What are you trusting in?

A. You are a good person.
1. “There is no one righteous, not even one;" --Romans 3:10

B. Well, I'm not perfect, but no one is, so I'm sure God will judge me favorably, I've got a good heart and always try to help people.

1. "there is none good but one, that is, God.” --Mark 10:18
2. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous acts are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6

C. It wouldn't be fair for God to send me to hell.

1. "...he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” --John 3:18b

2. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” --1 Corinthians 1:18

I once had a good friend tell me that I was a self-righteous and selfish person. It hit me hard (though I was too proud to let that show at the time), and I thought about it for years and years afterward. He was absolutely right. You see, I grew up thinking that I could only be a Christian and receive salvation* by my own works, by living a good life, by following the commandments in the Bible. I have finally learned that I cannot receive salvation that way, because I can't live up to the standard of goodness in the Bible. My friend, who I thought wasn't nearly as good a person as me, or as religious, understood that 15 years ago.

Friend, I may not even know you, but we stand in the same place before God. We are poor beggars, we have absolutely nothing of value to offer. God, rich in mercy, has given us the gift of salvation, His Son, for free! Our good works cannot earn it, our sins cannot nullify it. The promise of the scriptures is wonderful and clear:

"whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." -- John 3:16

*Salvation - definition: Deliverance from the power or penalty of sin; redemption

Perceptions

You've come a long way, baby

My beloved reader posed a question about Adam and Eve in the garden, why God called out to Adam, knowing that Eve had sinned first. I can answer that easily. I have no idea.

Here are some verses to confuse yourself with:

"And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety." --1 Timothy 2:14,15

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come." --Romans 5:12-14

I think this is where I go to make sense of it, at least in terms of our standing before God as men and women.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." --Galatians 3:28

What's the big deal?

What did Adam and Eve do that was so horrible?

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." - Genesis 3:6,7

Is this really worthy of a curse upon all mankind?

"By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.” - Genesis 3:19

The concept of sin is one that we like to mold and shape to fit our own standards. We learn to categorize sins into "not that bad", "pretty bad", or "very, very bad". Where would we rate the sin committed by Adam and Eve? They didn't kill anyone. They didn't commit adultery. They didn't even lie. Was it really that bad? Did God overreact or come down too harshly on them? What about all the good things they did? Shouldn't that make up for it?

We just don't look at sin the way God does. Our sins, whatever they may be, separate us from God just the way it happened to the first man and woman. What we think of as our "good deeds" will not cover our sins, though we may wish they did.

How do we know how seriously God views any sin? By the price he was willing to pay.
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." -- 1 Peter 2:24

Don't think that you have any better case than anyone else, when you stand in court before the Judge of all the earth. To say "I never killed anyone" or to stand on your own feeble works will not atone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

Darth Hinn

When I am lifted up from the earth

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰ Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

John 12

Why is it so difficult to do these things?

Colossians 3:12-14 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

We have not seen

“We have not seen Thy footsteps tread

This wild and sinful earth of ours,
Nor heard Thy voice restore the dead

Again to life’s reviving powers:
But we believe—for all things are

The gifts of Thine Almighty care.”

“We have not seen the billowy sea

Grow calm and still at Thy command,
Nor the dim orbs again to see,

Beneath the healing of Thine hand:
But we believe the Fount of light

Again could give those eyeballs sight.”

“We did not see Thee tread the wave;

We did not hear the voice from heaven,
Which once with awful warning gave

That God’s own Son for us was given.
But we believe—oh! strengthen Thou

The faith which to Thy Name we owe.”

“We did not see the armed throng

Steal to the garden’s midnight shade,
And watch the palm-tree’s boughs among,

Then quail beneath Thy glance afraid:
But we believe—Almighty love

Alone could such dark moments prove.”

“We did not see the darkness veil

With sudden gloom the noon-day skies;
Nor the fierce soldier’s cheek grow pale;

And priestly mockery veil their eyes;
When the proud Roman owned the power

Of heaven, ’twas in that awful hour.”

“We did not hear the footsteps fall

Within that lonely garden ground,
Of the all-wakeful sentinel,

Slow tracing there his watchful round;
But we believe—the Holy One

Bursting that tomb, in glory shone.”

“We were not with the chosen few

Who saw Thee through the clouds ascend,
Who gazed, and wished to follow too,

Then on the earth all prostrate bend;
But we believe that mortal eyes

Beheld the journey to the skies.”

“Chase every shade of doubt away;

‘Light of the World!’ in mercy shine;
Illume with faith our erring way,

We would no worship own but Thine.
Bring us to heaven’s peaceful shore,

And make us Thine forevermore!”

--Ann Richter (1792-1857)