2021.10.10 - When Is Good Enough, Good Enough For God

Text: John 3:14:21 Opening Statement: Martin Luther, the reformer, wrote, "The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has every plagued the mind of man is the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all-holy God." Let's examine what the Bible has to say about being good enough. I) God's Admission to Enter Heaven (John 3:15-16) In one sense, one can be good enough to get to heaven, but they would have to be perfect. God's standard for entrance into heaven is perfection. However, we’re not good enough. Now don't get me wrong, for the most part we are all pretty good. If we were grading ourselves on goodness, we would all rank right up there pretty high on the scale. So, let me ask you, is there any sin in your life? If so, you are not perfect. Paul reminds us of this fact in Romans 3:23. Therefore none of us have met God's standard of perfection that gives us admission into Heaven. II) God's Resolution to Our Sin is a Pardon (John 3:16-20) Fortunately, there is good news. There is a solution, a remedy to our imperfection. God's resolution is a pardon found in Jesus Christ. Here's how it works: "Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! . . . It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some imperfect people. . . . Our sins are taken care of for good". The apostle Paul described it this way in (2 Cor. 5:21). When Jesus Christ, God's Son, went to the cross he took our sins, our mistakes, our evil, and our unrighteousness. He was the ultimate sacrifice. So how could a loving God send people to hell? He doesn't. He simply honors the choice of sinners. III) God Provides Salvation Through Personal Faith (John 3:21) So, what must one do? We must, by faith, accept Jesus' finished work on the cross as God's only accepted way to enter heaven. God provides salvation through personal faith in Jesus Christ. We must trust in what he has done for us not on what we have done. (Eph. 2:8-9). We are saved by grace and through faith. Salvation is a grace gift