This episode surveys the Scripture's bleak assessment of human ability to do good. The Biblical standard of "goodness" is perfect consistency with outwardly good works and the heart that produces them. Paul mastered the former, describing himself as "blameless" in outward keeping of the Law (Phil. 3:6), but condemns himself as a law-breaker regarding coveting (Rom. 7:7). His failure to produce good works from a law-abiding heart means that he doesn't meet the standard of goodness. And he extends his assessment of himself to all mankind in Rom 3:12: "there is none who does good, not even one." Christ commented that John the Baptist was the greatest man "born to woman," but insisted those "least in the kingdom of God" were greater than he. John the Baptist, like Paul, excelled in outward manifestations of righteousness, but lacked the regenerate heart essential to producing truly good works, where outwardly "good" works flow from a heart that perfectly loves God and neighbor. Unbelievers consequently cannot produce "good" works since all works ultimately flow from an unbelieving unregenerate heart.
Justified AND Sanctified by Faith in Christ
This episode adds more context to Galatians 5:4, a verse that COULD be interpreted as losing one's salvation. Building on the previous episode, in which Paul categorically rejects all forms of legalism as the basis of justification, Paul also rejects legalism as the basis of sanctification. The central issue of the book of Galatians is subsequent appeal to the Law for righteousness AFTER one is saved. Paul contends that Galatian believers were saved by faith in Christ, they began "by the Spirit." (Galatians 3:3) So the larger context of sanctification must be the lens by which we evaluate the troublesome verse of Galatians 5:4.