Psalm 53:2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
This passage of scripture teaches us that there isn't any natural or inherent goodness which God can approve of in any human being, without the grace of Christ being in our hearts. We are born in sin and shapen in iniquity, and therefore it is a virtual impossibility for any sort of natural goodness to emanate from the human heart, without it being tarnished by sin. This solemn truth should never be lost sight of by Christians, or anyone else for that matter, for there are various theories and teachings that have arisen to the contrary, which advocate the doctrine that there is inherent goodness in every person, that only needs to be developed from within. This fatal sophistry then leads its adherents to a form of self-righteousness, in which good deeds are actually done, whilst the heart remains polluted and destitute of the grace of God.
It is worthy of note that most terrorists in the middle east do pray much more often than many Christians do, but the product of their prayers and ill-conceived goodness is violence and bloodshed. And the same philosophy of natural goodness is also adopted in many secular circles in the west, for there are millions who endeavor to do what is right in their own eyes, apart from the absolute truths of God's law, which is given to guide our feet into right and safe paths. There are many apparently "Good" people who will never see God's face because they did not surrender themselves to the goodness of God which only comes by faith in the Lord Jesus.
There are very good causes to which some people subscribe, which are productive of very real and tangible good, but we are never to trust to these genuine, overt acts as being capable of recommending ourselves to God. Some folks are sticklers for the planet, and are relentless in their campaigns to reduce greenhouse gasses, and they are absorbed in real efforts to keep our oceans and environmental surroundings clean. Then there are others whose lifelong purpose is to rescue puppies and kittens that have been left to wander on their own, or which have been deserted by their owners. Again, there are those who have always paid their taxes on time, and have never robbed or beaten anyone, but have instead led a quiet peaceful life as law-abiding citizens of their country, while there are many more that have created charities and foundations, which help real people in poorer neighborhoods, through which the less privileged had opportunity to advance in life.
Whilst all of these things are very good, and are to be commended, they fall short of the goodness of God, for without Jesus in our hearts, our "good deeds" are tainted by sin, and therefore cannot be accepted as a passport to the pearly gates. The apostle Paul alluded to this phenomenon when commenting on the righteousness that the Jews had established for themselves in Christ's day, for their goodness was externally based only, and did not reach the inner heart from which the wellsprings of love, and humility that are produced only by the indwelling Christ, can flow out to others. Let's read:
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 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.
The same sentiment is uttered in our day through the various maxims and songs that advocate the doctrine of inherent goodness. For instance, there is a popular song by the name "Ebony and Ivory" in which Stevie Wonder and Paul Mc-cartney state that "there is good and bad in everyone", and thus the assumption is that all that is needed is for the natural goodness to be developed so that the bad may be suppressed.
Nothing can be further from the truth, for when Christ enters the heart, He begins His work in us by giving us a new mind, so that our thoughts, which are the wellsprings of our actions are cleansed, and thus His goodness flows from Himself through our minds, and is then radiated out to those with whom we contact. This is the reason why He often referred to the Father as the one doing the good works in Him. In other words, He set us the example of how we should live, not by depending on any inherent goodness, but rather by a complete surrender to God, so that the principles of His laws can be deeply etched into our consciences, thus making His own goodness apparent through His people. Let's read:
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make"... "after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Let us therefore beware of the doctrine of natural goodness, even in our walk with Christ, for we are never left to run on automatic without the daily infilling of the Holy Ghost, through whom all real goodness flows from Christ to His believing Children. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which cautions us on this very issue, for it is the will of God that only the perfect righteousness of Christ be established in our hearts. Let's read:
Ezekiel 33:13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!