Are There Any Who Do Good? by Elder Brian Moore Are there any who do good? It has often been said "there is no good in that fellow," and according to scripture that statement could not be more truthful. Many times in our lives we find ourselves striving to do what is right but by our very nature we are incapable of doing that which is good. What one might consider the right thing to do may not necessarily be good. Those who have been blessed to see the marvelous light, by the Grace of almighty God, are made to realize what they are by nature and what they must be by the Grace of God. What we may have once thought to have been goodness we are made to realize was nothing more than a feeble attempt to please or gratify some selfish desire. Truly, God works in the good of any man, which demonstrates that attribute. To often our Arminian counterparts argue that all a person needs to do is "change his ways" and "give his heart to God." This suggestion is not biblical and the scriptures do not support what is being asked. It is generally understood that if what is being suggested is possible that the first thing one must do to "change their ways" is to stop doing evil and begin doing good. The concept that one can simply change by the matter of suggestion whether it be his or someone else's suggestion is impossible. Why? Because the scriptures, themselves make a solid argument about the natural state of man. I will attempt in the following lines to identify those scriptures and comment regarding their content. In the book of Psalms 14:1,3 we read "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." These verses clearly state that as God did look down upon them ALL that he found none who understood his ways nor were there any who sought after him. If there then be none who seek after God, and there be none who understand the ways of God, then how can someone who by nature is evil change his ways to that which is good? It is impossible my for a poor sinner to seek God whom he does not know, regardless of who is making the suggestion! In the book of Jeremiah 13:3 we also read a rather important verse regarding the "good" of man. The scripture reads as follows "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to evil." In the book of Jeremiah the text is directed to the Hebrews and their fall into idolatry, many argue that the evil mentioned above is the evil of idolatry and that the Hebrews could have changed from their practices. The scripture however, is very clear regarding the type of evil Jeremiah is discussing. Jeremiah is not discussing and evil act which many propose, he is discussing the innate evil that is within each and every one of us by nature. The Ethiopian can not decide to be born with any other color of skin nor can he change his color after the fact. The leopard is a leopard by birth and no act nor matter of suggestion could cause it to change. The evil which all mankind is accustomed to doing, by our very Adam nature, is being compared to the skin of the Ethiopian and that of the leopard, the evil therefore is innate and cannot be changed. In like manner the creature that is accustomed to doing evil, man, is incapable of doing good. Because that would require a change, which by nature, he could not even desire to have. Finally, I will refer to one more scripture regarding this issue. That scripture would be Romans 3:11,12, "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no , not one." This scripture, written by Paul, addresses the Christian Romans and through his text he explains to them that there are none who are righteous, Jew nor Gentile. This text reiterates what was stated in Psalms Ch. 14:1,3, that there are none who seek after God. Some will argue that the expression is a general expression and has little merit in the book of Psalms. This of course being convenient for their cause, cannot be said about Romans 3:11,12, where Paul is clearly stating that those who do not seek God are of Jew and Gentile and therefore refer to all men. There are many texts in the bible, which prove that man in his natural state is evil. I have attempted in this brief writing however, to point out some scriptures, which make that very claim. Many times people, out of convenience and lustful indulgences purposely misconstrue the meaning of various texts. I therefore have selected these individual scriptures as a method which to convey this truth. Nonetheless, reading the entire texts will also support the truth regarding the inability of man to do that which is good in the eyes of God. |
