The question or rather the answer to the question is so obvious that most of you will be bored reading this.  If that’s the case, well, that’s the case.

Did you know that in the NIV translation of the Bible, the word good, not a form of the word good, jut the word good, is mentioned in 168 verses for a total of 174 times?  It’s not as much as I thought it would be.

It’s mentioned in 88 verses of the New Testament for a total of 92 times. I need not tell you why this was a bit surprising to me.  (Hint: THE Good News abounds throughout the NT)

I guess those numbers don’t really have a lot to do with this post other than just letting you know that the word, specifically a verse I’m fixing to throw out, has been heavy on my thoughts for about a week now.  So heavy that I pulled out my concordance and counted all those up.

Here is a few more that are a little closer to my main thought.

In the New Testament from here on out:
Good is used to describe God (God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit) – 8 times w/ one of those in sort of a negative side of the scale, as in..not good.  Seriously.

Good is used to describe man – 8 times as well, some being used multiple times in different gospels.

Now, those are subject to scrutiny. I’m no Bible scholar.  So, sure, I’m sure we can dig and pick and prod and pull some more out, but I didn’t get into that much digging.

We’ve all heard the conversation at some point in our life from a non-believer or maybe even a believer that goes something like, “Well, what about such and such.  She/He was such a good person.  If she/he ain’t going to heaven then I don’t see how anyone can.” 

This she/he person was probably not a Christian but as far as good goes, there wasn’t anyone better, in our eyes.  That’s where those conversations usually get started.

Heaven isn’t attainable just by being good.  In fact, if it were, Heaven would be a very empty place.  You’re not good.  I’m not good.  There isn’t a person on the face of the planet that is good enough to get into Heaven. 

Here is the verse I ran across and I hope someone can clear it up for me.  It’s that one verse that Jesus used to describe himself as being “not good.”  I may just be reading it wrong, but it sure has struck me in an odd way.

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good – except God alone…” Luke 18:18-19

Maybe he was saying that to prove a point completely off base from what I’m seeing. But, if Jesus is not good, per Jesus, then there is no way any of us can claim to be good enough to get into Heaven.  It’s why I thank God for his grace every day. 

Because of HIM
SC