An issue that many people wrestle with is the question of why God would not allow "good" people into heaven. After all, I know many people who live better lives as non-believers than some people who claim to follow Christ. I know people who are honest, decent, hard-working, loving, caring, and faithful, but who deny Christ as Lord (and other tenets of the Christian faith). But, they are otherwise very "good" people. So, what's the problem?
It boils down to the meaning of the word "good", and who is defining it. First, the Bible states clearly that all of our "righteousness" or "righteous acts" are like filthy rags in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). But, that poses a problem! After all, aren't Christians supposed to be honest, decent, hard-working, loving, caring, and faithful? Aren't those things "good"? Doesn't God require us to live like that?
Yes, but we humans tend to put the cart before the horse. The issue can perhaps be clarified by imagining this scenario....
It boils down to the meaning of the word "good", and who is defining it. First, the Bible states clearly that all of our "righteousness" or "righteous acts" are like filthy rags in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). But, that poses a problem! After all, aren't Christians supposed to be honest, decent, hard-working, loving, caring, and faithful? Aren't those things "good"? Doesn't God require us to live like that?
Yes, but we humans tend to put the cart before the horse. The issue can perhaps be clarified by imagining this scenario....
Picture the wealthiest man you can imagine. You wish you could have some of that wealth, or perhaps inherit some of it. So, you look at the wealthy man's children, and you see the way they live, act and dress. You see the places they go and the things they do. You see the way they talk with other people. You perhaps like what you see, and it seems reasonable.
So, you do exactly the same things! You dress the same way. You go to the same places, and you say the same types of things. You even do things with his children. To yourself and everyone else who observes you, you certainly are just like the wealthy man's children. You even learn that the wealthy man will adopt you, but you think, like so many other people, that it's unnecessary. It's even a little "foolish", because everyone else says it is. After all, many people laugh at the wealthy man's children, and you don't want to be laughed at. But, you don't see anything wrong with the way they live, so you live like that, too.
But then the wealthy man dies. So you, just like his children, go to the lawyer when the will is read. You are totally surprised to learn that you inherit nothing! Why?! You did everything "good", just like the children. But then the lawyer tells you why: It's because you never were a part of his family, though you looked like it. You never accepted his offer to adopt you into his family.
So, you do exactly the same things! You dress the same way. You go to the same places, and you say the same types of things. You even do things with his children. To yourself and everyone else who observes you, you certainly are just like the wealthy man's children. You even learn that the wealthy man will adopt you, but you think, like so many other people, that it's unnecessary. It's even a little "foolish", because everyone else says it is. After all, many people laugh at the wealthy man's children, and you don't want to be laughed at. But, you don't see anything wrong with the way they live, so you live like that, too.
But then the wealthy man dies. So you, just like his children, go to the lawyer when the will is read. You are totally surprised to learn that you inherit nothing! Why?! You did everything "good", just like the children. But then the lawyer tells you why: It's because you never were a part of his family, though you looked like it. You never accepted his offer to adopt you into his family.
There are many good people on Earth today. Many religious people. You might be one of them. But don't let the devil fool you into thinking you're OK with God just because you do good things and act in good ways. There is only one way to inherit eternal life and God's "wealth" - by being adopted into His family through faith in the finished sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and His resurrection!
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