A friend told me recently that she was going to church twice in one weekend, once to her church of choice, and again to the church associated with her children’s school. She explained an intricate plan, including an electronic schedule, that is created early in the school year, dividing the weekends and who will drop off your weekly donation envelope. Attendance is taken from the receipt of the envelope, and without good attendance, your child cannot be re-enrolled. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or applaud the ingenuity.

About the same time, I was part of a conversation about a friend’s parents. We were told they are “good people”: they go to church, pay their taxes, have a nice lawn, but don’t like to talk religion. It’s personal.

When we received the word ENOUGH for the month, I felt God lead me to write about the good people in our society, those that many look up to and do great, charitable things, but who may not even know that all the good they do, is never going to be enough. So, if your heart breaks like mine when you are with friends, co-workers, and/or family members who think they are “all set, following the law, caring for others, etc.”, yet they don’t know the Savior, read on and pass this blog along.

Unfortunately, being good is never enough. We all sin. (Romans 3:23-26). No one can live on earth without sinning, (except the One), and all sins are equal in God’s eyes (James 2:9-11). Perfection on earth is not attainable, yet necessary to join God in eternity.

“Many people mistakenly look at the Ten Commandments as a set of rules that, if followed, will guarantee entrance into heaven after death. In contrast, the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to force people to realize that they cannot perfectly obey the Law (Romans 7:7-11), and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace. Despite the claims of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16, no one can perfectly obey the Ten Commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The Ten Commandments demonstrate that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace, available only through faith in Jesus Christ.” GotQuestions.org

As author Tara Leigh Cobble explains in He’s Where the Joy Is: “Jesus didn’t just come to set a good example for us so that we can get our act together and be acceptable to God. In fact, He came because we can’t do those things. We cannot live up to His standard. If you have exhausted yourself trying to earn God’s favor, you are free to stop striving and rest in the fact that not only did Jesus take on all the Father’s wrath toward your sins. But His righteousness has been credited to your account.” (emphasis mine).

In other words, being good is not good enough because the standard is perfection. And not one of us can attain this without Jesus. We are fortunate that our heavenly Father showed us how to accept this offer (Romans 10:9). And that no one is too bad to be forgiven.

I was given a real-life example of this last week. While visiting a prison, I met two men formerly on death row, Conrad and Ty, and one named AK, who committed murder. Shaking their hands, sitting next to them, and listening to their stories, I couldn’t miss that their hearts were full of love for the Lord. Just like Jesus’ final moments, even the criminals on the cross (Luke 23:40-43) had the option to ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus’ salvation. Period. No good works. At the literal last moments of life, one chose to accept. And one chose hell. I think this story is in scripture so that it’s crystal clear that no past sin is too bad for God to offer you salvation and eternity. He is the final judge.

Back to our good friends, co-workers, and/or family members who think they are “all set”, people who think that they are good enough, successful enough, and established enough and that God will smile and wave them through the pearly gates. But who is our comparison: A troublesome teenager? An evil executive? In comparison to the moral goodness of Jesus, the only standard that matters, absolutely every single one of us falls short.

I hate to think of all that they are missing. Yet when we understand our good works aren’t the answer, we approach God from the posture of spiritual poverty. The awareness that we have nothing to offer God, it will draw us closer and into a deeper relationship with God and other believers. I want people to choose Jesus today, enjoy the fruits of following Him while on earth, to be nourished with the knowledge that they are chosen and a friend of God.

As we are approaching Good Friday. I encourage you to read the conversation that took place with Jesus and the criminals. Picture yourself beside Jesus on the cross, heck, picture Him right next to you reading this right now. Will you choose Him as Savior, or not? When you’re at Easter service and hear how the temple’s curtain tore (Matthew 27:51-54), know that this is for you. Jesus is your direct line to God, the bridge to His love and daily relationship. It’s your invitation to say enough is enough to the world’s way and yes to Him. Don’t miss out on experiencing His fruit and blessings here on earth. 

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done.” Matthew 16:24-27.

Please pray with me –

Lord, I apologize for striving and trying and doing “things” that I think You would like but forget to ask if it’s Your will. I desire to have more of You in my life and more of Your Kingdom here on earth, so please guide me to the areas that You desire for us to work together. Thank You for sacrificing Yourself, the Son of Man, allowing believers to have eternal life together with You. Amen.