FOR GOODNESS SAKE
Believe it or not, we Americans have an obsession with goodness! We have a fixation with feeling good and looking good. We all want to feel good. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. I for one do not want to feel bad! On the other hand, we must admit that many of us have made a religion out of doing whatever it takes to feel good. Most of us also want to look good. Again, that is not evil. Who wants to look bad or be embarrassed? So, we lose weight, buy flattering clothes, fix our hair, wear make up, etc. Should we be obsessed with goodness? Absolutely! It is just that we should, in the words of another, “Hold thou the good; define it well (Alfred Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam).
We should be Good Jesus spoke of people being “good” and of those who hear the Word “with a good heart” (Lk. 8:15). There are several different Greek words translated “good” in the New Testament. The one rendered “good” in these verses means, “that which is morally good, beneficial, acceptable to God.” Jesus thought that we should be good.
We should do Good Paul wrote, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). Every believer should seize every opportunity to do good to everybody. Anytime any of us can do anything beneficial to anybody we should do it, especially, if the person is a fellow believer.
John Wesley’s rule was, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the way you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
We should Talk about the Good News The Greek word translated “gospel” means “good news.” The good news is that Jesus Christ died for our sins and arose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-4). The greatest good news I’ve ever heard is that eternal life is a gift (Rom. 6:23) and that all I have to do is trust Jesus Christ for eternal life (Jn. 3:16). Needless to say, we should talk about the good news (Mk. 16:15). I will not labor this point. I did that in my book, Evangelism: A Biblical Approach.
If we are good, do good, and talk about the good news down here, we will look good (1 Jn. 2:28) and feel real good (Mt 24:21) up there.
As Shakespeare asked in As You like it, “Can one desire too much of a good thing?”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 4/29/2001
We should be Good Jesus spoke of people being “good” and of those who hear the Word “with a good heart” (Lk. 8:15). There are several different Greek words translated “good” in the New Testament. The one rendered “good” in these verses means, “that which is morally good, beneficial, acceptable to God.” Jesus thought that we should be good.
We should do Good Paul wrote, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). Every believer should seize every opportunity to do good to everybody. Anytime any of us can do anything beneficial to anybody we should do it, especially, if the person is a fellow believer.
John Wesley’s rule was, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the way you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
We should Talk about the Good News The Greek word translated “gospel” means “good news.” The good news is that Jesus Christ died for our sins and arose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-4). The greatest good news I’ve ever heard is that eternal life is a gift (Rom. 6:23) and that all I have to do is trust Jesus Christ for eternal life (Jn. 3:16). Needless to say, we should talk about the good news (Mk. 16:15). I will not labor this point. I did that in my book, Evangelism: A Biblical Approach.
If we are good, do good, and talk about the good news down here, we will look good (1 Jn. 2:28) and feel real good (Mt 24:21) up there.
As Shakespeare asked in As You like it, “Can one desire too much of a good thing?”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 4/29/2001
