I Am Not a Good Person

Though I’ve been told I’m a good person, I strongly disagree. I have never done anything good.

Neither have you, for that matter!

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I have, however, done many awful things. Everything from gossip to illegal downloading to lousy grades to foolish decisions — I take full responsibility for all of it. I am prideful, selfish, and downright evil.

Yes, evil. That is the real me.

Again, every good thing I have ever done is absolutely not because of me.

I am not a good person.

In fact, none of us are good. King David referred to our hopelessness in the Bible.

There is no one who does good, not even one.
– Psalm 14:3

We do not even have the ability… to a degree, anyway. The book of Isaiah confirms how badly we fail.

All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
– Isaiah 64:6

This could get quite long, but the short story is this: I am completely unable to do good on my own.

As a follower of Christ, I admit responsibility for everything awful I have ever done. (This is key!)

Any good thing I have ever done is definitely not me. Instead, it is Christ living through me. It is me giving up, getting out of the way, and dying to self so God can do good things despite me — not because of anything I have done.

I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
– Galatians 2:20

I’m not a good person. But I am absolutely thrilled to know God can do good things through me.

Despite me, that is.


How can you ever do anything good?