Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)
Are you saved because of your actions?
Many people seem to believe that we are saved by being good, and as a result are trying hard to earn brownie points with God.
Are you lost because of your bad deeds? Are you lost because you do bad things?
The answer is no. You’re not saved or lost because of your behavior. You are saved or lost because of your love for Christ, which shines through in your behaviors.
Let me tell you a story.
Once a very pompous person was trying to impress upon a bunch of kids the importance of living a clean Christian life. He held forth at great length about the extreme importance in making a good impression, looking the part, smiling properly, neat hair, proper language, the entire package.
Then he drew himself up to his full height, looked down his nose at the boys and said, “Why do people call me a Christian?”
“I don’t know,” said one boy. “Maybe it’s because they don’t know you.”
Ouch! Was the man a Christian?
Well, he thought he was. His behavior, to his mind, was exemplary. But the boys had his show all figured out. With his example, they remained unconverted.
He wasn’t showing Christ. He was showing himself.
A person who doesn’t know Christ and has not accepted His salvation is simply lost.
He isn’t lost because he does bad things; he does bad things because he doesn’t know Christ, and is therefore lost.
A good person who doesn’t know Christ is just as lost as the man dealing drugs on the street or a person who deliberately murders people.
If you don’t have Christ, it’s irrelevant what you do with your life. It’s all going to just burn up in the end like so much tinder.
Knowing Christ saves people. He is our only righteousness.
“Believing the right things about Jesus isn’t enough. You’re not adopted as God’s child until you confess and turn away from your wrongdoing and receive the freely offered gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased with his death on the cross. Until you do that, you’ll always be on the outside looking in.” – Lee Stroebel