Are We Good People?

When we hear speakers talking about the people of the United States, they often refer to us as ‘good people.’ Speeches from public leaders, such as politicians, make references to the better angels of our nature, hinting that we are inherently kind, compassionate, understanding, and forgiving. That kind of thinking has permeated our society and even become commonplace in our churches. We accept that assumption as a fact, but is it really factual? Are we good people?

Are We Good People: A Reality Check

According to God, humankind has an inherent nature. It is assigned at birth by our parents, and that nature is passed down to all of us. Every. Single. One. Our nature (our core being) is outlined clearly in the pages of God’s Word (the Bible) and despite what others claim, the Bible states that we are sinners. It’s why you never have to teach a child to lie or steal. It’s why you don’t have to send someone to school and educate them in how to be selfish and self-centered. You never have to teach a person to despise or even hate another person.

Are We Good People: The Problem

How we view ourselves will determine how we respond to life. Others tell us that we are, by nature, good and kind. Others tell us that we are, by nature, generous. Others tell us that we are, by nature, loving and merciful, but that is not reality. Accepting those assumptions as truthful only feeds our self-centeredness. It creates a false sense of spiritual security and tends to make us think we are better than we actually are. It lies to us and distorts how we view others and, more importantly, how we view ourselves.

Are we good people? The answer to that question is resounding, and that answer is no. Here are just a few passages which will help clarify our faulty self-assessment;

Isa 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Eph 2:1-3

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Ps 51:5

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

Independence from God is just one of the results of thinking that we are essentially good. If we are good then we don’t really need God, right? We can take care of things on our own. We can lead our lives the way we see best. We can make our own judgments and do what we imagine is best. We believe that everything is okay because we assume that we are good. The results of that way of thinking are played out all around us, each and every day. Just look at everyday news stories.

Are We Good People: The Solution

Are we good people? If the answer to that question is yes then I have a question to pose. What is that answer based on? Is it based on what other people say? Is it based on trusting in personal acts of kindness? Is the answer based on the fact that it makes you feel better about yourself? If you believe so then I suspect that all these things are true in your thinking, but they are not what God thinks.

By submitting ourselves to the truth of God’s Word we are set free from the distortions of human self-assessment. By understanding the reality of our natural state we can appreciate what Christ has done for us, and it gives us a firm grip on reality. We become dependent on God and not ourselves, and as we offer our lives to Him He can make the changes in our hearts we so desperately need.

It is time to start seeking God and what He thinks, relying on the truth He provides in His Word. We need to stop giving ourselves credit where no credit is due. We need to trust in Christ on a day-by-day basis and not in ourselves. Only by committing to follow Him will we be freed from the delusion of being ‘good people,’  and become the people that He wants us to be!