when being "good" is bad

You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.  These are the very Scriptures that testify about me ... I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me, but if someone comes in his own name, you will accept him.  How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes only from God?  But do not think I will accuse you before the Father.  Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.

Jesus of Nazareth (from John's Gospel, 5:39;43-45)

When I try to "be good," it's for one of two reasons - and Jesus calls me out on them right here:

1)  I do what I think is "good" because I selfishly want to earn my spot in eternity.  I make rules for myself regarding daily Bible reading, helping people that I judge as needier than myself, and other good habits because I think I can guarantee myself a better life. 

"There are two ways to be y our own Savior and Lord:  one is by breaking all moral law and setting your own course, and one is by keeeping all the moral law and being very, very good." 
(Keller, Prodigal God, p. 43)

2)  I seek other people's praise by means of being good - by upholding the moral law Moses gave Judeo-Christian tradition.  If no one notices, I will often stop doing good, because I find it unrewarding to simply complete the actions. 

Yet despite not seeking Christ, it is not He who will condemn me - he knows that I have a moral inability to seek Him; I will be damned by the rules that I elevated above Him, the moral fervor that I let envigorate me more than Him, and the actions that I let affirm me instead of Him.  It's not that Christ wants to judge us - He wants to affirm us, and is very jealous of the things we let take that place.  He is our cuckolded spouse, and just wants us back. 

He wants us to celebrate with Him.  I think it is very significant that His first miracle (two chapters earlier in John's gospel) was turning water to wine.  The jars He filled with wine were those used for purification rites, so effectively He turned holy water - meant for the cleansing of shortcomings which had kept us from God - to wine so that we could celebrate in Him, and let Him clean us up.  He both obeyed the rules by obeying His mother's request, and overtuned the rules by converting ritual water.  No ritual we do will match the joy and celebration that being with Him can bring ...

"When we read scripture, we bring a lens of rebellion to it, and harp on what we don't want to hear (rules) rather than glorying in the promises of God"  ~  Ray Ortlund (08.mar.11)