Are People Generally Good or Bad?

Psalm 53:3 states, “…there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” This concept is known as man's "total depravity."

Every human being is plagued with corruption, which sounds extreme, but when compared to the perfection that is God’s standard, then we have to accept this.

This doesn’t mean all people behave like wanton criminals 100% of the time. It does not mean that unsaved people do not desire a "good" life. However, when we are seeking good we are doing so for selfish motivations. The only "good" reason to do anything is for the glory of God, and an unbeliever is never at any time doing anything for God's glory and heartfelt gratitude. They are doing it to enjoy their own life more or to avoid pain and undesirable outcomes.

Genesis 1:31 states, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”

God's act of creation is by definition good because it was done for His glory. What is the chief end of man? To glorify God, and enjoy him forever.

What God has created is good; human beings, life on earth, the earth, the sea and all that in them is, it is all good according to God the creator. Life is precious for no other reason than because it is a gift of God and because God deemed it GOOD.

Your heathen neighbor with all of his heathen ways is a creature made in the image of God and put here by God. He might lack faith and "proper" Christian morals, but he, like you, has an innate desire to live a peaceable and quiet life (definitions based on culture).

Romans 2:12-15 states, “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;).”

Both heathens and Christ’s disciples are capable of showing the work of the law written in their hearts, but they are not necessarily acting out of holy pure and righteous motivations. That is why all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

The difference between a believing sinner and a lost sinner is that our sins are forgiven. This glorious truth is not to be construed as a license to sin, but a gift granted to us by God himself for His glory alone. There is no other way to atone for transgressions.

Having obtained God’s mercy, we are then to show mercy to the rest of His creation, including heathen, while proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. However, being merciful to all doesn’t mean tolerance of all things. It means assuming responsibility as a disciple of Jesus Christ, by denying ourselves and carrying our cross DAILY and following after Him (Luke 9:23). It is a great responsibility that we have considering that we have both the knowledge of God's law and the fullness of his Grace, and that we hear it preached every Lord's day. It means judging righteous judgement, proven by Scripture (John 7:24).

So yes, humans are generally “good” in that we all want “good” things and that God created us, but we are also generally “bad” in that we are all irredeemably sinful and unable to please God without Christ as mediator. A disciple of Christ realizes this, but a heathen will attempt to build a resume of good works in order to make up for his life’s shortcomings.

Of course, the church has it’s sworn enemies, those imposters who exist simply to oppose the church of Jesus Christ. We must search the scriptures carefully to know who they are and remember that God put them here for a purpose also. Nevertheless, we remain faithful and merciful.

Separation

“An unjust man is an abomination to the just; and he that is upright in the way is abomination of the wicked.” — Proverbs 29:27

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” — Acts 9:1-2

Here lies the trouble with Dominionism and theonomic reconstruction: It supposes that the church militant should “Christianize” the world by any and all means at our disposal (for Christ, of course).

They forget that the testimony of scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is that it is only a remnant on earth that is elect at any given time. The “establishment” religion will only ever persecute the people of God because false religion wants to claim that salvation is of "the Church," or salvation is of the will of man, when salvation is of the Lord [1].

By refusing to bow the knee to Christ as Lord of all and the only rightful head of the church, pretenders to the throne of grace will of necessity despise the true people of God who their indict false doctrine by the truth of scripture.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness[2]?

Separation of church and state is for the protection of the true people of God. It ought not to be that the Sauls of the world can go to a Bishop who can go to the civil magistrate and have people arrested over issues of conscience. “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil[3].” The civil magistrate can judge only according to the will of God on matters pertaining to the second table of the law, but God judges the heart, which is bound by both the first and second tables of the law.

Separation of church and state does not mean that the state is not accountable to God's unchanging moral law. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods[4]… If the government is abusing its authority, God Himself is the judge, and His wrath is revealed against all unrighteousness,[5]according to His perfect standard of justice, with no respect of persons[6].

But how great the Father’s love for us, that a man breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the people of God can be so completely transformed by the Holy Spirit!

Marvel not, my brethren, if world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. — 1st John 3:13-14

Scriptures:

[1] Jonah 2:9, Ps 3:8 [2] 2nd Cor 6:14 [3] Rom 13:4 [4] Ps 82:1 [5] Rom 1:18 [6] Rom 2:11

When We Inquire Into Other Men's Matters

“Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.”

— John 21:21-22

It is easy to be like Peter and start inquiring into other people’s matters rather than focus on God’s clear and revealed will for our own lives. The Bible tells us to examine ourselves, whether we are in the faith, not other people[1]. When it comes to other Christians, we should give the benefit of the doubt that they are in Christ and following Him as best they are able at that moment and not appoint ourselves fruit inspectors. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth.[2]

Jesus says to each of us: Follow thou me. Whatever others may do or not do is not in our control. He will render to each of us according to our works.[3]

Instead of demand an explanation of what God is doing in the lives of others, we are to love, encourage, and provoke one another to good works[4], trusting that He is able to keep us from falling.[5]

Scriptures: [1] 2nd Cor 13:5 [2] Rom 14:4 [3] Job 34:11, Ps 62:12, Ecc 12:14, Rom 2:5-10, etc. etc. [4] Heb 10:24 [5] Jude:24