“There is none good but one, that is, God.”
This is not just a moral question—it is a spiritual earthquake. If goodness belongs solely to God, then what hope do sinners have? And if we dare to ask, “How bad is bad?” we must prepare to tremble at the answer.
1. The Absolute Standard of Goodness
Jesus said plainly, “There is none good but one, that is, God.” We do not approach God with our goodness—we approach Him because He is good. Isaiah saw it clearly:
“All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
Goodness is not a measure we achieve; it is a Person we encounter. And that encounter reveals something deeper.
2. The Sinfulness of Sin
Bad is not just poor behavior—it is sin. And sin is not merely missing the mark; it is rebellion, decay, death. As Paul wrote:
“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
Sin is the partner of death. And its presence isn’t subtle—it is “exceedingly sinful.”
“Sin, that through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.”
The law didn’t invent sin—it illuminated it. We wouldn’t understand the depth of our fall without the clarity of God’s standard.
3. If Salvation Is by Grace, Can It Be Lost by Badness?
This brings us to the trembling edge of a theological cliff: How good must we be to keep our salvation? How bad must we be to lose it?
Scripture gives this answer: You weren’t saved by being good, and you’re not kept by being good.
“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…”
Yet Scripture also warns us: persistent, unrepentant sin may reveal a deeper problem—a heart never truly changed.
“They went out from us, but they were not of us.”
We are not judged by our works, but our works testify to whom we belong.
4. How Evil Could a Christian Be?
The Bible is honest. David committed murder and adultery. Peter denied Christ. Corinth was full of believers caught in immorality and disorder. But God disciplines His children—not abandons them:
“The Lord disciplines the one He loves.”
“If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
True Christians can fall deeply—but not finally. God keeps His own.
5. Deeds Reveal, But Do Not Secure
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Our deeds don’t earn salvation—they reflect it. If a person lives in unbroken, unrepentant wickedness, we must ask: Has grace truly taken root?
We don’t lose salvation by being bad, but we may reveal we never had it if there is no fruit at all.
6. The Unanswerable Paradox: When Does Light Become Darkness?
And yet… here we find ourselves at the edge of mystery. How much sin is too much? When does a stumble become apostasy? When does light become darkness?
We cannot answer that. Because we cannot fully understand the depth of grace or the weight of sin. We cannot measure the line between God’s mercy and His wrath. We only know:
- God is just.
- God is gracious.
- God is holy.
- And we are not Him.
“Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully…”
7. Final Thoughts: Stand in the Mystery
The question “How bad is bad?” leads to one place: the cross. There, the full weight of sin and the full mercy of grace collided.
We cannot define grace, but we can fall upon it.
We cannot quantify badness, but we can flee to the One who bore it all.
So fall into His hands. Trust His mercy. Rest in His promise:
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Questions for Reflection:
- Am I trusting in my goodness—or God’s?
- Do I grieve over sin or excuse it?
- Is there spiritual fruit in my life that points to the root of grace?
- Have I truly fallen into the arms of Christ for salvation—or am I leaning on my works?
Light doesn’t become darkness. Darkness is overcome by Light. And that Light is Christ.