In Romans 1:18-32, Paul made the case for all those with a depraved mind being condemned certainly. Most people would agree with his list as deserving. Although some would not count sexual immorality in the same group as those in the final list. “They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. ..Rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless” (Romans 1:29-31). But what about the “good people”, surely God cannot judge them the same way as those. Yet, who are the good people? And who determines or states what is good?
The secular humanist movement in the early 1900s determined to write about these good people. They purported that we are born good people who only need society to change so our goodness could be manifested or evolved properly. Their goal to make a case for humankinds’ innate goodness, denying that God existed. “We are an evolving species,” they declared. Utopia could be ours, if we change our society.
Yet, in direct response to their first manifesto the 20th century brought the bloodiest century in history. Hitler’s ideologies came directly from their teaching that the fittest of the species should survive, directly from their ideas of evolutionary change. With him came the holocaust, but the millions killed there only represented a drop in the bucket of lives lost. WWI and WWII brought so many casualties. Then, there was Stalin, again whose socialist ideas mirrored those of the secular humanists to develop the Utopian society. Millions died under Stalin, as did under Mao in China, 20% of Cambodia’s population under Pol Pot, and those in Rwanda. So, the “good people” said “oops.”
And the Good People Who Don’t Know or Who Deny God?
After the first failed experiment, the secular humanist instead of embracing the truth of their failure merely wrote another manifesto. This time they decided to embrace “free love” with sexual freedom as their first agenda. Ultimately, sexual freedom as they embraced led to the utter breakdown of the family, millions of abortions (as such freedom leads to protecting ones “body” for pleasure only) and to “personal self-centeredness”. Ultimately, “my pleasure is more important than anyone else. Therefore, “if you don’t satisfy my current set of needs I don’t need you” became the motto. Instead of leading to harmony this of course lead to more disharmony.
While proclaiming all to be based on scientifically proven facts that humans were evolving to higher levels of goodness, they instead embraced theories which have since been proven erroneous. Hence why their surprise when the generations they indoctrinated in our schools became relativists who believe there is no truth outside of what one believes. Therefore, for them, nothing is true except “how I feel at any moment.”
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator” (Romans 1:24-25).
Therefore, those thinking themselves good apart from God, discovered ever growing hatred and division. Despite which, their ideologies have fully invaded our churches, our politics, and our very lives. While thinking our self as a moral agent, we fail to accept the very truth of our own wickedness. How quickly I forget the depths of my own depravity and the floods of grace I needed to be saved.
No One Deserves Salvation
This is what Paul is so trying to point out throughout Romans. Oh wretched man, apart from Christ there is no hope of salvation. This is the point as he begins chapter two.
“Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Romans 2:1-4
He is also addressing all those who so pretended to be righteous; yet did not truly know God. They merely went through the motions. Covering themselves with their own pious self-righteousness, they denied the very one who could provide salvation.
They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.(Romans 10:2-4).
Only God is Righteous
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?..27 Why sayest thou, …My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (Isaiah 40 21, 27-29)
Only God is righteous. Therefore, only God can judge another. We cannot for we do not see their heart. Never do we know the truth that only God can see, for He is truth, justice, goodness and righteousness. Beneath His gaze I am unworthy were it not for the blood of Christ that covers my sin. Every day as I read His word, my heart is dissected by His blazing eyes.
So, What About The Good People Without God?
So without God, there are no truly good people. As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God’ (Romans 3:10-11).
This brings me to these two thoughts.
- My only hope is Jesus Christ. In Him, I live breath and have my being. By Him all things consist. There is no true goodness apart from Him. For that reason I humbly bow before His throne of Grace, repentant of my sin. I there lay my sin and my heart at the foot of the cross, confessing my utter inability to save myself. Believing that God is the creator of the universe and that Jesus Christ, His Son, left His throne in heaven to be born of a virgin to live among us. He came to die on the cross, bare in His body the full wrath of God against sin. Having, Himself paid the penalty for all my sins, He then offers the gift of salvation to me, if only I by faith believe and accept Him as my Savior and Lord of my life.
- Therefore, how can I judge another? I cannot, only God can. However, it is my duty to with the help of the Holy Spirit, discern truth. And then, with God as my strength, march forward, spreading the truth of the gospel and dispelling the lies presented around me. Boldly proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Love demands that.
Because:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)
He imputes His righteousness to all who accept Him as Lord and Savior. It cannot be earned. No church affiliation can give it to anyone. No one is born into it. Only Christ Jesus can cover a sinner’s heart with His righteousness through faith in Him.
Furthermore, once saved, God takes on the responsibility of transforming each heart into one that loves Him with all its strength, heart, mind and soul.
Therefore, how can I or anyone judge another? If my salvation is by grace alone; what do I have to brag of? I am to stand firm against sin while reaching forth a hand of grace to the sinner, telling them the truth of the gospel without fear.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2019
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.