How God Sees Us
As Compared To How We See Ourselves
What is it about us humans that we just think God is going to accept us – into His heaven – on our terms… according to our idea of fairness or goodness? Practically everyone who has not been “born-again” by the grace of God has a far better opinion of themselves than God has. We tend to compare ourselves with others who we think are not as good as we are. Somehow we think that as long as we are “not that bad”, as long as we have not killed anyone, we should be acceptable to God and allowed into heaven someday.
Most people will get the shock of their lives when they meet God. And when they meet Him, it will most assuredly be on His terms. At that time, God will judge us according to His standard of perfect righteousness, not according to our corrupt, sin-blinded view of right and wrong. And therefore many will likely hear these words:
“I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” [Matthew 7:23]
God has already CLEARLY laid out the ONLY way to heaven. That way is through JESUS CHRIST alone.
”Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12]
We can’t earn heaven and we can’t get there by our good deeds, penance, works of charity, prayers, church attendance, tithing, saving somebody’s life, being a “good” person, trying to keep the ten commandments or any other acts of self-righteousness. God neither needs nor wants our help to get us to heaven. However, God is infinitely holy and therefore NO sin is allowed in His presence – ever – for all eternity. In order for us to dwell in heaven with a Being so morally perfect and who has such an extreme hatred for sin, our sins must be removed and to do that there is ONLY ONE WAY. The perfect sacrifice of the sinless Savior – Jesus Christ’s death on the cross – is the ONLY ACCEPTABLE PAYMENT to God for your sins. God could care less about what these liars may have told you: the Pope, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, William Miller, Vishnu, the Dali Lama, Mohammed, Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Robert Tilton, Oral Roberts and so many other false teachers and false prophets. If someone does not teach that Jesus [the REAL Jesus of the Bible who is both fully God and fully man] is the only way to heaven then Jesus calls them thieves and robbers, trying to get into the sheep pen by avoiding the door (Jesus Christ) and looking for some other way (their own way) to get in.
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” [Romans 10:3]
Jesus referred to those people as the blind leading the blind. God refers to our good deeds as nothing more than filthy rags when compared to the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Just as no amount of laundry detergent is going to make those ragged clothes look any better on those “walking dead” people in the above photo, no amount of good works on our part will make ungodly “spiritually dead” sinners like you and I appear pure and holy to an infinitely holy God.
God says that hell is the only place that sinners like you and I are fit for, if we die in our sins. Crying out to God to have mercy on your wicked soul is the only hope you possibly have for ever avoiding ETERNITY IN HELL. Those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death as the FULL payment for their sins will receive eternal life in Heaven AND the “new birth” here and now. This new birth is also called being “born again”, which is when God puts HIS SPIRIT (the Holy Spirit) in YOU, giving you a love for things you used to hate (such as a love for holiness and avoiding sinful things that you may not have even thought were sinful). And God gives you a hatred for sinful things you used to love. Those who become “born again” will THEN be looked upon by God on Judgment Day as if they possessed the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. They will also have a “new nature” that WANTS to be in a HOLY Heaven with a HOLY God for all eternity.
Are you ready to exchange YOUR filhty rags for the spotless robes of righteousness that only the Lord Jesus Christ can provide?