The “Good News” of the Gospel is that it is solely based on His (Jesus’) performance not ours. I think this is sometimes a hard concept for us to understand. Our natural tendency is to want to do or earn something instead of just receiving something. Many people have heard the old adage “It is better to give than receive”, but not as many have heard “It is more humble to receive than to give”. Jesus addressed this very issue in Matthew 19, when a bunch of Pharisees (religious leaders) came to Him questioning Him and testing Him to see if they could trip Him up in His teaching. One of them asked him “What good things should I do to get everlasting life?”
Matthew 19:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Look at Jesus’ response here from the Message Bible.
Matthew 19:17 (MSG)
17 Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”
This man wanted to do some good thing or some kindly deed so that he could have eternal life. In today’s vernacular, possible give money to a charity or religious organization like a church. Maybe build an orphanage. Or volunteer at the soup kitchen and help the homeless. All very good deeds! However no good deed will ever earn eternal life. Not to mention, Jesus just got done saying how you must be like a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 18:1 – 19:13)
Matthew 18:3-4 (MSG)
3 and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in.
4 Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom.
How is a little child like? Aren’t they totally dependant on their parents for everything? Don’t they implicitly trust their parents? Have you ever seen a dad tell his kid to jump off a bunk bed or some high thing and the kid jumps, trusting that his dad would catch him? That is not only faith, but its grace. That child did nothing to deserve the love their parent has for them other than being born. And as any parent will tell you, that’s enough. And as this verse asserts, little children are not assuming. They are humble and teachable. They don’t know it all. They don’t have it all together.
Back to our story… Jesus tells the man “Why do you ask about doing good things. No one is good enough, only God. But if you desire to have a good life, continually do what God says. This is a problem that Paul the apostle addressed in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:6 (NCV)
6 God, by his grace through Christ, called you to become his people. So I am amazed that you are turning away so quickly and believing something different than the Good News.Galatians 1:6 (TLB)
6 I am amazed that you are turning away so soon from God who, in his love and mercy, invited you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ; you are already following a different “way to heaven,” which really doesn’t go to heaven at all.
The “Good News” that the Bible speaks of is this. Our way to heaven is by grace. We cannot earn it or be worthy of it. We just have to believe it and receive it. Paul did say in Romans that we must believe and that salvation is by grace so that it could be by faith, to ALL and for ALL who will put their faith in Jesus. That really is good news. No we can’t be good enough or ever earn our way to heaven, but we don’t have to be. Jesus was good enough for us all.
Ed Schultz | Writing & Ministry 