Listen: http://www.wayneamydutoit.com/Wayne/is-good-good-enough/
{Desire – to change, motivating factors / consequences / benefits}
I have heard people say that that are “good” people. That if there is a God and He is a God of love that He would not throw them into hell, because they are “good” people.
Most people will freely admit that they have done things wrong, lied, cheated, stolen (even a pen from work is stealing), so they don’t generally say that they deserve to go to heaven but they don’t feel they deserve hell!
If these are the only two options, when is “Good”, Good Enough?
If you can’t be good enough, has God stacked the deck and just waiting for us to fail, knowing we will fail then condemning us to hell because we failed?
What about all the good things I have done, are they worthless?
How is that fair?
Even if a God like that exists, I don’t want to believe in Him!
Is it all a big cosmic joke?
Who told you that you needed to be good enough?
Who made being good a requirement for getting into heaven?
Our world revolves around proving yourself, passing tests, working to gain approval.
The world is fallen and does not operate the way God operates, that is why the bible is so countercultural, why it states that the wisdom of the bible is foolishness to the world (1 Corinthians 1:18 – 25).
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach[b] to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthian 1:18-25 ESV)
{Knowledge – information that supports the need for change, deal with objections}
Let us agree that God works differently to us, He thinks differently to us (Isaiah 55:8-9)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)
Who told you that you needed to be good enough?
People struggle with not being good enough,
Perfectionism (trying to be good enough on your own), my parent had unrealistic expectations of me, blaa
Underlying each of us is the understanding that, we are not good enough. Deep down we know, we try to hide it to cover it up, but we know we are not perfect.
Why is that?
To find the answer we need to go way back, Genesis 3
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast
of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a]
shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman
said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees
in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit
of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you
touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman,
“You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat
of it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil.”6 So when the woman saw that
the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight
to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to
make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she
also gave some to her husband who was with her,
and he ate. (Genesis 3:1-5 ESV)
A seed of doubt is sown “Did God actually say?”, once you doubt God you can ask questions and this can lead to unbelief or at least a belief that something has been withheld from you. Unbelief leads to pride, the self rises over God then to an action of Sin.
Once unbelief had root, She looked at the tree in a new way, “It was good for food, a delight to the eyes”. Ignoring God’s warning of death, the selfish desire to be more that God created them to be. She wanted to be wise like God, God was withholding something.
The devil deceived Eve with the Exact Same lie(desire) that deceived Him!!! The lie that God is withholding, that we can be more without God. He fell by this lie and still uses it today to fool others.. (independence is separation from God, it is isolation)
She eats and gives some to adam who is with her and does nothing, Adam who has been charged by God to care for all creation including Eve, does nothing but get suckered in as well.
They eat, desiring to be more.
The lie was not that they would know Good and Evil but that they were in some way lacking!!
By eating their eyes were indeed opened but, this new state was not an improvement!!
it was actually a lessening of their humanity, a defect was introduced.
A computer with a virus is not more of a computer, a mobile phone with a broken screen is not more of a phone.
Yes they have something that a fully functioning computer or phone has, but the additional thing is not adding to the features but rather making the whole device defective.
Adam and Eve were already perfectly human, they were human in the way we were supposed to be, they were human in the way Jesus was human, they had the ability not to sin!!!
So they made a bad choice, they made a mistake, what is the big deal??
Well this mistake was actually a very personal attack on the character of God, disbelieving His word (he created the universe through His word!), it was rebellion against God and a personal rejection of God.
Hebrews 3:8, states that “they [The Israelites] hardened their heart in the rebellion”, rebellion is treason.
Hebrews 3:13, states that the deceitfulness of sin is the thing that hardens the heart.
These were not stupid children, Adam and Eve were created by the very hand of God, he named all the animals. They knew God! Their desire for their own will, self fulfilment moved them from the provision and protection of God.
They broke the covenant with God, not only was it a personal rejection, it was a broken promise.
This put us in the wrong with God, now we owing God a debt we are not able to pay because we are broken defective products. You can not undo knowing evil.
So why is this my problem? Adam was the first man and the head of the human race, the covenant (deal) was made with Adam.
It is written that Adam was made in the image of God,
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
(Genesis 1:27 ESV)
Seth, adam’s 3rd son (but only legitimate heir, after cain killed Able) it is written that he is in the image of Adam.
he fathered a son in his own likeness,
after his image, and named him Seth.
(Genesis 5:3 ESV )
We are each born into the family of Adam, in the image and likeness of Adam. This means being born with the defect carried by and introduced by Adam. We are all born into broken relationship with God.
This means, and this is very important. No person can be born that is in right relationship with God, without the defect, we are conceived by sinful parents, born into a state of separation from God. We then grow and commit our own sins and so it continues.
The simply means there is nothing we can do in our own strength to change the situation, we have wronged God and can not make amends because no matter how much we try everything we do carries the same defect and therefore is not good enough. We cannot contribute to our own salvation.
This means we have a sinful nature, but it does not mean that every man is as evil as he could possibly be, nor that man is unable to recognise the will of God; nor yet, that he is unable to do any good towards his fellow man or even give outward allegiance to the worship of God.
Mention that these scriptures are in the notes.
[Genesis 6:5; John 5:42; Rom. 5:12-14; 7:18,23; 8:7; Eph. 4:18; II Tim. 3:2-4; Tit. 1:15; Heb. 3:12; 1 Cor 2:14]
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man[Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5:12a ESV)
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5)
They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:3)
every intention of the thoughts of his[Man] heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. (Romans 7:18)
We are born into a state of sinfulness, even though a baby may not have committed any of its own sins yet, each of us will commit sin because we are humans with a sinful nature.
I have three little boys and nobody needed to teach them how to be selfish, how to disrespect and dishonour, how to lie, you get the point.
Having a sinful nature does not mean that it is impossible for people to do good in any sense of the word.
People are still able to perform:
natural good : acts of kindness toward each other
civil good or civil righteousness; and : obey laws
externally religious good : appear spiritual and religious
What I mean is that unrenewed people (that is people without acceptance of Jesus and renewed by the Spirit) cannot do any act, however insignificant, which fundamentally meets with God’s approval because it has a defect.
People also cannot change their fundamental preference for sin and self, to a preference to love God, nor even attempt to change themselves.
Basically, people are unable to do any spiritual good.
Mention that the scriptures are in the notes [John 1:13; 3:5; 6:44; 8:34; 15:4,5;Rom. 7:18,24; 8:7,8; 1 Cor. 2:14; II Cor. 3:5; Eph. 2:1,8-10; Heb. 11:6.]
So, Is Good, Good Enough?
Is defective Goodness, Good Enough?
Is broken Goodness, Good Enough?
Is isolated Goodness, Good Enough?
Is independent Goodness, Good Enough?
Illustration
Excrementopolis – people covered in excrement everything is covered no matter what you grow, cook, eat wear it is covered.
This is a crude illustration but we need to communicate the gravity of the situation and the utter repulsiveness of sin to God, this only scratches the surface.
We all live in Excrementopolis
But, you were born there so you are used to it, everything you see has the same defect, same excrement covered aroma that you get used it, it becomes normal, you even think some of the excrement covered things you do are Good.
Your definition of Good, removes excrement from the equation because everything has excrement in it and on it so you can cancel out the constant value.
Society has variable standards based on cultural norms.
What about an absolute standard and definition that states anything containing excrement is not considered, good or pleasing.
This definition, is counter cultural and difficult to understand for someone who is blinded to the excrement.
Some people are a bit more covered than others, and we can look down on them, even though we still have some on us.
You see a person covered in a bit more that you and you decide to bake them a cake, Belgian Chocolate Poo Cake.
You put in a lot of effort, you make it look pretty and you take it to the fellow on the street and give it to him.
He is thankful for his poo cake and you feel really good about yourself.
You have done something good, you are a good person.
Challenge / Application:
So we are not perfect, we are fallen, we are citizens of Excrementopolis.
God does not think that we are anything but what we are.
I’ll let you in on secret “He Knows”, He knows you!! Luke 12 tells us he knows the number of hairs on your head.
So how can we who are so far from what God requires, ever get into heaven?
Is defective, (poo cake) good, good enough?
No!!!
Will it ever be good enough?
No!!!
BUT, Does it need to be?
Who ever told you you needed to be good enough?
There is a way, it is not a hidden way, not a secret way, but it is a way that requires us to be humbled.
It requires us to admit we are weak, it can never be earned, it’s freely available.
If you believe that you do not deserve to go to Hell, are you willing to let someone else do the work required to get you into heaven?
Can you lay your pride aside?
Back to the Illustration
What we need is someone with a powerwasher and a bucket of Jiff.
Someone who can see the excrement for what it is.
A saviour, a cleaner.
He sees the dirt, he sees the defect, sees the excrement.
Despite this he is willing to come and start the long difficult job of cleaning and renewing you.
He can come in and scrub you down from the inside out, put Jiff in you so that you are no longer covered by that is in your surroundings. It is not you that is able to clean things but the Jiff you have been given. It is the cleaning cream that is available to you to use, to clean yourself and to give to others.
The remedy must come from outside of the person, if you have no means to clean yourself no matter what you do you remain dirty.
Explain: Salvation
We had a sinful, defective state that we could not fix ourselves, the only way to bridge the gap is for God to make a way, that is exactly what He does.
He send Jesus into our mess, into our world to walk around in it, to experience it.
But the amazing thing is He is never made dirty by it. He not covered by any of the excrement.
Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit, born to a virgin is not born with the same defect. He is human 100% but human the way we are supposed to be, not stained, not of Adam.
He is the second Adam, providing a new family for us to be apart of one that is clean and regenerated and re-instated as children of God.
This why the virgin birth is so important.
This means that our fundamental preference has now shifted from a preference or inclination for sin and self to love for God and the will of God. Not through our own action but through the acceptance of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and repentance and recognition of our current state.
Sin is not a small thing, just because we are used to seeing it does not mean it is insignificant,
the price of sin was the life of Jesus,
the blood of Jesus.
Sin is so bad, so personal to God that the only way it could be dealt with permanently was by having His own Son die on a cross,
God put himself on a Cross for you!!!
Does that sound like a cruel God, looking to punish you?
Does that sound like a God that does not care for you?
Does that sound like a God that is making it difficult for you to get to Him, to get to heaven?
Our pride tells us that even if a safe clear road to the top of the mountain has been built for us, unless I can get to the top by using a track I made myself, or follow a road that I think is best, then when I get to top I should be accepted because I got there on my terms.
This is pride and independence that you are free to choose, but do not for a second think that you have any power, right or ability to enforce your choice or will onto the Creator of the Universe.
You are the creation, Not the creator. (no matter what philosophy you have been fed, you know you are not a God on a journey of becoming, you are not the God of your own universe, master of your own destiny. These thing sound good because they feed our pride, same as adam and eve. Instead we are asked to humble ourselves before the creator and accept His help, His love, His way.)
We are not able to control the number of breaths we have been given, the very breath of God is in us and keeping us alive
The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4 ESV)
We need God to just breath, how much more do we need Him to provide a way to Himself.
He created because He wanted to, He provided the way to Himself because he loves us.
God loves you so much, but you do not make the rules.
God provided a way, can you get over yourself long enough to see it for what it is?
A gift, God created you that way you are, he created you to need Him, He does not need you.
He sacrificed Himself for you to show you that you are of great value, but you need to accept the gift.
5 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect
has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with
confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV)
Jesus understands
He gives us access to God
We only need to accept and know there is nothing we could ever do to earn it but God made a choice to reach down to you.
“And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are
naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account”
(Hebrews 4:13 ESV)
We all stand naked and exposed before God, I would rather that God sees Jesus’ righteousness than my sin.
Response:
So, Is good, good enough?
Can you see how trying to be good on your own, is offering something foul and offensive to God?
Your gift like that gift of Cain to God is the wrong type of gift, God does not want it.
You could say well shouldn’t God be happy that Cain came and offered something to God, that is what he had.
God never has and never will need us!
He does not need our praise, worship or gifts of “good” works.
They are all repulsive to him unless we are able to admit our pride.
Offering gifts to anyone on our own terms is not a real gift but a way of enforcing our own independence our own will.
God chooses to love us
God’s grace is His to give, He chooses to make it available to you
We need to be able to humble ourselves and accept the gift God has made available, then we are clean and righteous before Him.
Now, after accepting God’s grace!!! If we present a gift of any work or an offering of any kind it is sweet and gladly accepted by God. Now that offering is given to God not out of our strength but as thanks for His strength and grace.
Is good, good enough, Never!!
But you don’t need to be good, you only need to believe.
Jesus is good and He is enough.
If you are listening to this and you want to accept this gift, you have never accepted Christ as your saviour.
then today I want to pray with you and Jesus will come and wash you clean.
For all others, if you want to reconnect with God, repent of sins of pride, independence.
I would like to pray with you.
