Austin Bible Church
Divine good is defined as all mental, verbal, and overt activities performed by the believer while filled with the Holy Spirit. Divine good is actually produced through the believer’s use of God's grace resources and comes directly from God. 2 Thess. 2:16-17.
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NASB)
Human good is defined as all mental, verbal, and overt activities performed while out of fellowship, in a state of sin or carnality. A believer can function in the power of their human abilities and their human energy rather than the power of God.
Human good can also be involved in the production of evil. It began with Adam and Eve in the Garden after the Fall when they fashioned fig leaves as loin cloths. Evil is the thinking of Satan. Human good is the application of that thinking. Human good is the production of the unbeliever and the believer out of fellowship.
Many believers get involved in something that appears to be a good thing to do or a worthwhile thing to be involved in. We may think we are doing something for God when in reality we are only producing human good and God's grace resources have given way to human abilities and talents. It is not God's plan for you to produce human good. This is the common trap of getting involved with Christian activism to push God's plan based on human effort. You feel you must “do something” for God.
Moral good can be produced by both believer and unbeliever and involves adherence to the rule of law and the observance of the laws of divine establishment.
The believer must grow spiritually before they can begin to produce divine good. It is God's will that every believer learn Bible doctrine and grow spiritually. It is a command. 2 Peter 3:18.
“but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18, NASB)
It is God’s plan for the believer to produce maximum divine good. Divine good production is also called “fruit” in Scripture. Heb. 13:15-16; John 15:5; Col. 1:10.
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16, NASB)
“"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NASB)
“so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:10, NASB)
Divine good production is based on application of epignosis Bible doctrine in the right lobe of your soul to life’s situations. Such application can only be performed under the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. It is a grace operation all the way. The believer’s spiritual growth and mental attitude limit divine good production. Eph. 2:10.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, NASB)
The believer produces divine good as they grow spiritually and proportional to their level spiritual maturity. Obviously, if a believer remains in fellowship more and more of the time, they will be thinking divine viewpoint, they will be more of an encouragement to others, they will find opportunities to witness to the unbeliever, and they will perform more and more under their spiritual gift. All are divine good production. All glorify God. 2 Tim. 3:16-17.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NASB)
God provides all of the grace resources necessary for you to produce divine good. The believer’s volition toward Bible doctrine and God's grace is always the issue. 2 Cor. 9:8.
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” (2 Corinthians 9:8, NASB)
The production of divine good is related to the function of the grace apparatus for perception. Titus 2:7; 2 Tim. 2:21; Col. 1:9-10.
“in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,” (Titus 2:7, NASB)
“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21, NASB)
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:9-10, NASB)
The believer’s spiritual life and reliance of the power of God's grace resources will produce divine good. The spiritual life and application of Bible doctrine to the problems in life is a means of overcoming the evil of Satan’s world. Rom. 12:21.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21, NASB)
The believer’s production of divine good during their life on earth will receive eternal reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Conversely, the believer’s human good will be removed at the Judgment Seat of Christ as unacceptable to God. 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:12-15.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NASB)
“Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15, NASB)