Never Good Enough
Here is one saying nobody ever wants to hear, but always needs to hear. You can never be good enough to ‘get in’ to heaven. You are never good enough isn’t a judgment. It is an honest expression of the truth. Even the saints knew it about themselves. We need to know it too.
Brethren, I appeal to you, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him.
Romans 12.1-3
I know we don’t like hearing the truth when it doesn’t lift us up. We prefer to hear, “Don’t listen to them. You’re good enough. God made you and that should be enough.” Every lie begins with the truth. Yes. God made us. No, we are not good enough because we all sin.
Accepting that we could never be good enough is just the beginning of the Christian journey. Unless we use this humbling truth to pursue a Godly life, we become despondent. “So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Luke 18.19)
The Lord said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Matthew 10:37-42, 11:1
The reminder that we fall short was not limited to Saint Paul. Jesus also reminded us that what we think makes us good still does not make us worthy of God. When was the last time you listed your shortcomings when asked to describe yourself. Of course not!
Pursuing Christ isn’t about being good enough. Pursuing Christ is about struggling to be more like Him, to defeat the passions that make us fall short. Pursuing Christ is about knowing God loves us, even though we are not good enough.
If heaven were only for those who were good enough, heaven would be empty. Lucky for us, heaven isn’t empty. If God limited heaven only for those who were good enough, we would all be in hell. Lucky for us, God is merciful and opens heaven for everyone who pursues Him.
Jesus invited us to join Him in heaven. “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34) Now that we accept we’re never going to be good enough, let’s start following Jesus like He invited.
Let’s start to deny ourselves, SO THAT we can take up our cross and follow Christ into heaven. Accepting we aren’t good enough is just the beginning. The journey to be like Christ begins with this truth. Now….pursue Him. Be like Him. Love like Him. Forgive like Him. Be merciful like Him.
