GOODNESS
GOODNESS
Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. —Psalm 25:8
Do you think you are good? Apart for God you are not! Jesus said, “No one is good–except God alone” (Luke 18:19).
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:9-12).
We must understand that apart from Jesus we are not good. Whatever we do apart from Jesus is not good. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is pretty clear! He said, “Apart from me you can do nothing!” Sure we can do things apart from Him, but they are not things that “pleases him” (I John 3:22). We can only do those things that please Him when we are obedient to His will.
Praise God that He has not left us in the dark, but has given us His Son, His Spirit and His Word. He has given us all we need “for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). He has promised to guide us, but are we willing to follow His guidance? Are we? “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (Psalm 32:8). “The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed” (Isaiah 50:4). Will I listen and obey? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Sx_U0Ztr8
Dear Father, I am so glad to know You are good and upright and that You guide. You have called me to follow after You and to be good and upright in Jesus. May I be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son. So be it!