Have you ever wondered if you were good enough for heaven? Did you ever think you were on probation or on your scout's honor to do your best till Jesus comes or you die? The fact is is that we are never good enough to be saved, but must realize we are bad enough to need salvation. We cannot compare notes at our judgment as if we would be graded on a curve and think that we have a advantage over someone less fortunate. "Who makes you to differ? What do you have that you didn't receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). God doesn't grade on a curve and if He were to mete out justice to all, none of us would be able to escape hell; salvation is not because we deserve it, that would be justice, not mercy.
The requirements for heaven are to have the righteousness of Christ, and the only way to get it is by imputation or God just reckoning it to our account. We are not just forgiven of our wrongdoings and brought to a place of neutrality, but given the righteousness of Christ to boot--actually we are declared righteous or reckoned as righteous, but we are not made righteous, which would be different. We tend to think that God is looking for our achievements, or even cares about them, but God is looking for our obedience.
The requirements for heaven are to have the righteousness of Christ, and the only way to get it is by imputation or God just reckoning it to our account. We are not just forgiven of our wrongdoings and brought to a place of neutrality, but given the righteousness of Christ to boot--actually we are declared righteous or reckoned as righteous, but we are not made righteous, which would be different. We tend to think that God is looking for our achievements, or even cares about them, but God is looking for our obedience.
Religion is about man's achievement; Christianity is about God's accomplishment. Religion tries to reach out to God, while, in Christianity, God reaches out to man. God doesn't even call us to success but to faithfulness. What the world regards as success, I am saying, is not how God sees it. You cannot be a man of the world and a man of God, they are mutually exclusive. John exhorts us not to love the world (cf. 1 John 2:15) are not to be of the world (John 15:19).
People shouldn't come to their judgment and tell God about all the works they did, even if they were miracles, (Matt. 7:22) because Christ may say He never knew them. We are not to put our faith in our works--works are no substitute for faith and works don't save--only faith in Christ saves. It is the object not the faith that saves. Let me repeat: Faith doesn't save; Christ saves.
People shouldn't come to their judgment and tell God about all the works they did, even if they were miracles, (Matt. 7:22) because Christ may say He never knew them. We are not to put our faith in our works--works are no substitute for faith and works don't save--only faith in Christ saves. It is the object not the faith that saves. Let me repeat: Faith doesn't save; Christ saves.
We live in an era when people applaud faith, even blind faith and most don't care what your faith is as long as you have it. When someone says, "Keep the faith," it is meaningless and has no spiritual value. The reason the people are rejected who did great works in God's name is because they put their faith in their works and not in Christ. They had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge as it says in Rom. 10:2. You can have a lot of faith, but if it is misdirected, it does zilch and is worthless.
Who gets saved, but the lowest bidder! It is not the person who says he meant well, and was sincere, and did his best and believed the right creed, but the person who comes to God with nothing to offer and knows his wretchedness and knows he is at God's mercy, saying: "God be merciful to me, the sinner." The way up is down in God's economy! Don't think so highly of yourself! You cannot think too lowly of yourself in God's eyes (actually humility is not thinking of self at all!), because you are just that: Your righteousness is as filthy rages (cf. Is. 64:6). You must despise yourself, hate your life, and realize you have nothing to offer God.
It cost a lot to be saved, and Jesus never made it seem easy, but it cost more not to be saved or to ignore His gospel message of being saved solely by grace, through the instrumental means of faith, in the object of Christ as Lord and Savior--God gets all the glory and the authority is the based on the Word of God. Anything less is heresy, and corruption of the gospel and not evangelical in emphasis, but influenced by false teachings [the three heretical twists of the gospel's purity].
Who gets saved, but the lowest bidder! It is not the person who says he meant well, and was sincere, and did his best and believed the right creed, but the person who comes to God with nothing to offer and knows his wretchedness and knows he is at God's mercy, saying: "God be merciful to me, the sinner." The way up is down in God's economy! Don't think so highly of yourself! You cannot think too lowly of yourself in God's eyes (actually humility is not thinking of self at all!), because you are just that: Your righteousness is as filthy rages (cf. Is. 64:6). You must despise yourself, hate your life, and realize you have nothing to offer God.
It cost a lot to be saved, and Jesus never made it seem easy, but it cost more not to be saved or to ignore His gospel message of being saved solely by grace, through the instrumental means of faith, in the object of Christ as Lord and Savior--God gets all the glory and the authority is the based on the Word of God. Anything less is heresy, and corruption of the gospel and not evangelical in emphasis, but influenced by false teachings [the three heretical twists of the gospel's purity].
"Salvation is of the Lord," (Jonah 2:9) and of the Lord alone (we contribute naught)--that is its essence. God has done it all--"It is finished!" Reckon it as a done deal. There are religions galore that emphasize our achievements; however, Christianity stresses divine accomplishment, not human achievement! Soli Deo Gloria!
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