Galatians 2:15-16 | The Good Enough Deception
We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners” know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
-Galatians 2:15-16 BSB
-Galatians 2:15-16 BSB
One of the greatest deceptions I have run into is what I will call the "Good Enough" Deception. Whether I myself am witnessing to someone, or I am seeing someone else share the gospel, many seem to be under the same impression that they are good enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Even among believers, I have found many have their "good works" in their back pocket just in case the whole faith thing doesn't work out. Men try to be justified by their good works. Many think that if their good outweighs their bad then they will be freed of any accountability to their actions. Well let's try that out and see how that plays in the real world.
An officer pulls you over for speeding. "But officer! Did you see all the stop lights I stopped at? I even came to a full stop at the stop sign! Doesn't my good driving mean I don't get a ticket?" After picking himself up from laughter, surely you'd get your citation.
A husband is caught cheating on his wife. "But honey! Look at the years I gave to you faithfully! I even did the dishes and took out the trash. Don't my good husband moments outweigh the bad?" Such behavior is atrocious.
A man is apprehended for murder. "Sure, I killed the one guy. But look at all the one's I didn't kill! I even gave a homeless man some money! I helped other people. I shouldn't get in trouble for it." We would scream injustice!
It doesn't matter if someone was "good enough." The stain of their sin is upon them. If it were possible for anyone to be good enough through the law then there would have been no need for Jesus to come. But such is not the case. The only hope we have is placing our full trust in Him and Him alone. Let us get away from trusting in ourselves and our own works. Let us believe on the name of Jesus.
How can you walk by faith today?
An officer pulls you over for speeding. "But officer! Did you see all the stop lights I stopped at? I even came to a full stop at the stop sign! Doesn't my good driving mean I don't get a ticket?" After picking himself up from laughter, surely you'd get your citation.
A husband is caught cheating on his wife. "But honey! Look at the years I gave to you faithfully! I even did the dishes and took out the trash. Don't my good husband moments outweigh the bad?" Such behavior is atrocious.
A man is apprehended for murder. "Sure, I killed the one guy. But look at all the one's I didn't kill! I even gave a homeless man some money! I helped other people. I shouldn't get in trouble for it." We would scream injustice!
It doesn't matter if someone was "good enough." The stain of their sin is upon them. If it were possible for anyone to be good enough through the law then there would have been no need for Jesus to come. But such is not the case. The only hope we have is placing our full trust in Him and Him alone. Let us get away from trusting in ourselves and our own works. Let us believe on the name of Jesus.
How can you walk by faith today?
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January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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