The Bad News and the Good News Your good works can not save you, only faith in Christ can

There are two things that you must know – The BAD news and the GOOD news.

The bad news is that we are all sinners.  I am no exception. I have sinned, you have sinned.  You say, where have I sinned?   Sin is transgression of the law of God.  When you break God’s law, you have sinned.  So what is God’s law?

The Ten Commandments
Have you kept all of them without fail?
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.   (20:3)
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image   (20:4)
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain   (20:7)
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (20:8)
5. Honour thy father and thy mother:   (20:12)
6. Thou shalt not kill.   (20:13)
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.   (20:14)
8. Thou shalt not steal.   (20:15)
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.   (20:16)
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house   (20:17)
Exodus 20
If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you have broken at least some of the Ten Commandments.  “Okay, I’ve sinned,” you say.  “But I haven’t done anything horrible. I haven’t killed anyone.”   The Bible says that if you break one law, but keep the whole law, you are guilty of breaking the ENTIRE law:   For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).

Not only are we sinners, there is nothing that we can do ourselves to get rid of our sins.   Our good deeds will not be weighted against our sins at the gates of Heaven.   Our good works will never outweigh our sins, for of all the good that we can do, it is not enough to cover for even ONE of our sins.   But we are all as an unclean thing, and ALL our righteousnesses [good deeds] are as filthy rags: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities [sins], like the wind, have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6)   And there are consequences to our sin.   The Bible says that the wages of sin is DEATH.   Not just physical death, but ETERNAL death in Hell.   For the wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23a.

“Are you telling me that I’m going to Hell?   I thought God was a loving God.   Why would a loving God send anyone to Hell?”

Hold on, here is the good news.   God indeed loves you and does not want you to go to Hell.   He made a way for you to be reconciled with himself.   His Son, Jesus Christ, took your punishment when He was crucified.   Through faith in His sacrifice, you will be forgiven of your sins and will live forever in Heaven.   Here is the second half of Romans 6:23: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord..

Salvation is a free gift; but just like any gift you must ACCEPT it.   You must be willing to turn from your sin and accept Christ as your Saviour.   But God is also a just God; If you do not accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, your sins will not be forgiven, and He will have no choice but to cast you into Hell.   Therefore, why would you refuse a free gift that would get you forgivness of sins and entry into Heaven?   Why do you continue on thinking that you can earn your way into Heaven.

Ephesians 2:8,9
8   For by GRACE are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9   NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.

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