# Can we be good without believing in God? Document: study/morality No one is righteous by nature. God's image remains, and common grace is real. Topic: god Keywords: ethics, total depravity, image of God, common grace, goodness, atheist, objective morality ## Starting answer Not if ‘good’ means righteous before God. Scripture says that none of us is righteous by nature: sin affects the whole person, and outward kindness cannot make us right with God. Yet fallen people still bear God's image. By common grace, unbelievers can love their children, act generously and do things that benefit their neighbours. These acts do not earn salvation or constitute the God-pleasing righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. We must keep those meanings of ‘good’ distinct. Basis: Romans 3:10-12; Genesis 9:6; Luke 6:32-33; Hebrews 11:6; [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 16.7](https://opc.org/wcf.html) ## Reasoning 1 The Bible's verdict includes all fallen humanity, not just unbelievers. Christians are saved sinners, not people who were naturally better than their neighbours. Basis: Romans 3:9-24; Ephesians 2:1-9 ## Reasoning 2 Sin has corrupted God's image in us without erasing it. Total depravity means that sin affects every faculty; it does not mean that everyone commits every possible evil or is as wicked as they could be. Basis: Genesis 9:6; James 3:9; [R. C. Sproul · Ligonier Ministries — The image retained; total versus utter depravity](https://learn.ligonier.org/qas/does-the-doctrine-of-total-depravity-teach-that-we-have-lost-the-image-of-god) ## Reasoning 3 God restrains evil and gives gifts beyond the church. Real benefit to a neighbour is distinguishable from an act proceeding from faith, according to God's Word and for God's glory. Basis: Matthew 5:44-45; [John Calvin · Beveridge translation, CCEL — II.3.3–4](https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes/institutes.iv.iv.html); [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 16.7](https://opc.org/wcf.html) ## Conclusion An unbeliever can perform outwardly beneficial acts, but no sinner can become righteous before God by those acts. Our need is Christ, whose righteousness is received by faith. Basis: Romans 3:20-26; Philippians 3:8-9 ## God's image is dignity, not innocence Genesis grounds the protection of human life in God's image even after the fall. James condemns cursing people made in God's likeness. We must honour that dignity without treating it as proof of an unfallen heart. Conscience bears witness to accountability; it does not remove our guilt. Basis: Genesis 9:6; James 3:9-10; Romans 2:14-16; [R. C. Sproul · Ligonier Ministries — The continuing image of God](https://learn.ligonier.org/qas/does-the-doctrine-of-total-depravity-teach-that-we-have-lost-the-image-of-god) ## Common grace is not saving grace God's kindness and restraint help explain civic virtue outside the church. They do not regenerate the heart or turn helpful conduct into merit. Even believers' imperfect works are accepted only through Christ. The gospel therefore removes boasting while calling us to grateful obedience. Basis: [Ligonier Ministries · theological guide — Restraint of sin and civic virtue](https://learn.ligonier.org/guides/common-grace); [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 16.5–7](https://opc.org/wcf.html); Titus 3:3-8 ## Then ask what makes morality binding The moral argument is a further question, not a substitute for the biblical account of sin. God is holy and his law expresses his righteous character. Humanists also affirm ethical responsibility; we should represent that claim accurately while asking what grounds it. Their moral seriousness does not establish a right standing before God. Basis: Psalms 19:7-9; 1 Peter 1:15-16; [Humanists International · 2022 — Declaration of Modern Humanism: ethics](https://humanists.international/policy/declaration-of-modern-humanism/); [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 2.1; 19.2](https://opc.org/wcf.html) ## Objection Doesn't this deny the kindness of people who do not believe? ## Reply No. Feeding someone really benefits them, and neglecting that duty is worse. The question is whether the act meets God's whole standard, including the heart and its ultimate end. Scripture does not permit us to turn relative civic goodness into innocence before a holy God. Nor does it permit Christians to look down on people whose mercy may shame our conduct. Basis: Luke 6:32-36; Romans 3:27-28; [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 16.7](https://opc.org/wcf.html) ## Scope and limits The sinlessness of Christ is not an exception we may forget: he alone is our perfectly righteous Saviour. Believers do become truly renewed and do works God accepts in him, but never establish their own saving merit. Basis: Hebrews 4:15; Ephesians 2:8-10; [Westminster Assembly · OPC text — 16.5–6](https://opc.org/wcf.html) ## Conversation starter · editorial application When we say someone is good, do we mean that they benefit others, or that they are righteous before God—and how does Christ answer our deeper need? Basis: Romans 3:21-26 ## Read in Scripture - Romans 3:9-12: No one is righteous by nature - Genesis 9:6: God's image after the fall - Luke 6:32-36: Even sinners do good to others - Hebrews 11:6: Without faith we cannot please God - Romans 3:21-28: Righteousness through Christ Related studies: grace, secular, suffering ## Sources and their limits ### Institutes II.3: the corruption of human nature [calvin-sin] John Calvin · Beveridge translation, CCEL · Reformed exposition [Read source](https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes/institutes.iv.iv.html) Sections 3–4 distinguish God's restraint of sin and gifts in civic life from an inwardly righteous heart. Used alongside Romans 3, not to deny the benefit of an unbeliever's kindness. ### Common Grace [common-grace] Ligonier Ministries · theological guide · Reformed exposition [Read source](https://learn.ligonier.org/guides/common-grace) Used for providential kindness, the restraint of evil and civic virtue. Common grace must be distinguished from the regenerating grace that brings sinners to faith. ### Declaration of Modern Humanism [humanism] Humanists International · 2022 · Primary record · not a teaching authority [Read source](https://humanists.international/policy/declaration-of-modern-humanism/) An organization's own account of humanist ethics, reason and meaning. It does not speak for every atheist or secular person. ### Have we lost the image of God? [sproul-image] R. C. Sproul · Ligonier Ministries · Reformed exposition [Read source](https://learn.ligonier.org/qas/does-the-doctrine-of-total-depravity-teach-that-we-have-lost-the-image-of-god) Explains the continuing image of God after the fall and the difference between total and utter depravity. Image-bearing does not mean innocence or saving righteousness. ### Westminster Confession of Faith [wcf] Westminster Assembly · OPC text · Reformed confession [Read source](https://opc.org/wcf.html) Our subordinate doctrinal standard for these guides. Citations specify chapter and paragraph. Scripture judges the confession itself (1.10); the confession does not replace Scripture. ## Connected documents - [editorial/library](editorial-library.md) - [source/calvin-sin](source-calvin-sin.md) - [source/common-grace](source-common-grace.md) - [source/humanism](source-humanism.md) - [source/sproul-image](source-sproul-image.md) - [source/wcf](source-wcf.md) - [study/grace](study-grace.md) - [study/secular](study-secular.md) - [study/suffering](study-suffering.md) - [topic/god](topic-god.md)