It Really Doesn’t All Balance Out!

I knew fellows in the Army of this stripe. They were terribly unhappy with the status quo and knew they desired a difference in their lives, but, were unwilling to make a definite decision for the Lord, so, they put it off. Some preacher, somewhere rightly said, “No decision is a ‘no’ decision.” Failure to accept Christ is the same as openly, actively rejecting Him and His grace.

I would have opportunity, at times to share the gospel with many of them. Like other groups of people the responses were varied. Some would accept the message and some would put off making s decision. Some of their answers were predictable: “I’m not good enough now, wait until I’ve straightened up some. Then, I’ll accept Christ.” Or, “I have to change some things, first.” Somehow those changes never happened in all the time I knew them. It wouldn’t matter if they had because Christ didn’t come to save holy people or good people. He never said, “Come unto me when you're good enough and I will give you rest”. Don’t wait until you’re good enough. That will never happen!

How good is good enough? How bad is too bad? How much sin makes us sinful? How much good is needed to erase one sin? Who keeps score, or who is tending the balance? Not God. He has a different scale. Jesus didn’t come to save good people but sinners.

“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9: 12-13).

Paul the apostle adds; “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1: 15-16).

While we were still sinners He paid the price to free us from sin and bondage (Romans 5: 8) and by faith alone in Him we are saved by His grace and mercy, not our works or deeds, good or evil (Ephesians 2: 8-9; Titus 3: 5). I say Jesus didn’t die for good people, why? Because there are no truly good people (Romans 3: 23) and all who are saved are declared good by God after having been made alive from spiritual death (Ephesians 2: 1-5).

“For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6: 20-23).

No one is so good he or she doesn’t need salvation from sin. No one is so dirty, vile, sinful, bad, or, so far gone that he or she cannot be saved. The Bible does not say “clean up and believe on Jesus to be worthy to be saved”. What the Bible does say and unashamedly so, is “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved....”(Acts 16: 31). What we then become is “righteous” before God through Christ.

“For he [God] hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us [substitution], [He] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5: 21).

Then, as we commit to the Lord, continually and to His Word, we are cleaned up in mind and heart by the Word of God (Ephesians 5: 25-27). After He has begun to clean up our hearts and minds we can begin to clean up our individual acts, but not until.

Are you saved? Do you know Jesus as your Savior and do you have assurance of everlasting life and the forgiveness of sins? If you do not have such assurance, you may! And no, you are not too far gone to be saved, nor are you too good to need to be saved.