by David Brenneman
"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; “Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:9-20.
Our thoughts and feelings, ideas and perceptions on good and evil aren't what's true about what we see, hear, do, and find in the world. It's everything that God's said in His word that it is.
We're honestly too lenient, to accommodating towards everything, the good, the bad and the ugly of life.
I can be as peaceable, kind, generous, loving, forgiving as most anyone else.
I can also be the most evil person you've ever seen or met. As has been coined in several places with great knowledge comes great responsibility. Another is that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
All human beings that have breathed air, the only exception being Jesus, have the ability to be the most evil person who ever lived under the right circumstances.
No, there are no 'good' people in this world. Christians are forgiven, but are far from perfect. The Spirit is at work in the lives of those who believe and have asked Jesus to be the forgiver of their sins and the Lord of their lives. It's a lifelong process. I am not the same person today as I was 23 and a half years ago when I first moved from my hometown. That person doesn't exist anymore. Even that person was different than the boy who came to Jesus decades earlier. The work of God is ongoing until we breathe our last.
We need those daily reminders and daily pursuits of being with Jesus. It is the Spirit of God that empowers the Believer to overcome sin in daily living. There is no such thing as being good enough outside of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Countless millions of people will stand before Jesus someday and be in shock and horrified to learn that truth. That their good was never good enough. That all they pursued in life to help others, to do anything for mankind that they did...was all for naught. Worthless...because their names were not written down in the book of Life. These people will shriek and cry out in the presence of Jesus on that judgment day, just as many trillions of others are right now in Hell who thought the same.
Jesus is the only way to Truth.
The only way to salvation.
Jesus will only accept the testimony of the Spirit who testifies to the validity of someone being saved. The Spirit seals the deal and writes a person's name in the Book of Life in the blood of Jesus Christ.
My Dear Reader, please don't overlook all of this. It is imperative to be right with Jesus now, before He returns. All the horrors of all the wars and disasters of all human history will not compare with what judgments will be revealed against all mankind after the Rapture of the Church and the rest of the book of Revelation occurs.
Your worst nightmare won't compare to what's coming. It's that bad.
Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. You're not going to see the Father, not going to see Heaven, by trying to get there without going through the requirement of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Being a good person won't cut it.
Being a nice person won't cut it.
Being a wonderful contributor to the world won't cut it.
There is no one good, not one. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23.
Life can probably feel great to you right now without Jesus in it. But deep down you know in your heart of hearts that something is wrong. Something is missing. You're filling your life with all kinds of things and you still feel empty.
Don't let another moment go by without you getting right with Jesus. He's waiting just now for you. With open arms. Ready to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all your sins, past, present and future.
It's not going to go away, that need to be saved. If you die without salvation in Christ Jesus, your going to be eternally separated from God...in torment..paying for your sins. Jesus said He would wash away your sins, take your punishment upon Himself. Make you right with God. If only you would come and ask for His free gift of salvation. The choice is yours as well as the consequences.
Jesus is knocking on the door to your heart.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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