Good News

When will “being a good person” ever be good enough for God?  In a word, “Never.”

The many peaceful followers of the religion of Islam, as I understand, will not know until they face Allah whether or not they have done enough “good works” to allow then entry into heaven.  Islam jihadists who are living their faith as the Koran teaches, on the other hand, will be allowed into heaven by killing themselves and hopefully other infidels in an act of violent terrorism.

Ask yourself this question, “How do I measure up on God’s scale?”  If you are honest in your measurement you did not reach the “perfect-no faults found” mark.  Without input from God, man’s religious thinking needs rules and scales. But, there is another way and that way is found in Jesus Christ.  (God knew that man [Adam] would not be perfect even though he created man to be perfect and to walk with Him in that light.)  God, however, did not want man to be just a “clone of perfection” so He gave man the freedom to make decisions, be they good or bad. This is where the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ provides man with hope in an afterlife.

Jesus Christ gave His life freely and died on a Roman Cross for our sins.  He then arose from the dead and guaranteed our redemption.  Consider God’s way and not man’s way to have forgiveness and eternal life by “faith and belief” alone and not by “good works.”  Consider the following: 

• We are all sinners, outside the will of God, and can never be perfect no matter how good we try to be.

 Romans 3:23 (NIV), “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

• We face death and an eternity without God, because of our sin.

Romans 6:23 (NIV), “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

• Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and died for us so that we would not have to spend eternity without God.

Romans 5:8 (NIV), “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

• By believing in Jesus Christ your faith and hope will seal you for eternity.  All you have to do is pray (or say): “Jesus, I know you died on a cross for my sins when I should be the one who died. I believe that you arose from the dead as a guarantee of my redemption. Today I place my faith and trust in you, and I make and claim you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for everlasting life.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV), “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 If you considered, understood and prayed (or said) the words written above and accepted them in faith and now believe them in your heart, Jesus Christ has guaranteed you eternal life.  Now, rejoice and tell others of your decision.  Carry the following words in your heart knowing that your faith has saved you: John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned: he has crossed over from death to life.” 

As we approach the season in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, rejoice in knowing if you prayed or said the words written above and you believe them, one day when you approach the gates of heaven you will not have to bring an account of your good works; your decision to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior paid your sin debt and guaranteed your entry into heaven. 

Comments to: bt@northloopcottage.com

Visit: www.twitter.com/closetchristian 

Copyright © 2010 by North Loop Cottage LLC.  All rights reserved

This entry was posted on 27. March 2010 at 15:48 and is filed under Religious, The Trinity and Salvation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.