I hear people all the time say they’re a good person. Or maybe they make that claim about someone else. “My mom is going to heaven. She’s a good person.” What I really want to do is ask them, “Are you sure? Do they follow Jesus?” I know the answer to that is really, “No.” One of the comparisons I hear from people is that they’re good because, “At least I’ve never killed anyone.” But Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler that following the commandments isn’t enough. “One thing you still lack.” He told the guy he should sell everything he had and give it to the poor, and THAT will earn him a spot in heaven. But seriously, as I’ve already written in weeks past, the first commandment is the key to the whole thing. Love God. If you do THAT, the rest follows naturally. If it doesn’t, then doubt the truth of anyone who claims it. He (or she) is a liar. “Well, it’s not like I’m a Hitler or Stalin!” Both of them killed enough to put them the class of the biggest mass murderers in human history. Each racked up a body count of millions. Yes, I understand they’re not alone. Genghis Kahn and Pol Pot would also be in the Class A category of murderers. The point isn’t how many people you didn’t kill. Jesus taught that if you hate anyone – ANYONE – you’ve committed murder in your heart. The standard is NOT your actions, it’s your inner attitude. If you look on someone with lust, you’ve committed adultery. If you want that promotion and resent the person who got it, that's coveting. Hitler is not the standard. Jesus is the standard. If we fail on ANY of it, we fail to live up to the standard, and we deserve nothing but condemnation. So if you get home from work and find a paper clip your employer bought, that’s theft. You’re condemned – no better than Hitler. But Jesus died to take away your condemnation. He paid the penalty – in full. My wife heard a coworker once say that if Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City bombing in 1995) repented and went to heaven, “I don’t want to go there.” That person fell into the trap of thinking her sins weren’t as bad as another person’s sins. They’re all sins. They’re all short of the perfection of God. But Jesus paid for every tiny bit of every single sin we could even THINK of doing. It doesn’t make a difference to God if you blow up a day care and kill a bunch of kids, or think you should have that car your neighbor is so proud of. To Him, it’s all short of His standard. The only thing you have to do is turn away from your life of sin, follow Jesus, and all your imperfections will not disqualify you from entrance into heaven. Jesus took your bill, looked down the list of infractions, and paid. Even if you murdered six million people the day before yesterday, Jesus paid. If you repent, you’re okay. Jesus paid.
As the bumper sticker points out: "Christians aren't perfect: just forgiven."
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