“Why can’t you just be good?”
That was the question a frustrated relative posed during a faith discussion at a social event. The question was aimed at me because I was the only person at the event who followed Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) and the topic was getting to Heaven.
Just be good and you’ll be welcomed inside the pearly gates, right? As far as I can tell, that’s the point of view held by most people in our culture.
So why isn’t it true? Well, consider this: the residents of Walkerton, Ontario — a small town in central Canada — thought their water supply was good. You could pour a glass, hold it up to the light and it looked perfectly fine to drink.
But it wasn’t. In 2000, many residents began to experience bloody diarrhea and infections. Local officials insisted the water was drinkable, until the skyrocketing number of contamination cases caused the region’s medical officer of health to issue a “boil water advisory”.
It turns out the water was infected with deadly E.coli bacteria and by the time the crisis ended, 2,500 people (half the town’s population) became ill and seven died.
This may seem like an extreme case to you, but trust me, there isn’t a particle of water on this planet that is absolutely pure. No matter how clear and clean it appears.
And that’s the case with human beings. No matter how good some of us seem to be, no matter how generous, no matter how well-adjusted, every one of us has defects.
Looking for evidence? Consider this excerpt from a letter written by one of the ancient Jesus followers: “All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness.” Sadly, nothing has changed since those words were written about 2,000 years ago and that’s why you can’t “just be good” and get into Heaven.
But there is a solution. Most Jesus followers believe what the ancient prophets wrote and they claimed God did something about our inability to become truly good. He gave us the gift of Jesus.
Here’s what Jesus did:
- He lived with us;
- He taught us who God is and how we can welcome Him into our lives;
- He allowed government authorities to put him to death, so that ALL the wrongs committed by anyone who believes in Him and follows Him would be paid for and wiped out of existence;
- He came back to life to defeat the power of death, prove He is the Son of God and provide a way for all humanity to live with Him forever in Heaven.
I see this as incredibly good news. How about you? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 