Good Enough
The prevailing opinion in our society seems to be that good people go heaven. But how good is good enough? Is 51% good deeds good enough for heaven? Maybe 60%; or 75%. What is God’s standard of goodness?
Actually, Jesus disappointed and probably angered a lot of people on the idea of being good enough when He told the crowd gathered for the Sermon on the Mount that they had to be better than the Pharisees (the best of the Jewish society). Jesus said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:20) How can anyone be better than the best? Impossible!
Then, Jesus later suggested that people who had lived a life full of bad deeds could go to heaven by confessing and believing when He addressed one of the criminals who was crucified with Him. 39 One of the criminals who hung there, hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)
God, however, in His infinite mercy, grace and love, provided the solution in ultimate fairness when He provided the baby of Bethlehem whose birthday we celebrate during this season. By all means, our sins—the sins of the whole world—rightfully disqualify us from heaven, but God provided a way. We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve His gift. That is the amazing truth of Christmas! Despite who we are, God sent His Son so “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Revelation 1:17-2:7
Revelation 1:17-2:7 “As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands…” (Revelation 1:20-2:1) Because of the wild imagery and a certain reputation, the Book of Revelation receives...
2 Peter 3:1-10
2 Peter 3:1-10 “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you 2that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles.” (2 Peter 3:1-2) This past Sunday I asked the question, “Why is Advent?” Sometimes when a thing becomes routine – a tradition even – we take for granted why it even exists. We just know that we did it...
Isenheim Altarpiece
This devotion is a little bit different than the rest. Instead of a single scripture passage from which to work and meditate, above you will find Matthias Grünewald’s “Isenheim Altarpiece.” Though designed by a German, this piece of stunning artwork presently resides at the Unterlinden Museum at Colmar, Alsace, in France (a reflection of many European wars that have blended German and French culture and cultural artifacts). I would encourage you to read all about this piece on Wikipedia...
Ezra 10:1-17
Ezra 10:1-17 “While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him out of Israel; the people also wept bitterly. 2Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra, saying, “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3So now let us make a covenant with our God...
Nehemiah 5:1-19
Nehemiah 5:1-19 "And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the...
Nehemiah 13:4-22
Nehemiah 13:4-22 “In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them at that time against selling food.” (Nehemiah 13:15) Bad habits are hard to break (but easy to start). Good habits are hard to start (and easy to break). If you ever needed proof that sin is real and impacts all people,...
Lamentations 2:8-15 & Revelation 5:1-10
Lamentations 2:8-15 Revelation 5:1-10 The LORD determined to lay in ruins the wall of daughter Zion; he stretched the line; he did not withhold his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languish together… All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at daughter Jerusalem; “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?” (Lamentations 2:8, 15) Yowza! Boy is Lamentations ever appropriately...
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will...
Jeremiah 37:3-21
Jeremiah 37:3-21 “Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5Meanwhile, the army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. 6Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah: 7Thus says the LORD, God of Israel: This is what the two of you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me, Pharaoh’s army, which set out to...
2 Kings 22:14-23:3
2 Kings 22:14-23:3 “Then the king directed that all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem should be gathered to him. The king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him went all the people of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the...
