ONLY GOD IS GOOD

A certain man came to the Lord, “Good Master” the man said, (Matt 19:16-17) What good thing must a person do for life when he is dead? Then Jesus said, “you’ve called Me good. That’s true of God alone. No other person qualifies, just as the Lord has shown. It was a revelation. There’s people all around. Not one of them is truly good, as most of us have found. And so we say, “Oh really? I think I’m doing fine. I’m better than most people. I’m not on the bread line. I’m sure that God approves of me. In fact I’m doing well!” But this is certainly the way to be to be consigned to Hell. We think the definition of good is what we do. We overlook our weaknesses and say. “Compared with you, I’m in a good position. I do not smoke or swear. (Can you detect a little bit of nose up in the air?) I never cheat my neighbour. I am a splendid man. I pay my tithes, I do not steal. And do the best I can. If all of this is not enough to satisfy the Lord, Then all my friends and neighbours will think that I’m a fraud. But sadly there’s an error, if this is what you say. The standard you’re required to pass is not yours anyway. You’ve got to be much better than that which Christ has set. This isn’t true of any man that I have ever met. For Jesus Christ is righteous in all and everything. Not once in all His lifetime, did He commit a sin. This isn’t true of anyone, that I have come to know. There’s always just a little thing to make their “goodness” go! So Jesus, in the comment He made upon that day, Was absolutely accurate. There wasn’t any way, That man could match that standard. But Jesus Christ was God. So when he said “Good Master” it truly wasn’t odd! So you and I can celebrate. Rejoice in what He did! He gave us all His righteousness. His sinlessness He hid, Until His task was finished and He died for our sins. This deed gave us His sinlessness, so that we all could win, Our contest with the devil. He now sees us as “good”. And through the power of His blood, that’s what he truly should. This seems a contradiction. God’s righteousness is mine. The “goodness” He has given me is utterly Divine! Jim Strickland – Written Monday, 17 October 2011