Justified by Faith
No one can be good enough to be saved from sin. There is no way to do enough good works to get God to accept us. The problem is sin, and we can't do anything to take away our own sins. Only God can forgive them, and He has determined that He will justify those who put their trust or faith in Christ Jesus alone for their salvation. (Romans 3:28) Therefore, we are justified apart from works of the Law. It is all by grace, as free gift from God to those who believe.
So often, we run into people who have the concept that we will stand in the Judgment before the Lord, and He will weigh all of our good works, and if our good works outweigh most other people's good works, we will get into heaven. Nothing could be farther from the Biblical truth. By the time we stand before God, we are either justified or not. That can't be changed. We become justified or "just as if I'd" never sinned, when God cleanses us by the blood of Christ. The blood is applied to us, when we turn from our way to Jesus as Lord and Savior, putting our faith in Him who died for us and rose again, as the Only One who can take away sins, because of His sacrificial death. Therefore, we must stop trying to be good and start trusting Jesus fully, if we want to enter God's kingdom and enter heaven when we die.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 5-8.
So often, we run into people who have the concept that we will stand in the Judgment before the Lord, and He will weigh all of our good works, and if our good works outweigh most other people's good works, we will get into heaven. Nothing could be farther from the Biblical truth. By the time we stand before God, we are either justified or not. That can't be changed. We become justified or "just as if I'd" never sinned, when God cleanses us by the blood of Christ. The blood is applied to us, when we turn from our way to Jesus as Lord and Savior, putting our faith in Him who died for us and rose again, as the Only One who can take away sins, because of His sacrificial death. Therefore, we must stop trying to be good and start trusting Jesus fully, if we want to enter God's kingdom and enter heaven when we die.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 5-8.