It fascinates me how many unsaved people believe they are good. When we compare their attitude and actions with God's Word they are not good at all but still think so. All the prisoners in jail believe they are "basically good people" who just got caught up in a bad act.
I have met with young people in the youth jail, they all say the same things. They don't understand that if they were righteous people they could not do what they did, it wouldn't even enter their minds.
The person who stole something thinks they are not so bad because they didn't murder someone.
The person who didn't steal will disrespectfully use the Lord's name in vain to fit into the culture but because they didn't throttle someone physically they think they are a good person.
The person who murdered because they were angry will say they are basically good because they had a good reason.
The person who didn't murder, steal or cuss will think they are good but are disrespectful to their parents.
It is not the individual sins that cause us to be bad, it is our entire being full of sinfulness that is the reason we are headed to hell if we do not trust in Christ.
Many, I mean many, believe they are good because they have never done the big things that people can see. They are going to hell because they think they are good enough and have done enough good to make it. They have not trusted Christ even though some of them say they have, because they are still proud of their own life. They do not give God the glory they take the glory for themselves and act superior toward others they believe are not measuring up to their human standard.
Matthew 7:21-23
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 will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Many who say they love God do not honor their parents, they are generally selfish and easily angered over the smallest matters, but because they attend a church gathering they think they are in good standing with God.
It isn't our deeds that send us to hell, it's not trusting in Christ Who paid the penalty for our sin. When we trusted Christ He changed us, we did not earn fellowship with Him by our good deeds, we became born again into His family by admitting we are sinful without the ability to be righteous. It is His righteousness that He gave us when we confessed our sinfulness and desired to be changed by Him.
Many "Christians" today remain prideful about how good they think they are, continually comparing themselves with others to make sure they are counted as superior.
If there is no desire to be changed by Christ there is no salvation. Any good deeds done by someone who is self-righteous do not count with God no matter how sacrificial those deeds may be.
It is Christ who is righteous, He alone can cleanse us and keep us until He comes for us. Hallelujah!!!
Romans 3:22-23 " 22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…"
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