A lot of believers really have no idea what human good is or what it is all about.

The Doctrine of Human Good

1.       Human good is the good that unbelievers do and the good that believers do when not filled with the Holy Spirit.

          a.       This can includes some of the great works of philanthropy. In some cases, the glorification of man is obvious. 60 Minutes often does segments on rich people who give their money away to various philanthropic causes. One such segment had one of these men putting his name to various buildings to immortalize his own philanthropy.¹

          b.       Believers do the same thing. Believers who are not filled with the Spirit or do not know how to be filled with the Spirit often do good things, like giving to the church, working in a soup kitchen, seeing a touching cause on television and sending them money. These are all good things, but they are not a part of the eternal plan of God. 1Cor. 3:10–15

2.       Because human good is dead within the plan of God; it is called dead works in Heb. 6:1.

3.       All human good is repulsive to God. God does not appreciate, accept, encourage or condone human good. Isaiah 64:6 (All of our righteousness acts are as filthy rags in His sight) Gen. 4:4

4.       Human good has no value in the plan of God. 2Tim. 1:9: Our Lord saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

5.       Human good is not the same as legitimate morality under the Laws of Divine Establishment. Rom. 13:1–7

          a.       A society must be moral in order to survive.

          b.       A society which is immoral but filled with human good could easily self-destruct. This describes a significant portion of the culture of the United States today.

6.       The production of human good will not save man. In fact, no amount of good works (human good) will save man. Titus 3:5 Eph. 2:8–9

7.       The human good of believer will be both revealed and destroyed at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 1Cor.3:10–16

8.       In the final judgement of Rev. 20:12–15 (which is not the same as the Judgment Seat of Christ), the basis of the indictment against unbelievers will be human good. Sin has been paid for on the cross, which means that God does not punish the unbeliever for his sins. Just as it would violate God’s justice to ignore sin, it would also violate His justice to judge sin twice. The only sin in play, is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior. John 3:36 Rom. 2:6–8

9.       Human good often results in human glorification. Rom. 4:2 Eph. 2:9

10.     Human good is the good the believer produces when he is not filled with the Spirit. This can include things that believers associate with divine good, such as, giving money to a church, visiting the sick, missionary activity, etc. If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, then whatever you do will not have eternal impact, but it will be burned at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 1Cor. 3:11–16

11.     Human good is also the good which unbelievers produce. This may include any of the activities listed above (unbelievers do go to church) or things like, picking up a piece of trash, buying compact fluorescent bulbs for your house to save the environment, being nice to someone they do not like, etc.

12.     We believers remain on this earth, after salvation, for the purpose of producing divine good. Divine good glorifies God and is represented by gold, silver and precious stones in 1Cor. 3:12. Eph. 2:10

¹ http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7363716n

See also http://www.versebyverse.org/doctrine/humangood.html which doctrine was originally taught by R. B. Thieme Jr.

http://www.gbible.org/_files/pdf/022700.pdf

R. B. Thieme, Jr. did some of the best early work on differentiating divine good and human good. Many of the links below are either taken from his notes or use his notes as a basis.

Related Links To Human Good and Divine Good

Maranatha Church:

Doctrine of Divine Good

http://www.versebyverse.org/doctrine/divinegood.html

Doctrine of Human Good

http://www.versebyverse.org/doctrine/humangood.html

Pastor Merritt of Westbank Bible Church:

Doctrine of Human Good

http://www.westbankbiblechurch.com/LGMerrittBooks/Human%20Good1012.pdf

Sword of the Spirit (almost identical to above):

Doctrine of Divine Good

http://www.swordofthespiritbibleministries.com/images/simplelists//NOTESAF/Divine%20Good.pdf

Doctrine of Human Good

http://www.swordofthespiritbibleministries.com/images/simplelists//NOTESGL/Human%20Good.pdf

Dictionary of Bible Doctrine: Divine Good vs. Human Good

http://dictionaryofdoctrine.com/Divine-Good.html

Maranatha Church: Divine Good

http://www.versebyverse.org/doctrine/divinegood.html

James Allen of Faith Bible Church: Doctrine of Divine Good

http://www.aliveandpowerful.com/pdf/Doc%20of%20Divine%20Good.pdf

Grace and Truth Bible Ministries: Human Good vs Divine Good

http://www.gtbm.org/doctrine_notes/prayer_5272007.htm

Bob Yandian: Good versus Good

http://www.precepts.com/StudyMaterials/Articles/BibleTopics/Good_Versus_Good.html

Many people have the false concept that morality is spirituality. They do not distinguish between the Filling of the Holy Spirit and morality. There are many socially respectable moral unbelievers. If a person is moral, that does not mean that he is saved. Therefore, we should look at this doctrine:

The Doctrine of Morality

(by Roy A. Cloudt and slightly edited by Gary Kukis)

1.       Christianity is not morality, but a relationship with God in Christ. 2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if (1^st class condition) anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature old things are passed away (spiritual death is passed away by means of spiritual birth, Rom. 5:12) behold all things are become new. The emphasis of this passage is not what man does but what God does.

          a.       The adjective new is kainos (καινός) [pronounced kahee-NOSS]. In this context, it means, a new species. This reveals our being in union with Him by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

          b.       The adjective old is archaios (ἀρχαος) [pronounced ar-KHAH-yoss]. It means, ancient, old; or that which existed in the beginning, spiritual death.

2.       Morality is a by-product of Christianity and spirituality. Ephesians 5:3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (ESV)

3.       Morality has no spiritual dynamics. Spiritual dynamics are related to the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Galatians 5:16 (But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.—ESV) See also Galatians 4:21-31. Being moral does not advance a person to salvation who is lost, or advance a person in maturity who is saved. Morality is what man does and is incompatible with grace in the attainment of regeneration or in Christian development.

          a.       That is, we are saved by grace, not because we are moral people.

          b.       We advance in the spiritual life by grace (what R. B. Thieme, Jr. has called the grace apparatus for perception), not because we are moral people.

          c.        This does not mean that a Christian ought to be striving for a life of immorality.

4.       The dynamics of Christianity are found in the Filling of the Holy Spirit and the consistent intake of Spiritual food.

          a.       See Ephesians 5:18 (And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,...).

          b.       Romans 8:2-4 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (ESV)

          c.        Ephesians 4:20–24 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self [= the thinking of Christ], created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (ESV; capitalized)

5.       The basic function of morality is the preservation of the human race. A society without law and order is headed for discipline and/or destruction (often, self-destruction). Anarchy and immorality always go together. Morality is absolutely necessary in the preservation of a nation specifically; and humanity in general.

6.       Morality cannot provide salvation or spirituality. In Matt. 19:18-20, the rich young ruler is very moral but lost. See also Titus 3:5 Galatians 3:2

          a.       Changing the pattern of lifestyle does not save or make a person spiritual.

          b.       People can be overtly moral and have minds saturated with sin.

          c.        Some people are self-righteously moral. Along with this, there is bitterness, viciousness, and cruelty. Often a person is slanderous, a maligner, a gossiper and a backbiter.

7.       Morality is God’s plan and in the born-again believer, it can be produced by the filling of the Holy Spirit and by the saturation of the thinking of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the unbeliever, morality is produced by the sinful nature from the area of his strength.

8.       God has designed morality to protect the human race. Morality and human freedom is the very foundation for responding to the Gospel. Freedom and morality make evangelism possible!

© 2004 Grace Bible Church, Baytown, Texas

www.gracebiblechurchbaytown.org

No doubt that many of these points were made by R. B. Thieme, Jr. when he developed this doctrine.

I have mentioned both morality and human good. These concepts are not the same. Therefore, before we go any further, let’s look at the concept of human morality.

The Doctrine of Morality (2)

1.       One of the areas of confusion for believers is the concept of morality. Many believers and unbelievers think that morality is the spiritual life. You first get saved and then you start acting moral. However, the Christian way of life is growing in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ (2Peter 3:18). As a new believer, you must first learn how to get back into fellowship (after you sin, you name that sin to God; or, after you commit a variety of sins, you name them to God—1John 1:9). At the point of salvation, we are given the grace assets by which we may grow spiritually (a human spirit, the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the ability to understand, categorize and store doctrine). As we begin to grow spiritually, we will begin producing divine good, which is not the same as human good and is not the same as human morality.

2.       Just as morality is not the Christian way of life; morality is not salvation either. No one is saved because they are moral.

3.       God designed morality for the human race as morality protects and perpetuates the human race. Morality in society protects human freedom.

4.       God has ordained 5 divine institutions: the individual person (or soul), employment, marriage, family and nation. There is a moral code for each of these divine institutions. These are institutions which will continually be under satanic attack.

5.       Take marriage, for instance: infidelity, spousal abuse, lack of commitment are acts or attitudes which destroy a marriage, and, in turn, impact a family (if there are children involved; and divorce within a family often affect the siblings of those who divorced¹). The result could be the dissolution of the marriage, and children raised by a single parent are much more likely to be involved in drugs, underage drinking, teen pregnancy and crime, all of which negatively impact the nation. This is applicable to believer and unbeliever alike. The family is the key to the stability of a national entity; destroy the family and it will destroy the nation from within.

6.       Commandments 4–10 of the Ten Commandments (found in Ex. 20) are an example of a basic moral code, which can be applied to believers and unbelievers alike in any nation. This is why it is appropriate to have the Ten Commandments displayed in any courtroom and classroom.

          a.       Commandment 4: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you will labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God: you will not do any work. Although the Sabbath was given to the Jews of Israel specifically, there are aspects of it which are important to all men. Man needs a day off; he needs to recharge his batteries. Ideally speaking, man ought to turn toward God as well on a regular basis. Because creation is fundamental to all mankind, the 7-day work week is a part of almost every culture. Interestingly enough, providing more and more time off does not make a people any happier (as has been shown in Europe).

          b.       Commandment 5: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. Again, even though this was specifically given to the Jews of Israel (this prepared them for establishing the nation Israel), this commandment is fundamental to all societies. A child may have some pretty lousy parents, but even lousy parents tend to have more wisdom than their own children. A child who listens to and obeys his parents is going to be a happier, more well-adjusted child, and society will benefit from this. Furthermore, in most cases a normal parent wants to raise his own children well.

                     i.         This concept is constantly under satanic attack. Some examples are:

                     ii.        The anti-capitalism, pro-socialism indoctrination which has found its way into our public school system.

                     iii.       Politicians, political activists, and propagandists often appeal to children, suggesting that they are wiser than their parents and know things which their parents do not.²

                     iv.       Schools are continually introducing materials into the youngest grades possible which are contrary to the concept of family.³

          c.        Commandment 6: You will not murder. The Bible is very clear on the sin of murder; this is not the same as executing a criminal nor is this the same as killing in war (also covered in the book of Exodus). This is intentional murder of another person, whether done during a crime or to eliminate this person from your life. You remove this person from this life when you murder them, which is the first divine institution. A society cannot be run by vigilantes or by criminal organizations. When using the oft-quoted phrase An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, the Bible is referencing a system of organized justice, and not justifying vigilantism.

          d.       Commandment 7: You will not commit adultery. The 2^nd divine institution, marriage, must be protected. It does not matter that a male’s normal inclination is to wander; there are boundaries to the institution of marriage, and sexual fidelity is a fundamental boundary.

          e.       Commandment 8: You will not steal. Men (and women) are allowed to accumulate wealth, possessions and land. This commandment protects property rights. Individuals should not steal from others nor should the government steal from its citizens.

          f.        Commandment 9: You will not bear false witness against your fellow man. You do not lie about someone else. Lying, as we have seen, is what led man to sin.

          g.       Commandment 10: Never desire to take your neighbor's household away from him. Never desire to take your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to him. Having an intense desire for the things which belong to your neighbor is a sin which plagues mankind, and today, in the United States, this is rampant. Some people actually believe that they have the right to determine how much income is too much and how this income ought to be used. At this point in time (2009), it is this very sin which threatens to undo the economy of the United States. Rather than being satisfied with what he has, Charlie Brown thinks that it is the government’s job to take a large chunk of hedge-fund trader Lucy’s wealth and to properly distribute it to those who deserve it (this is called redistribution of wealth, spreading the wealth around, or economic justice). What is most disconcerting is, there are actually churches which teach this.

7.       A nation depends upon its citizenry as a whole to exhibit some reasonable amount of morality. If murder, stealing, and lying are rampant, that nation will destroy itself from within. A nation cannot simply survive based upon Christians alone exhibiting morality (however, mature believers in a nation will positively impact that nation).

8.       The unbeliever who goes from immorality to morality will have a better life, and sometimes people are confused by this. Let me explain: a person may become a Jehovah Witness, a scientologist or a Buddhist, and their lives may improve, and their family and friends must grudgingly admit their lives have improved. It is not because these organizations are good organizations; it is because the person involved is now engaging in moral behavior rather than immoral behavior.

9.       In the end, morality will make for better volitional choices, a better family life, and a more stable nation, but morality will not save. No one is moral enough to be saved. Luke 18:18–23 Titus 3:5 Eph. 2:8–9

The Bible also speaks to the care and provision of the helpless and the Bible speaks of legitimate taxation in both the Old and New Testaments. All of this must be taken in balance.

¹ Statistically, there is a greater chance for a couple to divorce if one of their siblings has also divorced.

² Two examples of many: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhCobR5Ql_k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbXxFUjDMiE

³ http://takeyourkidsoutofpublicschool.com/2009/06/and-tango-makes-three-%E2%80%93-a-long-way-from-dick-and-jane/

Definition of Terms

Grace Apparatus for Perception

God has made it possible for all believers, no matter what their IQ, to take in doctrine and to understand doctrine. Any believer, no matter what his or her IQ, can grow spiritually; and their spiritual growth is never hampered by their IQ (although, some high IQ types may try to over think a doctrine or find some clever way to justify some personal sin or failing, and fail to grow in that area). See the Grace Apparatus for Perception (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

Human Good

Acts which society may see as being good, but things which have no eternal value. For instance, a person may want to give one of Al Gore’s carbon credit companies money to pay for “carbon usage,” and then Al sends out one of his minions to go plant a tree. There are people who would praise this as a great act of self sacrifice, but it means nothing to God. The Doctrine of Human Good (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

Spiritual dynamics

Spiritual dynamics is simply the believer making use of spiritual life which God has given to him (we might say, he is exploiting his portfolio of spiritual assets). Simply put, the believer names his sins to God (rebound; 1John 1:9); learns Bible doctrine (daily, if possible); produces divine good; and employs the ten problem solving devices. More informally, this term can simply understood as the use of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Apart from R. B. Thieme, Jr.’s massive audio (or video) study of this topic, I am unaware of this doctrine being reduced in size and presented online.