Are You One of the Good Guys?

1/2/18           Andrew             about 25

Are you one of the "good guys"? What's the standard?

Andrew seems like a nice guy, and as an intern preparing for a career of helping other people in the health industry, I believe he is, according to human standards. But what about God's standards?

By human standards, we can all reassure ourselves by a quick glance at the daily news. At least we're not as bad as that mass murderer or corrupt politician! But God's standard doesn't compare us to other people.

So what does it compare us to?

Perfection.

Jesus said "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." But what does that even mean?

The "therefore" in this verse refers to everything Jesus had said before it, which was his famous "Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew 5. It had begun with the beatitudes, a description of the kinds of attitudes God blesses, and ends with an exposition of the Ten Commandments, which we must not just follow in letter but also in the spirit of the law. This means it's principles must apply to everything we do, say, or even think.

For example, we must not murder of course, but we must not even speak a harsh word in anger. We must not commit adultery, but we must also never think a lustful thought. In short, our standard of perfection is God, who is perfectly holy.

If we are honest, we will admit we've already failed. But, some might say, doesn't that set us up for failure? Can't we just be perfect going forward?

Jesus also said "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Even if we could bring ourselves to sell and give away all our possessions, could we really follow Jesus everywhere He goes? Even to the cross?

But Jesus' standard of holy perfection isn't designed to set us up for failure. It's meant to show we've already failed. It's meant to show us we need a Savior.

Andrew grew up in a churchgoing family and feels like he has a handle on Christianity. After all, his mother was leader of his church's youth group, he said.

But something was lost in the years since his active church involvement and his now busy life as a student. If he ever knew that Jesus is the one who saves us from the consequences of our sins, he has now replaced that knowledge with a trust in his own goodness and good works for salvation.

Fact is, Andrew is comfortably secure in his belief that he is one of the good guys destined for heaven, and I believe he needed an unexpected conversation while on break in the hospital cafeteria to shake things up a bit.

Let's pray God works in his heart to bring him to repentence and a saving faith in Jesus. But first, he needs God's holy standard to show him that even the "good guys" need to be saved!

(Andrew kindly allowed me to record our conversation. It's at https://youtu.be/wvrHsEIAfs8 on my YouTube channel.)