The gospel of Jesus Christ, the greatest
news the world has ever heard, absolutely DENIES everything we have done to be
righteous and good in our own sight, and calls us to DENY completely all our
trust in ourselves that we are righteous and good (Luke 9:23). It also offers
us the full righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and calls
us to RECEIVE it as a free gift, no good works involved (Romans 5:17; 6:23).
The gospel of Jesus Christ is bad news to
anyone who wants to pave the way to heaven with their own works of righteousness.
Its message to every “good” person is: IMPOSSIBLE!!!
However, to all who will cry out to the only
true God, “God, be merciful to me, a
sinner!” (Luke 18:13), there is the free gift of justification. We receive
the mercy that withholds the judgment we deserve, and we receive the grace that
pours into our hearts the faith and love we do not deserve (I Timothy 1:13-14).
The bottom line is that, “everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). The
one who exalts himself/herself now, pretentiously telling God they are already
too good to need the Savior he provided, will be humbled in the end with the hopelessness
of Jesus’ glorious righteousness putting their pitiful attempt at goodness to
utter and eternal shame.
On the other hand, the one who humbles
himself/herself now, repenting of their sin, admitting their need for Jesus Christ,
calling out to him, “Lord, save me!”
(Matthew 14:30), will be lifted up from their sinful condition, and exalted to
the place of sonship where they all, men and women alike, receive the full
rights of sons (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:4-7).
The gospel’s denial of all our prideful
attempts at good behavior is the best news any of us could hear because, once
the gospel convinces us of the utterly hopeless condition that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God” (Romans 3:23), it can then grant us the wonderful gift of God’s
grace that we “are justified by his grace
as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
In the end, when Jesus returns, all people
will be divided into two groups. It will not be those who are good being
rewarded while those who are bad are condemned. It will be those who trusted in
their own goodness being condemned as the sinners they really are, and those
who trusted in Jesus Christ being rewarded with “the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (I Peter
1:9).
It
is no wonder that God’s word graciously proclaims, “‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I
have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of
salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2). Since Jesus has not yet returned, and you
are still alive to read this, consider that it is God giving you one more
invitation to reject your own righteousness/goodness as a “polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6), and to receive the righteousness
of Jesus Christ by faith in his name (Romans 4:5; Philippians 3:9).
© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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