From Goodness to Grace

The Path to Heaven: Perfection, Not Just Goodness

When we think about what it takes to get to heaven, many of us instinctively believe it's about being "good enough." We measure our deeds, our kindness, our religious observances, hoping they'll add up to a heavenly admission ticket. But what if we've been looking at it all wrong? What if the standard isn't just goodness, but absolute perfection?

This profound shift in perspective changes everything about how we understand salvation and our relationship with God. It's not about striving to be good—it's about recognizing our inability to be perfect and embracing the perfect righteousness offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Perfection Paradigm

Consider this: If God is perfect and heaven is a perfect place, then logically, it must be a place for perfect people. The Bible affirms this high standard:

"You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong." (Habakkuk 1:13)

"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." (2 Peter 3:13)

This realization can be eye opening. After all, who among us can claim perfection? If we're honest with ourselves, we all fall short. This universal imperfection is the great equalizer—it puts every human being, regardless of how "good" they might seem, in the same boat.

The Sin Question vs. The Son Question

Here's where things get interesting. Many approaches to sharing faith focus on convincing people they're sinners in need of salvation. While this is true, it often leads to philosophical debates about morality and what constitutes "sin." Instead, by focusing on God's perfection and our lack thereof, we shift the conversation to something more fundamental.

The apostle Paul gives us a revolutionary insight: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This verse reveals that the issue isn't primarily about our sin—it's about our lack of God's righteousness. Christ's sacrifice on the cross paid for all sin, for all people, for all time. The real question isn't "Are you a sinner?" but "What will you do with Christ?"

Righteousness by Faith, Not Works

This brings us to the heart of the gospel—righteousness that comes by faith, not by works. It's a complete paradigm shift from trying to earn our way to heaven to receiving God's righteousness as a free gift through faith in Jesus.

Paul expresses this beautifully in Philippians 3:8-9: "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith."

This is the crux of the matter—we can never achieve the perfection God requires on our own. But through faith in Christ, we receive God's very own righteousness. It's not about what we do, but about what Christ has done for us.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

This simplicity is both the beauty and the stumbling block of the gospel. Many, like the ancient Israelites Paul describes in Romans 9 and 10, stumble because they seek to establish their own righteousness rather than receiving God's righteousness by faith.

Our role, then, is not to convince people of their sinfulness or to help them become "good enough." Instead, we're called to share the amazing news that God offers His very own righteousness as a gift to those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Overcoming Ignorance with Truth

Paul's heart cry for his fellow Israelites resonates today: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." (Romans 10:1-2)

Many people today, like the Israelites of Paul's time, have a sincere desire to please God but lack understanding of how to do so. They rely on their own efforts, unaware that Christ is "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4)

Our task is to lovingly and patiently help people overcome this ignorance. We're not called to criticize or belittle their efforts at self-righteousness, but to educate them about the truth of God's word—that perfect righteousness is available through faith in Christ alone.

A Call to Action

This perspective on salvation—focused on God's perfection and the gift of His righteousness—has profound implications for how we understand and share our faith. It shifts the focus from our efforts to God's grace, from our imperfection to Christ's perfection.

As we grasp this truth for ourselves, we're called to share it with a world desperately in need of this good news. How will people know unless we tell them? Our responsibility is to thoroughly learn this gospel of God's righteousness and then take it into the world, sharing it with those who are lost in ignorance of this incredible gift.

In a world obsessed with self-improvement and "being good enough," the message of God's freely given righteousness is truly revolutionary. It offers rest for the weary, hope for the despairing, and a perfect standing before God that no amount of good works could ever achieve.

So let us embrace this truth ourselves and boldly share it with others. For in Christ, we find not just the path to becoming "good people," but the way to be clothed in the very righteousness of God Himself. This is the essence of the gospel—not just good news, but the best news the world has ever known.

https://wwwtricitybaptistnaorg.snappages.site/media/74rndhd/god-s-requirement-of-perfection-week-1