Do you consider yourself a good person? Many of us do, especially when we compare ourselves to those we perceive as “worse sinners.” But what if I told you that the very concept of a “good person” is nothing more than a myth? That’s right – the idea that any of us can claim to be inherently good is a dangerous illusion, one that the Apostle Paul shatters in the book of Romans.
In Romans 2, Paul exposes this truth, showing that none of us can claim moral superiority. This might sound harsh, but it’s a fundamental reality that we need to confront.
God’s Judgment Is Not Based on Comparison
It’s tempting to categorize and compare sins, thinking, “Well, I’m not a murderer or a thief, so I must be doing okay.” We often point out the faults in others while ignoring our own, excusing our sins by comparing them to the more obvious transgressions of others. But this is a dangerous delusion.
Paul writes in Romans 2:1-3:
“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?”
God’s judgment is not based on comparing one person’s sins to another’s. It’s based on His perfect standard of righteousness. Romans 2:2 declares that God’s judgment is according to truth—His righteousness. He looks at the fruit of our lives, but more importantly, He examines the root—our hearts, thoughts, beliefs, and motivations.
God Judges More Than Actions
God doesn’t just look at our outward actions; He sees straight into our hearts. Jesus made this clear when He equated anger with murder and lust with adultery in the Sermon on the Mount.
We are all functional murderers, adulterers, and thieves. You may never pull the trigger or wield the knife, but hatred and anger reveal the murderous intent of the heart (Matthew 5:21-22). You may never commit physical adultery, but entertaining lustful thoughts is equally condemning in God’s sight (Matthew 5:27-28). You may not rob a bank, but greed and covetousness betray the thieving nature of your soul.
The standard of good is not defined by the worst examples of human behavior. It’s defined by God’s perfect holiness. And the hard reality is that we all fall short. Whether it’s greed, envy, hatred, gossip, pride, disrespect, or lack of compassion, every one of us has failed to live up to God’s righteousness. We are all sinners deserving of God’s wrath.
It’s one thing to acknowledge the Bible’s description of mankind’s moral corruption. It’s another to see it in our own hearts. As Charles Darwin once admitted after hearing Romans read aloud, “I do indeed see it in the Bible, but do I see it in my heart?”
We must look past outward appearances and be honest about the depths of our souls. What desires lurk in the shadows? What would we be capable of if not restrained by fear of consequences?
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). We are experts at self-deception, rationalizing our sins and flattering ourselves in our own eyes. But God is not fooled. He sees through the façade to the rotting core of our hearts.
Romans 2:16 reminds us:
“On that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”
This verse reveals that God’s judgment goes beyond our external actions to the very core of our being – our thoughts, motivations, and the secrets of our hearts. It’s not just about what we do, but why we do it. Even our seemingly good deeds can be tainted by selfish motivations or pride.
None of us can claim innocence before a holy God who judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12-13). When our secret sins are exposed by the light of His truth, we are left naked and condemned, utterly devoid of any moral high ground.
The Slow Burn of God’s Judgment: Mercy in Disguise
Now, you might be thinking, “If we’re all so bad, why hasn’t God judged us already?” It’s a fair question. The answer lies in God’s incredible mercy. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us:
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
Every breath you take is an opportunity given to you by God’s mercy. Your good health, your wealth, your comfort – these aren’t signs that God approves of your lifestyle. They’re manifestations of His goodness, giving you time to repent and come to salvation.
Some mistakenly interpret their favorable circumstances as God’s approval of their lifestyle. They presume upon the riches of His kindness and forbearance, as if prosperity and pleasure were a reward for their moral performance. But Paul makes it clear—God’s goodness is meant to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
But here’s the warning: if we continue to reject God’s mercy, we’re only storing up wrath for ourselves. Each day we persist in our sin, we add to the judgment that awaits us. As Paul writes in Romans 2:5:
“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
This “day of wrath” is a terrible reality that we must confront. Like a dam straining under the weight of a swelling reservoir, the sinner’s guilt mounts with each passing moment until the inevitable torrent of God’s justice is unleashed.
The Righteousness of God: Why Can’t He Just Forgive?
This brings us to a crucial question: If God is so good, why can’t He just forgive our sins outright? The answer lies in understanding the full scope of God’s righteousness.
God’s righteousness has two aspects: negative and positive. The negative aspect is His wrath – not a childish temper tantrum, but the natural revulsion of a pure and holy God toward all that is sinful.
Think about it this way: God is truth. He’s the very definition of truth and cannot lie. So how can He stomach our lies? He can’t. If He’s the standard of truth and honesty, He can’t simply overlook our dishonesty. He sees it as sin that must be addressed.
Or consider a judge in a courtroom. Do we trust a good judge to only approve of good deeds, or do we expect them to condemn guilty people to the full extent of the law? If a judge consistently puts away deservedly guilty people, we call them a good judge, not a bad one.
Now, if we can grasp this concept on earth, how much more should we expect it from God? If God is necessarily good – the very definition and standard of goodness – wouldn’t He not only reward good deeds but also punish the guilty to the fullest extent of the law? A holy God cannot and will not let the guilty go unpunished. Nobody will be exempt.
But there’s also a positive aspect to God’s righteousness, and this is where the gospel comes in. Romans 1:16-17 says:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'”
Jesus: The Only Truly Good Person
This brings us to the core of the gospel: Jesus Christ, the only truly good person who ever lived. He fulfilled all righteousness, living a sinless life not just in His actions, but in His thoughts, beliefs, and motivations. But why did He do this?
2 Corinthians 5:21 gives us the answer:
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, and then laid down that life as payment for our sins. He took our sin upon Himself and offers us His righteousness in exchange. This is the great transaction at the heart of the gospel.
God, by sending His one and only Son, did something for us that we could never do ourselves. Jesus has eternal life, yet He took His life and laid it down. Why? So that we might become the righteousness of God by exchanging our life for His through faith.
This means we can stop trying to earn our way to God. Jesus has already done it for us. We give Him our sins, and He gives us His righteousness. That’s the positive aspect of God’s righteousness expressed in the gospel.
How Do We Receive This Righteousness?
So how do we receive this incredible gift? It’s not by trying harder or turning over a new leaf. As Galatians 2:16 tells us:
“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
This faith involves both belief and confession. Romans 10:9-10 lays it out:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Believing in the resurrection is crucial because it proves that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. If Jesus had remained dead, it would mean He was just another sinner. But His resurrection demonstrates that He truly was sinless and that His death was sufficient to pay for our sins.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the proof that His payment was good, that the check didn’t bounce. If His life really was sinless and He died on the cross, and God accepted that as the payment for our sin, He rose again as proof.
The Ultimate Judge: Jesus Christ
Here’s a sobering thought: one day, we will all stand before Jesus Christ as our judge. Acts 17:31 tells us:
“Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Paul makes this even clearer in 2 Corinthians 5:10-11:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.”
Every one of us has an appointment with death, and after that, an appointment with Jesus. We must all answer to Him, not to our own standards or the standards of others. As Hebrews 9:27 reminds us:
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
What Will Your Answer Be?
So, when you stand before Jesus, what will you say? Will you try to argue that you were a good person? That you did your best? Or will you humbly acknowledge your sin and your need for a Savior?
The only answer that will matter on that day is this: “I couldn’t do anything to save myself, so I trusted in You as my Savior.” That’s it. That’s all that matters.
Here’s the crucial point: this decision must be made on this side of eternity. Once we pass from this life, it’s too late. We don’t know when our time will come, so we must make this decision now. Today could be your last opportunity to embrace the gospel and receive Christ’s righteousness.
Embracing the Truth, Finding Hope
The “good person myth” is a comforting lie that keeps us from facing the reality of our sinful nature. But once we confront this truth, we’re freed to embrace the incredible hope offered in the gospel.
We’re not good people, but Jesus was. And through faith in Him, we can exchange our sin for His righteousness. This is the heart of the gospel – not that we become good enough for God, but that Christ’s goodness becomes ours.
So today, I urge you to let go of the myth of your own goodness. Acknowledge your sin and your need for a Savior. Put your faith in Jesus Christ, trusting in His perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection. In Him, you’ll find not just forgiveness, but a righteousness that surpasses anything we could achieve on our own.
Remember, every breath is an opportunity given by God’s mercy. Don’t waste it. Embrace the truth, find hope in Christ, and let His righteousness become yours today.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways have you tried to justify yourself by comparing your goodness to others? How does this passage change your perspective?
- What secrets of your heart need to be exposed and repented of before God?
- How does Jesus’ sinless life and substitutionary death provide the righteousness you could never attain on your own?
- If you died today and stood before God, what would be your only hope and plea?
Pray
Lord, strip away the myth of the good person from our hearts. Convince us of our need for a Savior and drive us to the cross where mercy triumphed over judgment. May we find our righteousness in Christ alone. Amen.
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