Gospel

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Are You A Good Person?
Ask any person this simple question, and the majority of them respond with “Yes”! This question is a great way to see the heart of a person. This very question, lead me to understand the way Jesus evangelized. This is the way he lead people into a relationship with his Father in heaven. This is the question; I believe Jesus wants you to ask yourself, it will have you examine the very core of your heart. Jesus knew how to get to the heart of people, how to get them to see their need for a Savior. Modern day evangelism seems to sugar coat God’s word, and pleases the hearer, so they won’t be offended. A popular way to evangelize is asking, “Do you know God has a wonderful plan for your life?” Most people now could care less if God has a plan for their life. Frankly they don’t believe God exist. So, how do you reach the lost with that method? Even if people believe God exist, they also believe they are “good” with God and have no need to change. This is a dangerous method to reach the lost; you would be responsible for a false convert. The bible tells us to be the light and salt of the earth. Light shines in the darkness, so we are to expose the darkness in hearts of people. Ephesians 5:11-14 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed with the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. That is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” You must be the salt to the world, every word you speak, must be seasoned with grace and truth. Salt adds flavor to the word of God, and causes the hearer, to taste and see that the Lord is good. It makes them thirsty for more of the living water. It makes them want to come back to hear more, everyone likes the taste of salt. The salt also preserves the person, receiving the word of God, from perishing. God is patient with the unbeliever, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance 2 Peter 3:9
Where do you find your goodness? What does the bible say? Many people believe they find their goodness within themselves, and therefore, they are “good” with God. This would be based on their own “good works”, to get them to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me John 14:6. Your own good works cannot save you; your own good works cannot get you to the Father. Only through Jesus, can you get to the Father. So, where do you find your goodness? You need to reevaluate what it means to be a “good” person. Goodness is only found in the fruit of the Sprit. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patient, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Goodness is only found in the Spirit of Christ alive in a person. Therefore you have no room to boast in yourself, it is not by your works you are saved, only in Christ Jesus. It is not by your works you are a “good” person. When people answer the question, “Are you a good person?”, “Yes”, they are boasting in their flesh, and pride is in their heart. Most people think, well I am a good person, so I must be going to heaven. God shows no partiality with any person, Romans 2:11. It doesn’t matter to God, how good of a person you have been, it means nothing to him, He sees your righteousness as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6. You are still held accountable for your sin, and you will be judged under the law, if you remain in the pride of your own “goodness”.
So take the test, “Are you a Good person”? 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - Unless indeed you fail to meet the test! God gave you a test, to see if you will love him with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. He gave you the Ten Commandments, to examine your heart, to see if you truly know him. 1 John 2:3-4 And by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. Now ask yourself, “who will go to heaven?”, “who will go to hell?” After you answered the question, truly, honestly examine yourself to see where you will end up, now. The goal here is to set you on the path of true righteousness, the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Brace yourself; this may be really hard to see yourself this way. I have failed the test, in every question, in one time or another in my life. Press on, and you will find hope in the midst of your failures.
1. You shall have no other gods before me
Do you love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength? Do you live your life as a pleasing sacrifice, unto him? Do you put God first in your life, above your marriage, loved ones, friend, kids, job, and church ministries, above yourself? Is it your will be done Father, or my will be done? Matthew 15:3 And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? Having another god would be anything that captures your heart more than Jesus. Anything that becomes more important to you than having an intimate relationship with God would become a god in your heart.
2. You shall have no idols, graven images, do not bow down or worship them, more the act
If you are partaking in the ways of the world, that has become an idol. An idol can be the act of people pleasing, over pleasing God. Anything that takes your attention off of Jesus can be an idol. The act of bowing, worshiping, or praying to any one, or anything other than Jesus is an idol. If you are seeking self-righteousness, and how many good things you can do, to make yourself noticed, is an idol. You can make yourself an idol, by worshiping religious acts, traditions, doing good deed. Anything that does not bring glory and honor to God in your home, or your life, can be an idol. Do you watch TV, seek pleasure, over reading the word, praying? Your life and time should be fully devoted to God, in whatever you do whether you eat or drink, do it unto the glory of God. You should whole heartedly serve God, anything less than that; you are in danger of having idols before God.
3. Do not take the Lord your God’s name in vain
Most everywhere you turn, someone is cursing God’s name. It shows dishonor and that you do not fear the Lord. The Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who takes His name in vain. Honor God with the words you speak.
4. Keep the Sabbath day Holy
Do you have a day set aside to be in God’s presence, to rest in Him? Do you have time to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ? You should get to the point where, every day you are in His presence. It is important to set a day apart to rest in His presence to be restored.
5. Honor your father and mother
Have you always obeyed your parents and listen to their instruction, this is the first commandment with a promise, to have a long life.
6. You shall not murder
Anyone who has hate, or anger in their heart toward his brother, is a murderer at heart. Unforgiveness in your heart is murder. If you have thoughts of harming someone, you have murder in your heart. If you call someone a fool, speak cursing over them, you have murder in your heart. If you have hate toward God, you have murder in your heart.
7. You shall not commit adultery
Jesus said, Matthew 5:27 You have heard it said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This also goes for women, looking lustfully at man. If you have sex before marriage, this is considered committing adultery on your future spouse. If you watch pornography, you have lust in your heart. You can commit adultery on the Lord with doing anything that defiles your body with the world. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
8. You shall not steal
This is self explanatory. Anything that you take that is not rightfully yours, is stealing. Cheating, taking other’s ideas as your own.
9. You shall not bear false witness, lie
Your words have the power of life or death, those who love it will eat its fruits Proverbs 18:21. It is what comes out of your mouth that defiles a person. God will judge you for every careless word you speak. Anything that comes out of your mouth, that is not pleasing to God, is the fruit of a lying tongue. A mouth that speaks flattery is the fruit of lies, being sarcastic is lying.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbors
Anything that you desire that doesn’t belong to you. “Keeping up with the Jones”, heart of coveting. The pursuit of happiness is fruit of coveting. Your pursuit should be holiness, not how much you have. People who have a heart of coveting, are never satisfied with what they have, they always have to have the next biggest thing. Greed, the love of money is the root of coveting; all kinds of evil come from it. You can’t love both God and money; you will hate one and love the other. Luke 12:15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possession. Luke 18:25 “It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Luke 12:34 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay. “And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
So, how did you do? God gave us the Ten Commandment, to show us that our heart is filled with wickedness, beyond cure. This is his requirement, that we must be Holy as he is Holy. This is far beyond our reach, and we cannot obtain his righteous requirement on our own strength, our own goodness. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. There must be a payment for your sins; God paved the way through His Son Jesus Christ. If you are such a “good person”, there wouldn’t be a need for a Savior. Jesus death on the cross would be done all in vain. In your sins, you deserve hell, separation from God’s presence, separated from his love. In God’s love, grace and mercy he made a way back to him. Not through your own strength, not through your own, “good works”. Looking at your heart through the mirror of God’s law, reflects how lost, weak and how hopeless you are without his intervention. So, when you think about how much “good” you have done in your life, remember it accounts for nothing in your own pride, it accounts for everything done by Jesus Christ. It’s has nothing to do with you, it has everything to do with Jesus Christ. It has everything to do with the finished work at the cross, the death and resurrection of Jesus. He took the keys of death and Hades for you, so you can overcome death, through His strength alone. Only through Jesus can you overcome the world, overcome your sin. Put your sin to death on the cross, never pick it up again. Repent of your self-righteousness, and thinking that you are good with God by your good works. Put on the righteousness of Christ Jesus, be born again and walk in His Spirit. Having a new perspective of what it means to be a good person, will put the fear of God in your heart. The only goodness that is found in you, is found the fruit of the spirit, is Jesus alive in you. You are nothing without Jesus. Jesus is everything you need. Thank God for his love, mercy and grace that he shows us, by giving us the greatest gift, Jesus. “Are you a good person?” “No, my goodness is found through the righteousness of Jesus my Lord and Savior”.

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