The Myths
"We will fail every task we attempt on our own."
OR
"Non-Christians cannot do any good works."
The Reality
Any non-Christian can tell you that those statements are bogus. There are plenty of people who don't trust in God, but are able to accomplish all kinds of things successfully.
The follow-up argument I've heard sometimes is that if you are able to accomplish something, it won't be satisfying. Lance Armstrong, Bill Gates, and many others have not only accomplished impressive tasks, but done good works, which I'm certain they could honestly say have brought some level of satisfaction.
Why It Matters
Rather than try to differentiate ourselves from unbelievers by making false claims about what they can or can't accomplish, or judging their motives or level of satisfaction, we should instead recognize that the principles that lead to satisfying accomplishments are God-given principles. Hard work and perseverance pays off, and good works are rewarding.
There are many natural blessings that come from following Godly advice, even for those who don't follow God completely. I think of it as a taste of the lasting satisfaction that comes from being fully devoted to God.
What's important is not whether we can succeed in accomplishing anything on our own. What's important is recognizing that what we can't accomplish on our own is salvation and fellowship with God. It's important to recognize that our good works don't purify us from our sins and depravity; only God can do that.
Wow. This is not only wise, but really well said. How old are you?
ReplyDeleteLove this post Chris! Amen!!
ReplyDeleteHow are we defining "good" and "success"? I agree that the unbeliever can accomplish an act that may provide themselves or others with a certain amount of worldly satisfaction, but I believe that only God can deem any act or result as "good". Even the righteous acts of His people were deemed filth in light of the fact that their "good" deeds were done without God in mind (ISA 64:4). At the same time God has used the enemies of His people to accomplish His good will, but it was of no credit to those enemies (JER 50:18).
ReplyDeleteYour final point includes the truth of our inability to save ourselves (Rom 3:28), but seems to ignore that our sinful nature has negated our ability to accomplish any good by our own efforts (Mark 10:18; Rom 3:12). You seem to cite that any who adhere to portions of God's revealed wisdom can benefit from them in this life, but the good still rests with God (Psa 115:1). No, this is not a distinction between the saved and the unsaved, but instead this is the limitation of humanity due to sin. So I agree with the point of this topic, but was wary of the manner of argument. Too many make the mistake of labeling evil as good (ISA 5:20), myself being counted in that number. We are all desperatly dependent on God's goodness, and I think we do fail in life until we recognize that.
It's true that only God can see the heart, but I think it is possible to label certain actions as good, because the Bible is full of good deeds we are instructed to do. These actions don't make us righteous, but our unrighteousness doesn't mean we are incapable of doing anything good at all. One of my main points in this post wasn't that we should go around labeling actions as "good," but simply that we shouldn't go around judging actions as "bad," just because they are committed by an unbeliever.
ReplyDeleteOne could say, "well you don't know their intentions/motivations," but the same thing can be said of someone whether they are Christian or non-Christian. The best we can do is accept something at face value, which I think is a lot better than either making blanket statements or trying to scrutinize every action.
I think you meant to reference ISA 64:6, which says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
The point of this verse (and the other verses you used) isn't that they were INCAPABLE of doing good things (otherwise, it wouldn't have been referred to as "righteous acts"); rather, the point being made is that the righteous acts are worthless in the big scheme of things, since your good deeds do not nullify the sins you commit. It's not a commentary on individual actions, but a commentary on our over-all state apart from God.
This is something that I think makes the story of redemption so amazing, so poignant. It's not that we are incapable of doing anything good apart from God; it's that even the most righteous person among us is still completely worthless to bridge the gap between us and God, because God is too pure! As Romans 3:20 says, the law condemns us, not because we're incapable of ever obeying ANY of the laws, but because we are incapable of obeying ALL of the laws, which is what God requires (James 2:10).
Thanks for the discussion, "Unknown."
I feel like this is kind of attacking a strawman here. Maybe you've run into people who have taken the claim that we can do nothing on our own in that sense but I haven't. I also feel that it is an absolutely vital aspect of the doctrine to defend and I feel this precisely because it is a truth which I resisted long. In my understanding, the claim that we can do nothing apart from God means three things. The first thing is that our strength comes from God, since it was originally made by God and it is sustained by the Holy Spirit, regardless of whether or not we accept Him. If the presence of God fully left any one place, that spot would literally be Hell on Earth. The second thing that the phrase means is that just as we have no power to earn our own strength or goodness, we also have no power to keep it. There is no moment of your life when every thing you own and every skill you possess can't be taken away from you by disease or accidents or malevolent intentions. The third meaning is that all our accomplishments are a vain chasing after the wind if they are not submitted to God. It is true that God can use that which we have not surrendered to Him, even our sins, but unless we surrender we shall not share in the resultant glory and joy.
ReplyDeleteIt's not attacking a straw man. This is a surprisingly commonly-held belief. This post is actually based off a discussion I had with someone who held the same beliefs that I am deconstructing in this particular post.
ReplyDeleteAlso, read the third comment on this post, or talk to an extreme calvinist.