Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Something that I hear repeated
often by politicians and preachers alike is that they believe in
the basic goodness of men. We should test the truthfulness
of that concept based on the truth that is revealed to us
in God's Word. To say something is good or not
is often based on personal preferences and comparisons. In order to
determine whether something or someone is basically good, we
must have a standard by which to judge that goodness. Most
people would say that diamonds are good. Yet not all diamonds
have the same value. A jeweler looks at the worth
of a diamond with a completely different set of standards than
an industrial toolmaker does. Some stones meet or exceed the
standards set for clarity and color. However, others don't
measure up to that criteria, yet they are valuable in industrial
applications and are used to perform vital tasks that could
not be accomplished otherwise. So while the jeweler may look
at a certain diamond as being useless, the toolmaker looks
at them as being very valuable. Therefore, in order to judge
the worth of a diamond, the standard by which it will be evaluated
must be clearly stated. If we are going to answer the
question, are men basically good, we must first determine what
we mean by good. Then we must seek out a standard
to compare that goodness to. The scripture says, And God saw
everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
Everything that God has created, man included, is good. He has
done all things well, and everything has been done according to his
purpose. He has made no mistakes, nor does anything need any improvement
which he has designed. So in this general sense of being
formed for God's purpose, we could conclude that man is basically
good. The scripture says, So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God created he him,
male and female created he them. This is said of none of the rest
of God's creation, not the angels or any of the other forms of
life which he made, whether known or unknown to us or said to be
created in his image. Compared to all other forms of
creation, man occupies a unique position. For upon him is conferred
this great privilege and honor not bestowed on the rest of that
which was formed by God's hand. In this sense of comparison to
the rest of creation, we can conclude that man is basically
good. The scripture says, oh man, who art thou that replies
against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel
unto honor and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show
his wrath to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? And that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy
which he had afore prepared unto glory. Out of his creation, God
can choose to redeem some even as the potter makes some vessels
which he deems worthy to keep while he rejects others to be
thrown away. Just as the potter's hand is that which imparts value
to a lump of clay, so it is true that the intrinsic worth or value
of any man exists because God made him so. In the sense that
God chose some vessels unto honor by the work of his own hand,
we can say that man is basically good. God saw mankind as worth
redeeming because his hand formed vessels unto honor designed unto
this end. The scripture says there is none
that doeth good, no, not one. Now I suspect that the average
person who advocates the concept that man is basically good will
take issue with this scripture. Here the standard of goodness
is higher than man can achieve. Men may compare the righteousness
of one man to another and favorably contrast their relative goodness.
For example, you may be seen as good when compared with an
ax murderer, but when any man is compared with the absolute
standard of righteousness found in Jesus Christ, then any pretense
of goodness is swept away. We're humbled in the dust and
must confess with Daniel of old, there remain no strength in me,
for my comeliness was turned into me into corruption, and
I retain no strength. But we're all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do
fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away.
Thank God that it is not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Do you hope to stand
before God in your own goodness, which is to perish, or to be
found sheltered in him who alone is good? For a free CD containing
15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at
windstream.net.