Did you know that a little white lie can send one to hell as well as murder or adultery.
Many who hold past forgiven sins against fellow believers, misunderstand that their attitudes of superiority is as big a sin as all those other sins they do not commit.
Isaiah 59:1-4 "1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness.…"
It is sinfulness in our spirit that causes ALL demonstrations of sin in anyone. Our God cannot be in the presence of any sin at all, this is why Christ had to cover our sinfulness with His blood for us to be acceptable to the Father.
Those who are attempting to reach heaven by their own good works or lack of bad works will not reach it because of the "self righteousness" in their soul that keeps them separated from God.
Isaiah 59:1-2
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear."
God counts hate as murder, it is the heart condition that determines our standing with God. When we have become born again our standing changes from the lost state to the state of justification because of Christ.
One way I have heard "justification" defined is in this way; "just as if we never sinned." When Christ changed us into a new creation, our heart is changed, our desires have changed. Before we were born again we loved sin and justified it. After we became born again we hate the sin we used to love. We are completely different people, the spirit of sin in us was changed into the Spirit of God.
Those that think they can attempt to be good without a changed spirit, will not be able to sustain the goodness they seek, because it is fleshly, self righteous and flawed, based on personal aggrandizement. Without Christ and His covering, the blood, no one will be anything but lost no matter how many good works they do.
The good deeds that emerge after the born again experience are based on the righteousness of Christ and His work in us, therefore they are not temporary but eternal.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:8-13
"8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. "
I fear that there are many "self" righteous people who believe they are going to heaven, but have never been changed into a new creation by Christ. These people do good deeds, love themselves for their good deeds, but lack the Holy Spirit as their seal and guarantee of heaven.
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
Also, there are those who believe adamantly that they are headed for heaven at the end of their life, but will arrive only to find out they will not be allowed in, because their trust was in their own goodness instead of in the righteousness of Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Those who will be turned away from heaven did many good works, they looked wonderful to everyone around them, but they were not born again in Christ, so they will not gain entrance into heaven.
It is only trusting Christ for His payment of shed blood that anyone can become born again and guaranteed of heaven. When Christ saves us, we are saved forever. Christ continues His work in us all the rest of our life as we are being cleansed until the very end of our life.
2 Timothy 2:5-6 "5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.…"
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