December 31, 2019 @ 11:00 AM
On this New Year’s Eve, let’s take a look at the fundamental of life’s fundamentals. It is a profound truth that must be understood for the purpose of life to be perceived. It is found in the seemingly simple response of our Lord to being called “Good Master” by the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-18). Jesus asks this young seeker of eternal life, “Why do you call me good?” He then adds these utterly important words that the casual reader of Scripture carelessly passes over rather than seriously ponders: “There is none good but one, who is, God.”
Christ’s intention was to point out to the Rich Young Ruler the two prerequisites to eternal life. The first, which precipitated Christ’s question—Why do you call me good?—is to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the only true God. The second, which led to Christ’s supremely significant statement—There is none good but one, who is, God!—is to believe that Jesus Christ alone is good and that apart from Him there is no good. Tragically, the Rich Young Ruler, by going “away grieved,” because “he had great possessions” (Mark 10:22), proved himself unwilling to meet either prerequisite. He was unwilling to reject his idol (riches) in order to receive Christ as his God and sole purpose for living, which prompted our Lord’s lament, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:23).
When most people think of evil they think of bloodthirsty terrorists, infamous mass murderers, or notorious child abusers. However, evil is actually the inevitable consequence of the absence of God, who is the only good. No matter what good fallen man attempts to do apart from God, his actions are doomed to inevitably result in something bad rather than something good, since they are void of God who is the only source of good in this fallen world. Permit me to illustrate this important point and profound truth, which is seldom perceived by today’s misguided masses.
Is charity good? You may immediately answer with a resounding, "Yes!" However, if it is done to make you feel good about yourself, while at the same time brining no glory to God and doing little or no good at all for the needy, it is actually bad rather than good. Take for example our government's benevolence programs, while they allow our politicians to pat themselves on the back for their humanitarianism, they actually trap people on welfare, rob them of self-respect and personal initiative, bankrupt government coffers, overburden the already overburdened taxpayer, break down the home—the God-ordained bedrock of all orderly human society—and breed crime, drug abuse and alcoholism.
Almost everyone I know, including my brothers and sisters in Christ, believes in the possibility of good apart from God. They believe self-serving politicians and selfish people do many good things without any consideration of Christ. They perform "good" works without any felt need of Christ's help nor of their “good” deeds resulting in Christ's glory.
Little known to the vast majority of people today on planet earth is the fact that just beneath the surface of perceived good in this fallen world is the diabolical evil that got Satan thrown out of Heaven and Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden. It is the belief that we can produce good on our own and for our own glory, independent of God and indifferent to whether or not it glorifies God's Son Jesus Christ.
For fallen men (sinners) to join league with fallen angels in an effort to prove good possible apart from God is one thing, but for the saints to call such efforts "good" is something else altogether. We, who have exchanged the filthy rags of our own righteousness for the seamless robe of Christ perfect righteousness, who have been saved by Christ's good work for us, not by any of our “good” works for Christ, as well as by God's grace, not our own goodness, should know better!
To have a good year in 2020 necessitates a right definition of good. According to Jesus, the one and only true God, He alone is good and apart from Him there is no good. Therefore, anything in our lives, homes, churches or country void of Christ cannot possibly be good. Indeed, it will inevitably prove itself evil, since evil in its final analysis is nothing but the inevitable consequence of the absence of Christ, who is the only good in this fallen world.
Now that you know what, or should I say who, good is, here's hoping you'll have a good year in 2020. I pray it will be Christ-filled, not Christ-forsaking; otherwise, there is no possibility of the new year being a good year in your life.