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Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Don’t Believe Christians And The Bible? Here Are Answers. Objection #3: I’ll Never Be Good Enough.

This brief article is for the person who is searching online for answers or the person who received this article because someone who cares about you sent it to you. Thanks for taking the time to think about this…

In this article, I am going to attempt to destroy two of the most misunderstood aspects of being a Christian. For many people, they have some idea about the behavior Christians should have and that idea is that Christians are “good” people who don’t do the same things that non-Christians do. What sort of things don’t they do? Well, they don’t smoke, drink, swear, or ever have bad thoughts, and they are never tempted to do things that God forbids in the Bible such as steal from your employer, lie on taxes, have sex out of marriage, cheat on your spouse, look at porn, have fits of anger, and so on.

In addition to this view of the Christian life, it is commonly believed to become a Christian, a person must first rearrange their lives in such a way that he or she would fit the Christian mold and be acceptable to God. In other words, a person would need to “clean up” their lives before they could even have a chance of becoming part of the Christian group.

Both of these views are both wrong and deadly to people who are thinking deeply about their purpose and value in this life and are contrary to the Christian message.

You see, if we compare ourselves to each other, we may be able to say that one person’s behavior is better than another; we may conclude that a person is “good” because they are kinder or more loving than another person. But comparing people to people is not the measure that God uses. No, God compares people to Himself and in that case, there is no person who can be in the presence of a perfectly holy, loving, kind God. There are people who do “good” things, but no one does good at all times. Everyone fails that test! Listen to what God is telling us in His Bible about the possibility of you or me being good enough to be a Christian and have a relationship with Him:

  • “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God, all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; No one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12).

 Even Jesus, the Son of God, when asked by a man what he must do to have eternal life (with God), said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good” (Matt 19:16-17). Jesus’ point was that the only one who was good was God.

And here is where we may stumble into thinking wrongly again. Many people agree if they make an honest assessment of their thoughts and the things that they do and compare that with God, they have no chance of being accepted by God. So, what do they do? They set about making a huge effort to “be better” so they have a chance of being accepted by God. However, after a very short while they realize that they have failed to stop doing the things that they know they shouldn’t be doing and the plan to “be better” results in nothing more than frustration. You see, the root of the problem is not our efforts to do better. The problem is the core of who we are – it is the nature that we were born with, and that nature functions in such a way that we are prone to disobey God rather than obey Him. No matter how hard we try, we will find ourselves stuck in a continual cycle of failure. God tells us in the bible that we are in a kind of slavery to our sinful nature:

  • “You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (Romans 6:16).

At this point, I hope you come to understand that the message of the Bible is not, “ become a better person so you can become a Christian.” But you may have also realized that if God says no person is good and people are stuck with a nature that doesn’t allow them to become, “good enough for God,” then there is NO way that a person can become a Christian. In fact, the Bible says that people who have no relationship with God and continue to disobey God, they will enter into eternal punishment after death. This is the terrible predicament that every person is in unless somehow, some way, we can get forgiveness from God for all of the bad stuff we have done.

In effect, we were dead to God and without any hope. However, God chose to do something we could not. In His Bible, He tell us that even though we continued in disobedience (sin), God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sinfulness we deserved and by doing so, obtained forgiveness from God (reconciliation), so we can become part of His family (Christians). Here are two passages from God that explains this loving, gracious act:

  • But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:8-11).

 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:1-9).

 Please note that this has nothing to do with our goodness, but it is the goodness and of kindness of God that makes a person a Christian. And what are you to do? Believe it. Believe that what God says is true- there are none good, that we all deserve eternal punishment for disobeying Him in many ways every day, that we can’t be good enough to be accepted by Him, and that trusting in what Jesus has done is the only way I can be accepted by God and become a Christian.

But what about the idea that Christians do good things? Is that completely wrong? No, it is not. When a person places their trust (they believe) in what Jesus has done for them, God changes their nature and gradually over time, they obey God more and disobey Him less. They do it because they want to, not because they are trying to be part of an exclusive club or because they are afraid of getting kicked out of the family. But even so, they don’t do it perfectly and learn through their failures that they need God’s help every day.

Now that you know you don’t have to meet a “goodness” requirement to become a Christian, would you like to learn more? I have two links for you. The first link is to a series I did on the life of Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQic3uEomQsD4YXkeAwPpeVj

And the second link is to a series that I recorded called “Ultimate Questions.” https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQggMxnbCbkLux2C6QB1W0VG

Please feel free to write to me if you have questions or need further help. My address is Mike@CherishEphesians64.com

THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT:

Title: All Things For Good Written By Thomas Watson And Read By Michael Lee

Description: One of the great Puritans, Watson writes based on the great promise from God that all things work together for good to those that love God. The book will expand your faith in God’s promises and His attributes and give a great comfort to your soul.

Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-for-good-by-thomas-watson-and-read-by-michael-lee/id1703108941)

YouTube (https://youtu.be/cCMPuNsv6dE).

Read it online at www.ModernPuritans.com

 

Title: Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God, By Jonathan Edwards And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards will sober you up to the awesomeness of God. It is updated in modern English by Modern Puritans.com

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-sinners-in-the-hands/id1695783947

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjGDaS1xyeRC8vUJFwsxxaX

 

Title: The Duties Of Parents From The Booklet By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: From the famous booklet written by Pastor J.C. Ryle. Pastor Ryle gives us 17 points of Christian parenting on which to focus our attention. His words are timeless and apply to parenting today as much as it did 100 years ago.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-the-duties-of/id1676664853

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgfoZGiRgzptFs7g07vkwU5

 

Why Should I Believe Anything About Jesus Christ?” Written By Various Authors And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This Podcast features three famous recordings of booklets written by John Blanchard that will strengthen your own understanding on the death and resurrection of Christ and also serve as a great evangelistic tool for a friend or family member. The first booklet is called, “Ultimate Questions.” The second booklet is called, “Why The Cross?” And the third booklet is called, “Jesus, Dead Or Alive?”

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-why-should-i-believe/id1692832161

YouTube: Each of the John Blanchard booklets has its own recording. See below.

Ultimate Questions.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQggMxnbCbkLux2C6QB1W0VG

Jesus- Dead Or Alive? https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjeqfP9L1olkHULFCNHVDDF

Why The Cross? https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgJEuKxJL0dgjCDM85tyqrQ

 

Christian Behavior, written by John Bunyan. This is a wonderful fairly short book written by the great John Bunyan to help Christians understand that their lives should be full of good works! Bunyan takes us to Titus 3:7-8 and brings practical application to all areas of the Christian life. You will be blessed by this great saint!

Apple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-christian-behavior-by/id1716196912

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjUQ_MpGbnqwrBVi7TgRKi3

 

Choose Your Master: God Or Money. The links are immediately below-

Description: This is one of the most written about topics in the Bible because it is one of the most dangerous to the Christian. Listen in on the good and bad experiences of the author and strongly consider the Bible’s teaching on stewardship.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-choose-your-master-god/id1683382182

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQiHoB3-tBm1qDDbxxpQAvTl

 

Title: All Things For Good Written By Thomas Watson And Read By Michael Lee

Description: One of the great Puritans, Watson writes based on the great promise from God that all things work together for good to those that love God. The book will expand your faith in God’s promises and His attributes and give a great comfort to your soul.

Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-for-good-by-thomas-watson-and-read-by-michael-lee/id1703108941)

YouTube (https://youtu.be/cCMPuNsv6dE).

Read it online at www.ModernPuritans.com

 

Title: Critical Considerations For Christian Parents About Your Child’s Education, By Michael Lee

Description: As we search the Bible for answers to the question: How shall we raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” we can see that the system for educating children was done primary by the parents in the home. However, the world in which we live now is quite different and the vast majority of parents use an educational system that is outside of the home and is that system is called the public schools, or the government schools.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-critical-considerations/id1678162250

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjnvjc7QuytT2V3lVr53oqa

 

Title: From Religion To Christ, Written By Peter Jeffery And Read By Michael Lee

Description:  Tired of the many systems of religion that you have observed or been part of in the past? Are you ready to say goodbye to religion? The author Peter Jeffery, agrees! Doing “religion” is empty and will not get you to heaven. There is something more-something much greater. Take a careful listen through this podcast and discover what a real relationship with God actually looks like.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-from-religion-to-christ/id1687134464

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQg_lCngBTcjs_dXT1VYvYWA

 

Title: Rediscovering The Lost Treasure Of Family Worship. Written By Jerry Marcellino And Read By Michael Lee

Description: Family Worship was once the normal practice that most Christian parents led in their homes. Led by either parent, the children would be taught daily from the word of God, pray and sing songs. It was considered to be a vital part of the Christian life.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-rediscovering-the-lost/id1692401602

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgNq7asslVBsKyq0FC3arMs

 

Title: Thoughts For Young Men From The Book By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: A wonderful book of Biblical truth and advice for young men. Helpful to parents as well as the young men themselves. Full of wisdom for a life filled with Christ. J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) served God in England as a pastor and teacher for more than 40 years. His words are still being used by the Lord today and are applicable to all Christians in all times.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-thoughts-for-young-men/id1673847428

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQixZIaBE95_JRojVSkzq1nl

 

Title: Stand Firm Written By Peter Jeffery and Read By Michael Lee

Description: So you just became a Christian and now what? Get ready for a life of walking with the Lord and experiencing the joy of knowing you have peace with God. However, you also have an enemy- the devil. Peter Jeffery wants to help by teaching you about the battle with the wicked one and how you can STAND FIRM against his attacks!

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-stand-firm-written-by/id1681861976

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjhDFeGYG5Tt5EWjeuz-e1p

 

Title: The Duties Of Parents From The Booklet By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: From the famous booklet written by Pastor J.C. Ryle. Pastor Ryle gives us 17 points of Christian parenting on which to focus our attention. His words are timeless and apply to parenting today as much as it did 100 years ago.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-the-duties-of/id1676664853

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgfoZGiRgzptFs7g07vkwU5

 

Title: Choose Your Master: God Or Money. Written And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This is one of the most written about topics in the Bible because it is one of the most dangerous to the Christian. Listen in on the good and bad experiences of the author and strongly consider the Bible’s teaching on stewardship.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-choose-your-master-god/id1683382182

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQiHoB3-tBm1qDDbxxpQAvTl

 

Title: A Call To Prayer By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: This is a passionate plea from the famous preacher and teacher, J.C. Ryle. Although these words were penned more than 100 years ago, the need and application for today’s Christian is greater than ever.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-a-call-to-prayer-by/id167288080

 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjaXXgO8P1U-bBFkEMCwdYR

Title: Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices From The Book By Thomas Brooks. Read By Michael Lee

Description: (This is one that you can listen to a “precious remedy” each day). Thomas Brooks, born in 1608, was a Puritan preacher who wrote a number of essays during his time with possibly the foremost entitled, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices.” In writing the book’s dedication, he wrote, “Christ, the scripture, your own hearts, and Satan’s devices, are the four prime things that should be first and most studied and searched. If any cast off the study of these they cannot be safe here, nor happy hereafter.” Brooks believed that all Christians have particular weaknesses in their faith and those weaknesses would be exploited in some way by Satan.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-precious-remedies-against/id1671364198

 

Title: Messages You Want To Share With A Friend Or Loved One. Written By Various Authors And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This one has 11 different recordings of parental concerns including how to love difficult people, how to deal with angry children, family feuds, how can I know I am a Christian, and more.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-messages-you-want-to/id1681581764

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgfa3amEo_gqzBt6ypv4KX1

 

Title: The Mortification Of Sin By John Owen And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This famous treatment on killing or “mortifying,” sin by John Owen, has been updated in modern English by Modern Puritans. You will have to think hard but it is worth the journey.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-the-mortification-of/id1696454280

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQhOf-5DP2eZY4M91_NdlKwI

 

Title: Can You Trust God? Written and Recorded by Michael Lee

Description: Trusting God is not always easy in the midst of difficulties. We tend to trust in the things that we can see and feel and often succumb to anxiety or despair. My purpose in writing and recording this booklet is to create an ironclad argument for trusting God no matter what the situation.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-an-important-question/id1680420137

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQiHI31v5yt695Yuvc_VSyHA

 

Title: Cherish Ephesians 6:4 Written and Recorded by Michael Lee

Description: This is the podcast that has the weekly article from the Cherish Ephesians 6:4 ministry.

Apple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4/id1658865547

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQj2iqoMVx36VEbpUZEQcyom

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Last modified: July 5, 2024

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