Are you good enough?
Are you good enough? by By Gary Glass (New)
Are you Good Enough?
Jesus said, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Matthew 24:4. He was talking about the time prior to His return to earth. The Second Coming. We live in a age of deception. I, personally, have been deceived many times. There are many Christians, today, who are deceived, and don't even know it. They could be involved in New Age, Yoga, Psychology, Occult, Prosperity Gospel, Emerging Church Movement, etc.,and many other practices that are not biblical and can be harmful. I am not expert, but I will attempt to expose these topics in later articles. First, we need to lay the foundation before we expose error. The question is "Are you good enough?" or " How good do you have to be to enter into the presence of a Holy God." If you were to ask people today, then you would hear, " I am not perfect". " I am not a bad person." " I am getting better." However, Jesus answers the question. The answer is that you have to be as holy, righteous, and perfect as God, himself, to stand in His presence. So, we ask another question, " How can a holy God accept a sinner, like me, into His kingdom of heaven."
First of all, a rich young ruler had the same question. He said, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Mark 10:17 In other words, how do I get to heaven? Notice, what Jesus says. He defines the word "Good". " Why callest me good? there is none good but one, that is, God" Mark 10:18 So, how many people are "Good "? Just one, God. Then, Jesus gives the young man a standard for goodness, which is the 10 commandments or The Law. "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear witness(Lie), Defraud not, Honor thy Father and Mother." Verse 19 The young man said that he kept these commandments from his youth. Verse 20. " Then, Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lack: go thy way, sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." Mark 10:21-22 Can you guess what commandment this young man was breaking? He was breaking the first commandment, which states, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Money and possessions became his object of desire, and the thought of losing that made him very sad.
Many people today are like this young man. They believe that if they could keep a good standard of living that God will accept them. However, we don't want to hear from the Lord, " One thing thou lackest." and be found wanting. We want to have full assurance that we have peace with God and eternal life. The Lord loves the Law. "Oh how love I thy law: it is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97 "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy Law" Verse 136. The Lord loves the Law so much that He was willing to put himself under the curse of the Law because of His great love for us. The penalty for breaking the Law is death and hell, but Christ came to redeem us. He took upon himself the sin of lying, stealing, adultery, murder, and became a curse for us. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Curse is every one that hangeth on a tree:" Galatians 3:13. The Law of the Lord brings us to Christ, so we can be justified by faith. "But no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11
Finally, what is the object of our faith. Saving faith is not personal experience, it is an objective dependence on the finished work, which Christ accomplished on the cross. Salvation is not deep sorrow, the willingness to change, earnest contrition. While one or another of these emotions many attend the convicted sinner, they are not , in themselves, salvation. One is saved by faith, sincere and sole dependence on the shed blood of Jesus Christ, His death on the cross. I am saved, not by my own surrender, but by the surrender of another, Christ, who gave Himself unto death for me. In this moment of time, if you will believe on Jesus Christ by accepting Calvary as the sole basis of your salvation, you will have the gift of God, which is everlasting life. Today, you are invited to make the decision. God Bless.
www.armyofheaven.com
