Not Good Enough
“As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one; There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:10-12
The above statement by the Apostle Paul gives a rather bleak picture of mankind. For all those of earth’s inhabitants who think, feel, believe, and/or say that good works can make them acceptable before a holy God, Paul makes it perfectly clear that good works can never make a person righteous. If good works could satisfy God, the actions taken by folks in order to please God would have to be perfect. That means that a person could never do anything that didn’t meet God’s standard, and God’s standard is unattainable by man on his own. Think of the impossibility of never having anything but a pure thought, never getting upset at another person, always doing exactly the right thing in every situation, never being jealous, proud, or angry, never going one mile over the speed limit, never being moody, or never having to say you are sorry. That last one, as most will recall, was from a movie about two people who believed that love was never having to say that you are sorry. Either they meant that they would always forgive unconditionally or they would never do anything for which they would have to apologize, both of which are also impossible, especially when people are together for a good while. Just ask some of these folks who have been self-quarantined for three months. I read on line that in Italy, divorce filings are up 33 per cent!
Isaiah wrote that all of our righteous works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). What does a filthy rag do when used to wipe up a spill? It just makes it worse. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works so that no one could boast. God Himself said that He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). He will have no other gods before Him. Neither will He accept the works of men’s hands as a substitute for what He Himself has done in creation and in redemption. Any time that I hear folks talk about the “other paths to God”, this statement always comes to mind: If there was any other way that mankind could be made acceptable to God and brought into His family, why in the world would He allow Jesus, His only Son, to go through the mocking, torture, suffering, excruciating pain, and death? I don’t know why some folks think that they can become righteous before God some other way besides repentance and belief in Jesus Christ. I think that these folks cannot bring themselves to admit that they are sinners separated from God by their sin. That’s what God calls pride. To believe that there is some other way to God besides Jesus is to deny Jesus and His sacrifice. Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 that “whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.”
It’s not people who seek God, but it is God who seeks people. That’s why He sends the Holy Spirit to convict people of their sin. Sometimes conviction comes as an uneasy feeling that he or she is not at peace with God. While conviction can make a person miserable, it is truly a blessing that God cares enough about the individual that He allows the Holy Spirit to trouble the person’s heart and mind, wooing him or her to search his or her heart, and look for the way to peace, which is found by repentance of sin and placing all faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His work upon the cross which paid the penalty for the person’s sin. Until the individual admits that he or she stands in need of the Savior, Jesus Christ, God’s peace, joy, and freedom will never manifest in the lost person’s life.
No one can be good enough to earn God’s grace. It is a gift, freely given, by God’s choosing. I wish everyone in the world could understand this, but not everyone will. Hanging on to one’s sin and pride is not worth spending an eternity separated from the One who loves us more than we can ever imagine. But the good news is that Jesus also said in Matthew 10:32 that “whosoever …shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.” Jesus always honors His word.