The man insisted that he was a good person and I believed him. Like millions of Americans, he is convinced that his own brand of morality is sufficient to make him right with God. Compared to a mass murderer he is a saint! But is that enough?
Too many Christians who ought to know better are like my friend, somehow convinced that if they are ‘good enough’ (by their own definition) God is satisfied. The result is a kind of ‘half Christian’ life, focused on morals and ethics but forgetting the true Gospel of Jesus.
People who get caught in that error miss the best part of knowing God. Focused on ‘doing good’ they struggle to actually ‘be good.’ Guilty feelings frequently block their ability to know the real joys of worship, to experience genuine spiritual contentment, and to live in the security of the love of their Heavenly Father.
There is a pathway to wholeness. Scripture says of us - “Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—
When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. (Titus 3)
That is the Gospel! As cliched as it may sound, we honestly
believe that “Jesus Saves!”
Salvation is a gift of God, by faith through grace, given us freely in Christ
Jesus. Faith in Jesus’ grace does far more than just punch our ticket to
Heaven.
When we live in His love, the Spirit works to change us from
the inside out, starting with our most basic values. That inner realignment
leads to a visible change in both our words and actions.
Jesus calls it being 'born again of the Spirit.'
Paul calls it 'renewal.' “At one time
we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know
him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5)
Are you living the lie of being ‘half Christian?’
Are you frustrated in your attempts to live for Jesus, incapable of living for
Him?
Is your ‘faith’ just a ‘Sunday thing’ separate from your Monday actions?
Are you just hoping to please God be being ‘good enough?’
That is an awful way to live, one that makes pain and
problems for you, that is far from the inheritance that can be yours in Christ
Jesus. In your own words tell Him that you know you are incapable of perfection.
Acknowledge the reality that you cannot ever please a holy God by being good or
moral. In humility, as Jesus Christ to be both Savior and Lord.
God, the Spirit, will begin a real thing in you, making you an authentic Christian–
no more than you are, no less than God purposes you to be. Your life will
become a thing of true beauty. Your mind will be at peace. The world around you
will be influenced by your real faith!
Here is a word from the Word that points the way to
wholeness.
"Say the welcoming word to God— “Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body
and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God,
trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you
embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has
set everything right between him and me!” (Romans 10:9-10, The Message)
Praise God! Amen
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