{"id":1230,"date":"2021-12-07T10:59:41","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T21:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/?p=1230"},"modified":"2021-12-07T10:59:41","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T21:59:41","slug":"the-good-person-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/2021\/12\/07\/the-good-person-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"The Good Person Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"

It occurred to me recently that many people have the \u201cGood Person Syndrome.\u201d Now, I am not talking about what most of you may think. All Christians have talked to people about heaven and heard the response, \u201cOh I am a good person. I do good things in my community. I go to church. God will let me into heaven.\u201d We all know being a good person is not what gets us into heaven. But today I am talking about something else.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat else is there?\u201d One may ask.<\/p>\n

My reply, \u201cI believe the \u201cGood Person Syndrome\u201d runs rampant among Christians.\u201d\u00a0 Let me further explain and encourage each of us to examine ourselves for this Syndrome.<\/p>\n

First think about this \u2013 Disobedience:<\/u><\/span><\/h5>\n
    \n
  • Have you ever been a parent? Most of us have and we know if we tell our children something to do and they do not do it \u2013 then they are disobedient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    Second think about this \u2013 Big Sins or Little Sins:<\/u><\/span><\/h5>\n
      \n
    • God does not rank sin as a little sin or a big sin. People call sin a big or little sin. Only people think some sins are worse than others. But God sees all sin as equal. In Revelation, God puts lying along with sins that we would think are horrendous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Rev 21:8 \u201cBut the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars…\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      Example: When I talk with a lost person about heaven, I have to get them past the \u201cGood Person Syndrome\u201d by seeing they are a sinner. So, from the verse above, they can see that God puts lying with what we would call horrendous sins. Now, the lost person starts to see themselves as a sinner. Great! They are now getting past the \u201cGood Person Syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Now, let\u2019s put this together for Christians<\/u>:<\/span><\/h5>\n
        \n
      • First<\/span> \u2013 God gives us (his children) a whole Bible as our instruction book. If we do not follow all<\/u> his rules, we are disobeying God. Just like children who are disobedient to their parents.<\/li>\n
      • Second <\/span>\u2013 The same set of ideas for the lost sinner applies to Christians. God does not see the Christian as sinning big or little sins. (Although I will still use the term \u2018little or big sins\u2019 for explanation proposes.) God sees all our sins on the same level and he sees us, the Christian, as a filthy rag!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Isaiah 64:6 \u201cBut we are all as an unclean thing, <\/em>and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        Next time\"\" you think, \u201cI have done pretty good today. I have not sinned.\u201d You are exhibiting the \u201cGood Person Syndrome\u201d and God is seeing your righteousness as a dirty rag.<\/p>\n

        God\u2019s Word is our instruction book. If we disobey in one area \u2013 we have sinned.<\/p>\n

        So, “What \u2018little\u2019 sins might be making your rag (your life) dirtier and dirtier in God\u2019s eyes?\u201d<\/p>\n

        Here is a list of a few things (small sins, in our eyes, that we might not think about) that God showed me that would make us appear dirty before him.<\/span><\/h5>\n
          \n
        1. Heb. 11:6 \u201cBut without faith it is impossible to please him\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/span> Wow! We are having faith in our Lord for our eternal salvation, but are we having faith in the Lord for daily problems? When is the last time you thought something like this, \u201cOh this is awful, I know God can take care of this though, but (in your mind you are thinking \u2018yeah right\u2019) If we are not having faith in the Lord for everything in our lives, our Saviour is unhappy with us, and not having faith in him is a sin.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. Complaining \u2013 \u201cHmm, we tend to overlook this one.\u201d Just read Exodus and all the issues God had with the Israelites and their complaining. Be honest, \u201cDo you really go a day without complaining about something?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Even if one does not verbally complain to someone, that does not mean one is not complaining in their mind? It might be a small complaint, but a complaint big or small is a complaint. And, remember, God knows all \u2013 even our complaints in our minds\u201d Ps 94:11 \u201cThe Lord knoweth the thoughts of man\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Heb. 10:25 \u201c\u2026but exhorting one another\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/span> Exhorting others. Now a days, it is easy to get caught up in negative conversations. \u201cWhat is missed? Exhortation \u2013 Encouragement!\u201d Think about this next time you leave a conversation, \u201cDid I encourage or discourage someone?\u201d As I see it, \u201cThere is a lot of discouragement from people during these times.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                \n
              1. I Peter 2:9 \u201cBut ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/span> Come on ladies \u2013 we are to be peculiar \u2013 dress modestly! We all know we should be doing this, but many think \u201cEveryone else is wearing this, I\u2019m going to as well. I want to dress in modern fashions.\u201d I whisper to you, “We can still dress in modern fashions and be modest.”<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Many ladies and young girls want to fit in and not stand out in the world. But God tells us to be \u201ca peculiar people.<\/em>\u201d When we try to blend in through wearing worldly clothing or showing off body parts that should not be seen in public (even through tight clothing) \u2013 we are sinning because we are not being \u201ca peculiar people\u201d<\/em> for our Lord.<\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. A few other things to consider in I Timothy:<\/span>\n
                    \n
                  1. 5:12-13 \u201c\u2026know them which labour among you\u2026And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.\u201d Honor and respect your church leaders.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                  2. 5:14 \u201c\u2026be patient toward all men\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
                  3. 5:15 \u201c\u2026follow that which is good\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
                  4. 5:18 \u201cIn every thing give thanks\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
                  5. 5:22 \u201cAbstain from all appearance of evil.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    The list could go on and on from the front cover to the back cover of the Bible. I urge \"\"you to study God’s Word.<\/p>\n

                    So, if you have the \u201cGood Person Syndrome\u201d, take it to the Lord in prayer. Think about Isaiah 64:6 and ask the Lord to show you areas you might be sinning and you never realized you were sinning. You might be amazed at what God reveals to you in your prayers. Then get things right and keep things right with God on a daily basis and crush the \u201cGood Person Syndrome\u201d in your life.<\/span> Don\u2019t be a dirty rag before God!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    It occurred to me recently that many people have the \u201cGood Person Syndrome.\u201d Now, I am not talking about what most of you may think. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[376,45,209],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1230"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1234,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230\/revisions\/1234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}