Comparison ≠ Competency

“I may not be perfect, but at least I’m not as bad as .”

Comparison. It’s how we determine whether or not we are a “good” Christian. Let’s start there. What is a “good” Christian?

It’s really an interesting question. I’ve got my list of what makes a good Christian, and you’ve got yours. But what does God say? First of all, He says, “There is none good; no, not one.” The very first step in becoming a Christian is confessing that we are not good. We are indeed sinners, and we stand in need of a Savior.

So having become believers in Christ, are we then in a position to boast of our own goodness, in comparison with others who are less good, and in comparison to other brothers or sisters in Christ, no less? Hardly. No, the confession of the believer is not in his or her own goodness, but rather in the goodness of Christ. He is our boast. This life of grace through faith is “not of works, lest any man should boast.” 

This goodness of Christ is at least two-fold. First, He is, was, and always will be, perfectly good. He never sinned. He is never at cross-purposes with the Father. He is always perfectly consistent with the Divine essence. He defines goodness.

But He also expresses goodness. That is, we don’t find goodness only in Him, but also from Him, and in relation to Him. He is good to us, in all of His offices and functions; as Prophet (Word), Priest (Sacrifice), and King.

So if we return to our title, “Comparison ≠ Competency;” and our question: “What is a ‘good’ Christian?”, we might say this: A good Christian is one who points away from himself, rejecting comparisons with others, and points instead to Christ, who is the only worthy object of our admiration and adoration. It is then that we are functioning appropriately, as sinners saved by grace. Even then, it is not so much a function of our goodness, but rather the grateful redeemed showing deference to the holy Redeemer. We pray that we may begin to do this instinctively, rather than having to be corrected time and again.

The Pharisee in the temple prayed, “Thank you that I’m not like that guy over there.” But let us pray, “Lord, help me to be refashioned more like You.”