Romans 7:18-20; 8:9-11
Man-made standards of goodness
1. what is beautiful or well-done
2. whatever increases pleasure and decreases pain
3. knowledge
4. following the golden rule
5. whatever has the greatest benefit for the most amount of people
True standard of goodness
Mark 10:17-23 No one is good, except God alone
Only those who realize that they are not good enough, is there the possibility of having goodness.
Inaccurate theories about goodness
1. “tabla raza”- clean slate
2. John Locke – human beings are inherently good
The truth
Genesis 6:5 – by our very nature, we are instinctively drawn toward sin.
God, in His goodness, made a way for us to be good, too.
That way is Jesus.
Romans 7 – the Christian trying to be good without the Holy Spirit
Romans 8 – the Christian controlled by the Spirit of God, who produces the fruit of goodness in you.
Philippians 3:9 “not having a righteousness of your own, that comes from the law, but the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
1. what is beautiful or well-done
2. whatever increases pleasure and decreases pain
3. knowledge
4. following the golden rule
5. whatever has the greatest benefit for the most amount of people
True standard of goodness
Mark 10:17-23 No one is good, except God alone
Only those who realize that they are not good enough, is there the possibility of having goodness.
Inaccurate theories about goodness
1. “tabla raza”- clean slate
2. John Locke – human beings are inherently good
The truth
Genesis 6:5 – by our very nature, we are instinctively drawn toward sin.
God, in His goodness, made a way for us to be good, too.
That way is Jesus.
Romans 7 – the Christian trying to be good without the Holy Spirit
Romans 8 – the Christian controlled by the Spirit of God, who produces the fruit of goodness in you.
Philippians 3:9 “not having a righteousness of your own, that comes from the law, but the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
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