In general, the goodness in the sight of worldly people and the standard of goodness in God's sight are completely different. The only standard of goodness is the Word of God that never changes. In the process of accomplishing perfect goodness according to the Word of God, there are some steps. Let's delve into the steps towards perfect goodness.
Level 1 Though you have some ill-feelings when somebody commits an evil act against you, you do not react in evil.
Suppose somebody is cursing at you and beating on you, and you are not cursing back but are bearing with it. However, inside your heart you have ill-feelings. This kind of person may seem to be very good and mild on the outside and it is better than fighting back, but God still deems it evil if you just suppress your ill-feelings that are burning in your heart. It is because you still have evil in your heart. Therefore, if you truly believe in God, you must fear God, hate evil, and follow the goodness (Proverbs 8:13).
As the end time comes nearer, the world is full of sins and it is hard to find goodness and people who have true faith (Luke 18:8). But, as the darkness gets thicker, even a small light will be very visible. So, if you act in true goodness in this dark world, you can become light to the world and lead many people to the Light.
Level 2 When an evil act is committed against you here are no feelings of discomfort or ill-feelings, much less paying back evil with evil.
Suppose you are in charge of some work, and the work went wrong due to a mistake of your workers. Check if you would blame it on yourself completely and take the responsibility.
Or, with the bad feeling coming from the difficulty you had faced, did you not still want to blame your worker to some extent, at least in a corner of your heart, and want to rebuke your worker? Those who are good will truly confess it is their fault and look back on themselves. Then, God will give them grace and help them so that the same mistake will not happen (Proverbs 12:2).
Also, think about when you saw somebody else receiving a rebuke. Didn't you think it was good for you because you were not involved? Or, did you rebuke the person as well by standing in the position of the one who was rebuking that person?
If you are truly good, you would feel such great pain in your heart when somebody else is having a hard time because of you. Though the work was not related to yours, you would think, "It would not have happened if I had helped him," You would look back upon yourself with distress.
Level 3 Your goodness moves even the hearts of those who do evil against you by doing good.
At this 3rd level you do not have any ill-feelings or think in evil but only understand and forgive that person even if the person acts in evil, gives you pain, gives you hard times, and hates you. Moreover, your goodness at this level moves the heart of the person and gives joy and happiness to that person. You can do so in any kind of situation and to anybody.
At the second level, you can sometimes move evil doers' hearts with good words or actions. Meanwhile, at the 3rd level of goodness you can move them all the time regardless of the situation or the kind of person involved. Even a person who has acted with evil toward you can be moved in his heart by your words and deeds. And he will repent and turn from his ways.
Therefore, goodness is not just being nice and showing weakness by giving up, instead it is the power to drive away the enemy Satan and devil and destroy their schemes. The second level of goodness is a passive goodness; however, the 3rd level of goodness is an active level of goodness where evil can be repaid with goodness.
You do not calculate your loss or gain. You are willing to sacrifice yourself. Also, even if a person acts like an enemy towards you, you may only think of the way to have peace with him. You would not have hard time but just feel joyful and happy about doing goodness itself.
And God always walks with those who have reached this level of goodness and answers them according to the wishes in their hearts.
Level 4 You will be able to give your life unsparingly even for those who do evil to you.
It is the level of goodness of God who gave His only begotten Son as an atoning sacrifice for sinners, and of our Lord who gave up His life for sinners.
At that time, nobody knew why Jesus had to take so much suffering. There were just some women who truly loved Jesus and followed Him in mourning. Most others considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:4).
Jesus was hung on a tree to redeem us from the curse of death that was inflicted upon sinners, and shed His spotless blood to redeem the sinners from their sins at once. The reason why he was whipped was to free us from all kinds of diseases. He wore a crown of thorns to forgive all our sins that we commit in our thoughts.
He was nailed through His hands and feet to forgive our sins that we commit with our hands and feet. Jesus came to this earth to give His everything for us sinners, and in the end He gave even His life to give us eternal life.
Jesus wanted even the Jews and Pharisees who caught Him to kill Him, and the soldiers who whipped and crucified Him, to realize the providence of salvation of the cross and gain salvation.
Therefore, we must realize the Lord's love and grace and come into the level of complete goodness more quickly. If you reach the highest level of goodness, the enemy devil and Satan cannot hinder you. You will be a delight in God's sight so that you will receive answers to even the things that you just desire in your heart.
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