Man has long wrestled with the problem of good. What is good? Is “good” the same as morality? Well, we know that a good person may be moral, and an immoral person may not be good – but this doesn't necessarily mean that the two - “good” and “moral” are quite the same thing. For instance, if I lived in a society where it was considered normal to be a cannibal, then would I be “immoral” if I followed the crowd?

Not too long ago we studied why bad things happen to good people. We saw that there were a variety of reasons why good, moral, righteous people suffer. Yet maybe I jumped the gun when I taught that lesson. Because it suddenly occurs to me that we never truly defined “what is good” - and unless you define the terms, the message may mean nothing. The rich young ruler who came to see Jesus didn't define the terms – neither did he properly discern Who Jesus is – which led him to walk away from eternal life, perhaps forever.

1. The Good Acceptable To God Must Come From God

Mark 10:17-18 (KJV) "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? {18} And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”

If I am to define “good”, then I have to use an absolute to determine good. I must have a point of reference that is absolute. Let's see if I can explain it this way:

If I want to measure how tall someone is, then I have to use a measurement that is universally understood. I can use a yardstick, or I can use a metric ruler – but I must use a tool that is based on a system of absolutes. If I do not use a commonly accepted instrument to measure your height, then I could come up with any number – and the measurement I came up with would be totally useless. In America we generally use a ruler that is divided into standard units of measure – inches. By using this tool I can have you stand still, measure you, and reach a universally agreed on measurement. If I, however, made my own measuring stick, then there would be absolutely no way that you could measure yourself and come up with the same result. Unless you knew how long my self created “inch” is, then you couldn't reproduce my measurement. It just wouldn't work!

This is what the rich young ruler did. The young man came to Jesus (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23) and asked Him:

(Mark 10:17) “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

The rich young ruler's point of reference was wrong. He addressed Jesus as “Good Master”, or

agathos {pronounced ag-ath-os’} + didaskalos {pronounced did-as’-kal-os} = “Good Teacher”.

The young ruler recognized our Jesus as a “good teacher”, a “good man”, or a “wonderful person”. His form of address exposes what he thought of Jesus, and what he thought is what the world thinks today. Jesus is a “good person”, a “great teacher”, a “great spiritual leader”, but – according to the world – in the final analysis Jesus Christ is not God.

When Jesus was approached as “agathos didaskalos”, “good teacher”, our Lord immediately discerned his point of reference. This young man did not see Jesus as Savior. He saw Jesus as a man, and addressed Him as a man. But Jesus is more than man – He is Eternal God, manifested in the flesh, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Jesus Christ is more than mere man, more than a “good teacher”. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, come to earth to pay for our sins.

When the devil came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness:

(Matthew 4:9-10 KJV) "And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. {10} Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

and told Jesus that he would give Him all things, if He only worship the evil one, Jesus said – and it is a Biblical truth - “You shall only worship the Lord your God”. Only God is to be worshiped. Yet Jesus received worship as God a number of times in His earthly ministry.

Jesus was worshiped as a baby in a manger by three wise men:

(Matthew 2:2 KJV) "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (also Matthew 2:11)

A leper came to Jesus and worshiped Him – and Jesus received his worship:

(Matthew 8:2 KJV) "And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."

A certain ruler came to Jesus and worshiped Him – and Jesus accepted that worship:

(Matthew 9:18 KJV) "While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live."

The disciples worshiped Jesus when He calmed the raging sea:

(Matthew 14:33 KJV) "Then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God."

And I want you to note that this last mentioned instance where Jesus was worshiped and accepted that worship was after the rich young ruler approached Jesus.

Jesus Christ is not mere man, nor is here just a great teacher. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh! If the rich young ruler had approached Jesus and said, “Lord God, what must I do to be saved”, Jesus would have answered:

(John 6:35 KJV) "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

But because this young man came to Jesus as mere man, our Lord responded:

(Mark 10:18) “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”

If you want to be good enough to get to Heaven, you need the good that only God can provide. You cannot look at Jesus as a mere man and believe on this mere man for salvation. You must understand that Jesus Christ is God, Savior God, the Lamb of God, God the Son sent from Heaven to redeem us from our sins.

Nothing less will save.

2. Moral May Look Good, But It Is Not “Good” Enough For God

Can I work my way to God? This rich young man thought that he could. Jesus told the young man:

Mark 10:19-20 “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. {20} And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”

Recently Judge Roy Moore, Alabama's Chief Justice, has been in the headlines. Judge Moore had a large monument of the Ten Commandments placed in the Alabama Judicial building in 2001. Two federal courts have directed Judge Moore to remove this monument, basing this decision on what they consider to be good Constitutional Law. Now there is a big controversy, not just among lawyers, but also among Christians. Some Christians – good Christians – believe that Judge Moore has overstepped his authority, and believe that he needs to back down. Other Christians – good Christians – believe that Judge Moore is right, and that the monument must be defended at all costs.

Who's right? Which is the “good” side? What does the Scripture say?

The Scripture teaches us that the Law, the Mosaic Law, is good, and just, and righteous. But listen, Beloved – the Mosaic Law has no ability whatsoever to save. What was the Mosaic Law given for?

1. It was given as a rule of basic law for Israel. God told Israel the day that He gave the Law to them:

(Deuteronomy 4:8 KJV) "And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?"

The Law of God is mentioned 523 times in Scripture, and the Law of Moses is wonderful, righteous, holy. It is a reflection of God's character. It is a standard by which all nations should be governed – and is the basis of the Law of this Land.

2. Yet the Law cannot save. The Law is wonderful for national government. The Law is a wonderful thing to use to determine good and evil in the land. But the Law cannot save us. In fact, if you know Christ Jesus as your Savior, you are no longer under the Law, but are saved by faith in Christ.

(Galatians 3:23-25 KJV) "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. {24} Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. {25} But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

The Law is a schoolmaster, a teacher, a “good teacher”, and it teaches us that we are all sinners. The Law exists to convict. Notice how Jesus used the Law to convict the rich young ruler.

Mark 10:19 “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honor thy father and mother.”

If you'll notice, our Lord only quoted the portions of the Law that dealt with how we as humans relate to one another. Jesus quoted the following commandments:

Fifth Commandment: Honor thy father and thy mother.

Sixth Commandment: Do not commit murder.

Seventh Commandment: Do not commit adultery.

Eight Commandment: Do not steal.

Ninth Commandment: Do not lie.

Tenth Commandment: Do not covet.

Jesus quoted every single commandment that dealt with how man should treat man, but never quoted any commandment that dealt with how man should treat God. This young man had already broken all of the commandments that were related to God. He broke those commandments when he came up and treated Jesus like a common teacher. Jesus is much more than that. Jesus is eternal God.

Instead of debating with this young man, Jesus used six of the Ten Commandments to witness to this man. Jesus used the Law like a schoolteacher, and asked the man “Have you done these things?” The young man responded:

Mark 10:20 “And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”

I have no doubt that this young man followed the Law perfectly from his youth. I have no doubt that he stuck to the letter of the Law, and did everything that he said he did.

But here's the problem of trying to approach God through the Law.

Even if you follow the Law exactly, the Good that God wants from you must exceed the good that the Law provides. As Jesus said:

(Matthew 5:20 KJV) "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

This young man's righteousness was “letter of the Law perfect”, but it wasn't good enough. The good that satisfies God is a good that is beyond the outward.

You can't reach the level of good that God requires through your own efforts. God must give you the good you need to get into Heaven.

3. Good That Satisfies God The Father Comes Only Through Christ

Mark 10:21 “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

Here is something not found in the Mosaic Law. It's not in the Ten Commandments, not in the Torah, not in the Levitical Books.

If you want treasure in Heaven, you must surrender that which you worship as God, and follow Jesus.

Jesus looked into the heart of this young man and saw the love he had for his possessions. He listened to the young man as he arrogantly proclaimed:

(Mark 10:20) “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”

“I've done this my whole life, Jesus! I made it! Affirm me! Testify of my goodness, my greatness. Testify teacher that I am good enough to enter Heaven”.

The Lord said:

(Luke 18:10-14 KJV) "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. {11} The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. {12} I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. {13} And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. {14} I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

How can I inherit eternal life? My good must be greater than that of the Saducees and the Pharisees. My righteousness must be greater than any that I can produced under my own power. The good that satisfies God is the good that comes from surrendering your life to Jesus Christ.

This rich young ruler had two things to do. First, he had to repent of his old way of life. He had to turn away from that god which he loved, his riches. Second, he had to turn to Jesus Christ.

(Acts 17:30-31 KJV) "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: {31} Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man {Jesus Christ} whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him {Jesus Christ} from the dead."

There is coming a judgment day, and those who have accepted salvation by repenting of their old way of life and by turning to Jesus Christ as Savior – these who are saved by faith in Christ shall not be condemned. Those who, like the rich young ruler, point to the good works they have done, and yet have not accepted Jesus as Savior, these good moral people will not enter God's Heaven. As the Bible says:

(Acts 4:10-12 KJV) "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. {11} This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. {12} Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

And again,

(Romans 10:8-13 KJV) "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; {9} That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. {11} For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. {12} For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. {13} For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Conclusion and Call

Mark 10:21-23 “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. {22} And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. {23} And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”

The Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law are a good thing. Moral people are good, and I praise God for all the good, moral people I have met over the years. I would rather be around a moral person anytime, than around an immoral, loose person.

But hear this, Beloved, morality cannot save you, nor can keeping the Mosaic Law bring you into God's Heaven.

Only relatives of God can enter God's house above. Only kinsmen by blood can enter Heaven.

(Ephesians 2:13-16 NASB) "But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. {14} For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, {15} by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, {16} and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity."

There is only one Way to God, and that Way is In Jesus. You must believe that He is. You must believe in Him, trust in Him, and call on Him to be saved.

(Romans 5:6-10 KJV) "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. {7} For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. {8} But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. {10} For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, you need to do this today. Do not be like the rich young ruler, relying on your own ability to get into God's Heaven. If you do, you'll eventually be disappointed at the result.

There is no other name under Heaven whereby we must be saved. Only Jesus. Only Jesus!

Trust Jesus Christ Today! Here's What You Must Do:

1. Admit you are a sinner:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)

"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10)

2. Be willing to turn from sin (repent):

"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)

3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)

4. Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Savior:

"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

What to pray:

Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Savior

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12)

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, or have lead someone to the Lord - as a new Christian you should recommend:

1. Read and study your Bible every day to get to know Christ better. Use the resources at bibleteacher.org. Ask an older Christian to guide you as you grow.

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)

2. Talk to God in prayer every day:

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22)

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)

3. Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19)

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16)

4. Tell others about Christ:

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)