should meditate on it everyday and praise God for his goodness and mercy toward us.

When the rich young ruler approached Jesus in Luke 18:18-19 asking him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (emphasis added).

So there is our answer. Jesus tells us that only God is good. God is not only good and perfect in his essence, everything he does is good. Good does not exist apart from God.

So, what about man? Since we know that we are not essentially good, how can anything we do be called good?

Man only does good things when it comes from a right heart and motive. Jesus said, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. By their fruit you shall know them” (Matt 7:17-20).

Fruit in this context is representative of deeds one performs. The tree is a representation of people. Bad or evil people will perform evil deeds. A righteous person will perform good deeds.

People who belong to God have been predetermined by God before the foundation of the world to perform good or righteous works (Eph 2:10). The good we do for the glory of God is enabled by Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of us.

Listen to Paul’s words in Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God working in you both to will and do of his good pleasure.

So, the good that we do is a moral and righteous good since we can never be essentially good in this life. Man’s essential goodness was lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

Man at the point inherited a sinful nature.

As a matter of fact, Jesus called man evil. In Luke 11:13 Jesus says, “If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

The word evil in verse thirteen Of Luke 11 is the Greek word poneros. This word means several things: bad, worthless, pernicious. Wickedness in character and indeed.

Jesus acknowledged that unrighteous people can do kind things, but that does not make them good.

Remember, all men whether saved or unsaved still are in the image of God, and although our attributes are corrupted by our sinfulness, we can on occasion do good things. It would deny natural parental instincts not to take care of our own children. No matter how depraved man is, we should do good to our own and others.

Finally, those that are declared righteous in the sight of God are capable of doing good because God has enabled them to do good that pleases him. Any act that does not glorify God may be a naturally kind human act, but it is not an act that pleases God and therefore is evil.