Radical Goodness

"I am a good person" is a common statement I hear when non-christians try to explain why they believe their goodness level has earned them a spot in whatever form of heaven they believe might exist after this life.

And, I suppose, if we compare ourselves to a serial killer or pedophile sitting in a prison cell up the road, we do look pretty good, don't we? But what about if our level of "goodness" was measured against the perfect and radical goodness of God Himself? I'd imagine each of us would have plenty of discrepancies to confess. For some, maybe we'd have to admit that we have or currently struggle with losing our temper, or telling white lies to avoid confrontation, or lusting after someone we shouldn't be thinking about in that way, or an occasional vice that we just haven't gotten around to kicking yet.

The point is, the only perfectly "good" Being that has ever existed, is the very God who has always existed. His eternal goodness does not falter depending on the cultural norms or surrounding pressures. He alone should be our measure of what good truly is. And, when we measure ourselves to His standard of goodness, we will always fall short. Thankfully, Jesus Christ resolves this imbalance in that He took on our imperfections, nailed them to the cross, and clothes us with His perfect righteousness when we place our faith in Him as Savior. 

Throughout the month of July, we will be looking at the differences between the world's definition of "good" versus the radical goodness that comes only through the Holy Spirit of God.