None Good But God.

Unredeemed sinners have a very different opinion of themselves than God. Let’s look a few common things people say vs. what the Bible has to say.

1a: I’m a good person. 1b: Mark 10:18 – And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ; Romans 3:10 – As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one.

2a: I’m not that bad, there are a lot of people worse than me, I’ve done more good than bad, I’m a pretty standup guy, I don’t bother anyone. 2b: Isaiah 64:6 – For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

3a: God knows my heart. 3b: Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is more deceitful than all else
and is desperately sick; who can understand it?

4a: I know I’m going to heaven because I’m always helping others in need. 4b: Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.; Titus 3:4-5 – But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

5a: Only God can judge me. 5b: John 7:24 – Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.; 1 Corinthian 6:2-3 – Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?  Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

These contrasts clearly leave us with moral, spiritual and eternal dilemmas….

1. None of us are good, only God is good. Jesus was not denying that He is God nor was He denying that He was good. He was exposing the fact that since they did not believe who He claimed to be then why were they calling Him good? Christ was not born of the seed of man and therefore, He did not inherit the sinful nature we all possess. Because of this, He alone qualifies to be our sacrifice.
2. On our best day and on our best behavior, with best of intentions will still sin. Because sin is not only what we do, it’s what we are, we can never do anything completely free of sin of our own accord. Apart from the blood of Christ, we are irreparably broken, and we bear the unrelenting stench of it. Our best is still filthy rags–like a wearing a white suit and wallowing in mud and pig feces. Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”
3. “God knows my heart” is perhaps one of our weakest arguments. He sure does! And He knows that apart from Him radically redeeming us, every single one of us are wicked to the core. Were it not for the restraints of the Holy Spirit, we would all be liars, thieves, murderers, terrorists, rapists, molesters, abusive, haters of good, sexually immoral and the worst the world has to offer. Our pride, arrogance and self-righteousness says differently, but God says otherwise.
4. God doesn’t grade on a curve. No one can be saved and obtain eternal life apart from faith in Christ. No amount of good works can erase one sin or change fundamentally what we are at our core. “Sin is God’s would-be murderer.  Sin would not only unthrone God but ungod God and replace Him with us.  If the sinner had his way, God would cease to be God, and the sinner is the only god in his world.  So, sin is defiling, and sin is open, incessant rebellion.” John MacArthur: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-233/what-is-sin
5. Christians are God’s children. They are His ambassadors with divine and supernatural enlightenment to understand the Word of God and discern right from wrong based on God’s revelation of Truth. Christians are therefore not only authorized but commanded to judge all things in light of this Truth. That doesn’t mean that they are to be ungracious, unkind, condescending, critical, busy-bodies, meddlers or condemning. We are not to deny the truth or agree with those living a lie, but we must be patient, speaking the truth in love and remembering from whence we came before God delivered us. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 – The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

The intent of emphasizing such contrasts is to clearly point out every sinner’s desperate need for a Savior. God is a holy, righteous judge who will not tolerate one sin or change His holy, true and moral standards. I am a sinner who has broken His laws countless times. God knowing this, He lovingly sent Jesus die a subsidiary death and pay the penalty for my sin that I deserve. We must believe this by faith to be saved. You know you have when you are utterly destitute with no reliance on anything that you yourself have done or could ever do. That is Good News! That is the Gospel!

Put your faith in Christ ALONE for salvation today! https://youtu.be/38wS67Y4hV8

“Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. Naked, come to Thee for dress.”