Most people recognise themselves as sinners. They admit they do some things that are morally wrong and acknowledge it with the saying ‘nobody’s perfect’. But can sinners do anything that pleases God?
The Bible tells us that no person by their own strength can do anything that pleases God. Without Christ everyone sins all the time and when they are not committing great sin, all they are doing is committing splendid sins. The apostle Paul tells us plainly: ‘Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God’ (Romans 8:8). Meanwhile in the Old Testament Isaiah said, ‘all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6).
But if you are a Christian, you are a sinner who can please God. Jesus says ‘If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). Once you become a Christian and are with Christ, you are able to bear good and pleasing fruit despite being a sinner.
Now this may sound harsh. I have friends who are not Christians but appear to be lovely people. They have a genuine interest in others and try to help those who are suffering. Does that mean that they are always sinning and never pleasing God. The Bible says, ‘Yes’. How is a non-Christian sinning when they are being kind to the poor or helping the sick? It is their motive that is the problem. They are doing it not to serve the God who made them, but to serve another god. That god may be themselves or it may be a particular charity organisation for which they do volunteer work. Yes, they might be doing something that is declared by Scripture to be a righteous thing, but their motivation is wrong and a bad motivation makes a righteous act unrighteous. Everything we do should glorify God, not someone or something else.
So if someone genuinely wants to please God, they need to start with faith in him and that means faith in Christ. If they don’t start there they won’t get anywhere. Hebrews tells us this: ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6). First, believe in God through Jesus Christ. Only then can you begin to please him by your actions.
Do you please God because you are in Christ, or do you displease God because you are outside of Christ?
Joel Radford
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Thanks for this. I like how you have cleared up about how charity work, as good as it is and as much as it is like the 'type' of work commanded by God, does not please God unless it is done with a motive to glorify him.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean non-Christians also cannot love? This came up recently in a discussion with friends, who know many non-Christians, even family members, who *seem* very loving. But is it that, like their good works, even 'their love' is sinful? What about the love of a parent for their child? One would assume this is a fairly sacrifical kind of love. What about marriages?
We read in 1 John 4 it says "everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." The rest of the passage seems to be talking about it from the other angle, "whoever knows God, loves." But I guess back to my original question... can non-Christians actually love?
Good question Laura.
ReplyDeleteNon-Christians can exhibit love, but if it is not based on a love for God and done in worship of him, then it is a love that is being done in worship of another god, an idol. A classic example of bad love is love for money. It is a genuine love, but misplaced and thus nullified in the sight of God.
So when you see a non-Christian parent showering love on a child, they are showing love, but it is in worship of an idol. That idol may be the child itself, or it may even be the parent that is the idol - they want to be exalted as a 'good' parent and are worshipping self.
Whereas the Christian parent showering love on the child in exactly the same way as the non-Christian will be doing it as an act of worship for God, not an idol.
Both people do the same action to the child, but it is the underlying reason that counts.