p. 3 | THE GOOD MORAL MAN by T. E. Bowen

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 20, 1901

THE GOOD MORAL MAN.

By T. E. Bowen

THE world seems to be full of what are known as “good moral men.” Many are running the risk of losing eternal life, hoping to be accepted by the Lord as good moral men. While this sort of man does not openly profess belief in Jesus Christ, still it is hoped that somehow God, who is the God of love, will accept him.

One does not have to be wholly bad, viewed from man’s standpoint, to fail of eternal life. The tree in the midst of the garden was a tree of knowledge of good and evil. In order for Satan to be a deceiver, he passes off many apparently good things. In this way he deceives. Good is used only for the purpose of deception, and therefore all is made evil, as God views it.

So with the moral man, He may do in his lifetime many noble deeds, he may say a great many good things, but all this may be done from a wrong motive, a motive in itself selfish. This passes not with God. If the Son of God is left out of a man’s reckoning, whatever he may otherwise be, however great his ability or attainments, all is counted as dross by the righteous Judge. The works of a man’s life will be worthless if his life is a Christless life. That which he and others may have counted upon, will sink into utter insignificance when God opens up the treasures of Christ’s rich life, which they have selfishly and wilfully set aside to pursue a course to them more pleasing. All these treasures were placed within their reach. By renouncing their own evil ways, and accepting Christ’s sweet life as theirs, all these treasures might have been theirs; but no, they had no need of Him during their lifetime—they lived and died as “good moral men.”

My brother, there is no such person on earth as a “good moral man.” The heart of man is evil; it is inherently selfish. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” This is what God says of your heart and mine. Do you believe Him or not? Further, we are told that we do not know our own hearts. He tells the truth, and the only safe way is to acknowledge this worthlessness now and accept of the life of God’s dear Son, which life will endure every test that can possibly be placed upon it. The wise man will go and sell all that he has and buy the field in which is the pearl of great price, the life of the Son of God. If you are depending upon a “good-moral-man” plea, it will be wise for you to sell that too; for it takes all to buy the field. T. E. BOWEN.