There’s this one expression that people use all the time that says “If I had a dime for anytime a person said so and so, I’d be a rich man”. Well I’ve got one along those same lines for you – “If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard a person say ‘but I’m a good person, that should be enough’, I’d be a rich person.”
It seems that many in the world are convinced that in order to receive salvation, all you have to do is be a good person. And when I ask those people, what does it mean to be a good person, they usually say something along the lines of, “Well I don’t hurt anybody” or something similar to that. Ok so, if a person is a good person, is that enough?
I believe that the Scripture that I’m going to share with you, I’ve already shared numerous times on the bibleharbor.com videos. However, the reason for this is that it is the starting point for anyone who wants to walk with God – so we will look at it again today.
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.[KJV]
If you look very carefully at this scripture, you will have an answer for the question, If I’m a good person, is that enough? There are two things that God says here that you have to do in order to receive salvation:
(1) – confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord
(2) – believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead
If you do that you receive salvation. Ok now, let’s take a look at our question, If I’m a good person, is that enough? Here in Romans, is being good one of the two things that God is asking of people? It isn’t is it? If a person could do good things to be saved, then God would never have needed to send Jesus Christ, would he?
Ok, so if you consider yourself to be a good person, is that enough to be saved? The answer quite simply is “No” – because according to the Scriptures themselves, there is nothing that you could ever do to save yourself. Now you might like to think that being a good person – whatever that means – should be enough. Well I hate to break it to you but what you might want or not want doesn’t count for anything if it does not agree with the Scriptures. God made it very simple – confess Jesus as lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. If you think that this is not simple enough, then God is not about the change the entire plan of redemption and salvation for your personal desires.
Please recognize that I am not saying that you should not be a good person – not at all. Logically speaking, everyone should strive to be a good person – to not hurt others, to be kind, generous and so forth – but what I am saying that none of that will lead to your salvation. When God looked at the world, here is what he saw.
Romans 3:10-18
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways:And the way of peace have they not known:There is no fear of God before their eyes. [KJV]
From God’s point of view, this was the state of the world when he sent the Lord Jesus Christ. The world was in dire need of a savior. I don’t mean to disturb your little corner of the world but if you give regularly to the local charity, help old ladies with their shopping and buy boy scout cookies, you are hardly going to change the spiritual state of the world. The only solution to the state of the world was Jesus Christ – and absolutely nothing else.
So yes, you should continue to do good things but I would strongly suggest that you take a few moments to confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead if you want salvation. Then you can get back to buying the cookies from those innocent children on your doorstep.