A friend of mine recently shared a conversation that she had with a fellow co-worker about faith. Her co-worker told her that she knew she needed to live right, but that she wasn't ready to give up the fun stuff yet. She wanted to continue on living as she was, having "fun" as long as she could before following Christ. Besides, she was a good person.
I remember feeling that same way. I wanted to live as I wanted to live. Besides, I wasn't hurting anybody. I wasn't stealing or murdering. I just wanted to have my fun. I was a good person. God would see that I was a good person and forgive me on judgement day even if I had not repented and put my full faith in Christ---right?
This is such a big lie of Satan and so many are caught up in it. Truth be known, if I honestly examined my life in those days of having so much "fun", I wasn't truly happy. I knew there was something more, something better. I was fooling myself by grasping for temporary happiness by buying toys (cars, clothes, electronic gadgets, etc), burying myself in work and busyness or partying hard with my friends. But in reality, I was empty.
The truth is, none of us are good according to God's standard of good. And let's be real; God's standard of good is the only standard that matters. The rest of us can set our standards based on looking at the faults and failures of others and fool ourselves into thinking we're good because we're "not as bad" as those people. But that's a false standard. Scripture tells us in Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." We may not believe that, but that doesn't change reality.
The purpose of the 10 Commandments is not just to give us a checklist of items that we have to "DO" to go to Heaven, it's purpose is to show us what God's standard of good is. So let's look at just half of them and ask ourselves (honestly) if we measure up to His standard of good:
1) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God in vain. (Ever used it in cursing, in jest, irrelevantly in any situation?)
2) You shall not commit adultery (even looking at another with lust is considered adultery....Matthew 5:28).
3) You should not murder (even being angry with a brother/sister, you've committed murder in your heart..Matthew 5:21-23).
4) You shall not covet your neighbor's house, wife/husband, ox/donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Have you ever seen what your neighbor has and want that for yourself....keeping up with the Jones?)
5) You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Ever gossiped about another?)
I think it's safe to say that no one can measure up to God's holy standard even just using these 5 commandments.
And that's the point. None of us are good. That's why we need a Savior. That's why Jesus came. To take the penalty of sin away from us (death), take it upon Himself and overcome it by dying on the cross. He has paid the penalty of our sin so that on judgement day those who have repented of their sin and put their faith and trust in Christ will stand blameless before God. It is the goodness of Christ He'll see, not us. We will not be condemned to eternal separation from the love and presence of God.
And I have to tell you, NOW, I'm having fun :-) Knowing that I'm really living and have already entered into eternal life even though I will still face physical death, is a freedom and joy of living that I never found in alcohol, shopping, partying, and living large by the world's definition. I still make mistakes, still stumble, still fight pride, selfishness and the like, but the battle is easier and it's not me fighting alone. The Holy Spirit is in me: guiding, directing, convicting, rebuking, correcting, loving and reconciling. This my friends is living "good"! :-)
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