Are You a "Good" Person?
Imagine someone tortured, raped, and killed your mother. Now that person is standing before a judge and they say, "Judge, you are a kind, loving and forgiving person. You are a good judge. I know you will forgive me and let me go free."
Will the judge let him go free?
Would justice be served if the man was set free?
No. If the judge is a good judge, the judge will not set the man free.
He must pay the penalty for what he did.
One thing I learned long ago is religion was created by man who is flawed, biased, ungodly, etc... Being a Christian doesn't have anything to do with religion. It is simply the belief in God and accepting His only Son (Jesus) for our salvation. I do not subscribe to any particular religious denomination. I am a Christian. God did not make religion. Man did. And they got it wrong in Jesus' day. And they're still getting it wrong!
So, I’m not going to try to “convert” you to my religion. Instead I just want ask you some questions and tell you about the love of Jesus.
What happens after you die? Do you consider yourself to be a good person?
Are you heading for heaven or hell? I hope this will help you find the answers. (I want to say I am not trying to be facetious during this next bit of my letter, but I just want to help you understand how God will judge each of us someday.)
Most people think that if they’re a “good” person then God will allow them to go to heaven since they “tried their best” to be good. But let’s explore this train of thought and compare it to what God bases His definition of good on.
If we look @ just a few of the 10 commandments:
(9) Have you ever told a lie? What is a person who tells a lie called?
(8) Have you ever taken anything that does not belong to you? What is a person who took something that does not belong to them called?
(7) Jesus said if you look @ another person with lust in your heart you have committed adultery in your heart. What is that person called?
We’ve only looked @ 3 of the 10. I know we all have committed those sins. So, @ the very least each of us are liars, thieves, and adulterers. I know every time I have done one of these things I have felt convicted and knew I was doing something wrong. I was being immoral. So, when we stand before God to be judged (if we only broke these 3) should God consider us to be “good” or “bad?” Should we be Guilty or Not Guilty?
The Bible says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” So, just by breaking these 3 commandments we are condemned to death. You see God is perfect. He does not allow any sin into His presence. Even though He created us, and loves us with perfect grace and mercy, He will not allow anyone who is not clean and unblemished to be in His presence.
When a person dies they will either go to heaven or hell. In hell we will be separated from the love of God for all eternity. We will never even have the love of our family or concern from our friends. We will suffer for all eternity completely cut off from love in pain and suffering.
“Wait” you say. “If God created us and loves us how can He do that to us?” Think of it like this: Whether in a civil court, or when you face judgment by God, if you break the law there is a penalty that must be paid.
God, who is perfectly good and just, cannot let you go free. There must be justice, which means you are heading for hell. You've admitted you've broken God's laws. That's very serious and you must pay the penalty.
The penalty is death (hell). God is good; much more so than a human judge. God is just. His justice is perfect. That means that God cannot just let someone who has broken His law go without paying the penalty for what they have done wrong. There must be justice. What is justice?
If you have broken any of God's laws, then you must pay the penalty for breaking his laws. That is justice. But there is a way justice can be served and you can be forgiven.
There is Good News! Someone has stepped in, taken your place, and died instead of you so that your penalty is paid and you can go free.
Justice will be served. Your penalty will be paid. Who would do that for you?
Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to pay your penalty so you can live!
Do you want to live? What do you need to do?
If you know you've disobeyed God, and you want to stop and begin obeying God, and you believe that Jesus did die to pay the penalty you owe for breaking God's laws... Jesus gives you the gift of life for eternity.
What do I do next?
If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply pray the following prayer believing, and Jesus will be your Lord!
"Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word (the Bible) says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" and "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit. I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen." (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4, 2:21; Romans 8:9-11, 10:9; John 3:5-6, 15-16)
Once you have said the prayer of salvation, and ask Jesus into your heart, you become a new person. You should want to change from being the sinful person you were, to a new person in Jesus. If you don't feel an intense desire to change, and turn away from your sin and your old sin-nature, then you ARE NOT SAVED. I beg you to search your heart and really turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and TURN AWAY FROM YOUR OLD SIN LIFE. Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can do to help you.
Will the judge let him go free?
Would justice be served if the man was set free?
No. If the judge is a good judge, the judge will not set the man free.
He must pay the penalty for what he did.
One thing I learned long ago is religion was created by man who is flawed, biased, ungodly, etc... Being a Christian doesn't have anything to do with religion. It is simply the belief in God and accepting His only Son (Jesus) for our salvation. I do not subscribe to any particular religious denomination. I am a Christian. God did not make religion. Man did. And they got it wrong in Jesus' day. And they're still getting it wrong!
So, I’m not going to try to “convert” you to my religion. Instead I just want ask you some questions and tell you about the love of Jesus.
What happens after you die? Do you consider yourself to be a good person?
Are you heading for heaven or hell? I hope this will help you find the answers. (I want to say I am not trying to be facetious during this next bit of my letter, but I just want to help you understand how God will judge each of us someday.)
Most people think that if they’re a “good” person then God will allow them to go to heaven since they “tried their best” to be good. But let’s explore this train of thought and compare it to what God bases His definition of good on.
If we look @ just a few of the 10 commandments:
(9) Have you ever told a lie? What is a person who tells a lie called?
(8) Have you ever taken anything that does not belong to you? What is a person who took something that does not belong to them called?
(7) Jesus said if you look @ another person with lust in your heart you have committed adultery in your heart. What is that person called?
We’ve only looked @ 3 of the 10. I know we all have committed those sins. So, @ the very least each of us are liars, thieves, and adulterers. I know every time I have done one of these things I have felt convicted and knew I was doing something wrong. I was being immoral. So, when we stand before God to be judged (if we only broke these 3) should God consider us to be “good” or “bad?” Should we be Guilty or Not Guilty?
The Bible says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” So, just by breaking these 3 commandments we are condemned to death. You see God is perfect. He does not allow any sin into His presence. Even though He created us, and loves us with perfect grace and mercy, He will not allow anyone who is not clean and unblemished to be in His presence.
When a person dies they will either go to heaven or hell. In hell we will be separated from the love of God for all eternity. We will never even have the love of our family or concern from our friends. We will suffer for all eternity completely cut off from love in pain and suffering.
“Wait” you say. “If God created us and loves us how can He do that to us?” Think of it like this: Whether in a civil court, or when you face judgment by God, if you break the law there is a penalty that must be paid.
God, who is perfectly good and just, cannot let you go free. There must be justice, which means you are heading for hell. You've admitted you've broken God's laws. That's very serious and you must pay the penalty.
The penalty is death (hell). God is good; much more so than a human judge. God is just. His justice is perfect. That means that God cannot just let someone who has broken His law go without paying the penalty for what they have done wrong. There must be justice. What is justice?
If you have broken any of God's laws, then you must pay the penalty for breaking his laws. That is justice. But there is a way justice can be served and you can be forgiven.
There is Good News! Someone has stepped in, taken your place, and died instead of you so that your penalty is paid and you can go free.
Justice will be served. Your penalty will be paid. Who would do that for you?
Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to pay your penalty so you can live!
Do you want to live? What do you need to do?
If you know you've disobeyed God, and you want to stop and begin obeying God, and you believe that Jesus did die to pay the penalty you owe for breaking God's laws... Jesus gives you the gift of life for eternity.
What do I do next?
If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply pray the following prayer believing, and Jesus will be your Lord!
"Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word (the Bible) says "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" and "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." You said my salvation would be the result of Your Holy Spirit giving me new birth by coming to live in me and that if I would ask, You would fill me with Your Spirit. I take You at Your Word. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I ask that you forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe in my heart that You have raised Jesus from the dead and I am a "New Man" (or Woman) in Christ. Thank You for coming to live in my heart, for giving me Your Holy Spirit as You have promised, and for being Lord over my life. Amen." (Luke 11:13; Acts 2:4, 2:21; Romans 8:9-11, 10:9; John 3:5-6, 15-16)
Once you have said the prayer of salvation, and ask Jesus into your heart, you become a new person. You should want to change from being the sinful person you were, to a new person in Jesus. If you don't feel an intense desire to change, and turn away from your sin and your old sin-nature, then you ARE NOT SAVED. I beg you to search your heart and really turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and TURN AWAY FROM YOUR OLD SIN LIFE. Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can do to help you.
