We have all heard the expression “good as gold.” Sometimes it means that you can take it to the bank. Whatever item you are talking about is genuine, it is the real deal – it is as solid or as good as gold. But the definition that I’m thinking of is when we refer to a child or a person as being good; like when we say “that person is as good as gold.”
I’m bringing this up because I believe that there are a lot of “good” people burning in Hell right now. Does that mean that I think God is unjust? God forbid! No that’s not what I mean. I’m saying that I believe that there are a lot of people who have died in their sins and they are suffering in eternal damnation right now, as we speak. When I say they are good, I mean that most of us would consider them good, by our standards.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say you have a neighbor Ted. He’s lived next door to your family for several years. He’s the kind of guy who always smiles and waves. He constantly asks how you are doing and if there anything that you need. Ted is the one who snow blows your driveway for you after he finishes cleaning his own. If he sees a need, Ted is the first one there to help you out. He’s the kind of guy that would literally “give you the shirt off his back.” He’s really a nice guy. He goes to church and he’s involved there. He’s the kind of guy that you would describe as being “good as gold.” He’s the best neighbor. You couldn’t ask for a better one.
By all outward appearances, you think, if anyone is going to make it to Heaven, Ted will be there. In fact, you are sure that after he dies, he will be there welcoming people into Heaven. He’s just that great. He is just the nicest person. Ted is a really swell guy. You can’t think of a nicer, kinder human being anywhere on God’s green earth. You just can’t say enough good things about him.
The problem is Ted is not really saved. He has never been born again. Sure, Ted grew up going to church. Sure he’s heard about the plan of salvation. Sure he intellectually knows that we live in a fallen, sinful world and that Jesus came down from Heaven to this earth; was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless perfect life and died a cruel, torturous death on the cross. Sure Ted understands that Jesus died, was buried and on the third day He rose from the grave. Ted knows this story very well. Ted can even point you to some of the Bible verses in the New Testament to back it up. Sure Ted believes that Jesus died for his sins. Ted intellectually believes this.
But Ted has never really surrendered his life to our Lord Jesus Christ. Ted wrongly believes that salvation is really us human beings being the best that we can be; that we need to have a good heart and believe that Jesus died for our sins and that’s all it takes. Ted is counting on his own goodness to save him and then for Jesus to make up the difference – after Ted has done all that he can do. But the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. We bring nothing to Christ except for our sins. Your good works will only earn you physical death and eternal damnation. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Ted’s problem is that he said the sinner’s prayer when he was a child. He thinks, wants and believes that Jesus is his Savior. But Ted doesn’t understand that Jesus has to be Lord as well as Savior. Ted’s still counting on the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Just do good. Just be good. Be good as gold. Ted thinks, how could God reject a person who is good and who does good for others? It doesn’t make any sense that God would punish a “good” person. Surely being good outweighs a few sins here and there…right?
Unfortunately, Ted has the same problem that so many other people have. He’s wrongly counting on his own righteousness to save him from Hell. He’s counting on his own goodness, his own good works to get him into Heaven. He’s counting on God being “fair” and being a “good” God. Ted’s banking on God sending evil or bad people to Hell and all good people to Heaven. I mean, it’s what’s in your heart that counts, isn’t it? If you have a good heart, how could God say no to you and keep you out of Heaven?
Sadly, many people are suffering in the flames of Hell right now in indescribable torment, because they were counting on the wrong thing to save them. They were counting on their own goodness, their own self righteousness and their own good works to earn them favor with almighty God. They were counting on the wrong thing. They didn’t understand how Holy God really is and how depraved we really are. None of us are good on our own. Most of us may not be monsters, but we are not good. We are not righteous. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Tonight, if you are counting on your own goodness to save you, then you will end up in Hell one second after you take your last breath in this life. Jesus said that there are few people on the narrow path and that many are on the broad road to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Many people are deceived in this world. Not just deceived by Satan through false religions and through all of the cults; but even by professing Christians. By some who go to Bible believing churches, but who also have missed the mark. Somehow they are still blinded by the little g god of this world and they are furiously trying to work their way to Heaven, just like the cultist are all working so hard to do.
But there are none that are good. Not a single one. Think about this for a minute. There are 7 billion people in the world today and according to God’s perfect standard, not a single one of us are good. None of us are righteous on our own account. None of us have perfectly kept the 10 Commandments, all of our lives. None of us have loved God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. None of us have loved our neighbor as we love ourselves. None of us are righteous, no not one. In Exodus 33:20, God tells Moses, You can not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. We can’t even look God in the face in our degenerate state, in these sinful bodies that we currently occupy.
Thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is the only perfect One. Jesus is the only person who ever walked this earth and never sinned one time, in His entire life. Jesus was the only one who was fully God and fully man. Jesus is the only way of salvation. He is Lord (Romans 10:12). There is no other. No amount of good works can save you. Being nice to people is a great thing to do, but if Jesus is not your Lord as well as your Savior, you will go to Hell after you die and you will suffer eternally. There is no reprieve. There is no escape. There are no second chances in Hell. It is a place of unimaginable suffering and torment that’s never ending.
In Revelation 3:17-19 Jesus says, Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eyesalve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Jesus is speaking to believers in these verses. Imagine what He would say to you…unbelievers? Many people wrongly think that they are good, just the way they are. They are not looking to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Judgment Day is coming (Hebrews 9:27). What are you counting on to save you on that day? If you are counting on anything except the shed blood of Jesus Christ, then you are counting on the wrong thing. Only Jesus saves and He commanded us to repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15). Repentance is turning away from your sins. It starts with a change of mind and that starts when God convicts you of your sins. Do you recognize today that you have broken the 10 Commandments? Do you recognize that you are a liar and an adulterer at heart because you’ve lusted before? Do you recognize that God sees hate as the same thing as murder? That He considers anger without cause as the same thing as murder? Do you realize that you have coveted something belonged to someone else? Do you admit that you have stolen something in your life, no matter how small or invaluable it was? Do you see that you have not met God’s perfect standard?
Do you admit today that you are a sinner? Do you realize that you cannot save yourself? Do realize that all the good works in the world cannot erase even one little white lie that you’ve ever told? Do you realize today that you are under God’s wrath, His anger over your sins? Romans 1:18 says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Do you realize that you have accumulated a mountain of sin debt? One little sin is enough to send you to Hell for eternity, but you have done so much worse than that. We all have.
We can’t even count all the lies that we’ve told in our lifetimes. The Bible says that unrepentant sinners will be judged on their thought life. Ecclesiastes 12:14 states For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. I can’t imagine other people knowing the awful thoughts that I’ve had? How about you? Have you ever wished that someone was dead? Have you ever wanted to date your best friend’s girlfriend? Have you ever wanted to take a baseball bat and smash that rude person’s car all to pieces when they cut you off in traffic? Have you ever had immoral or impure thoughts? Of course you have. We all have!
Folks, the problem is that most of us think too highly of ourselves and we have too low of view of the great God of Heaven and earth. We pump ourselves up to be more than we really are and a lot of people bring God down to such a low standard because they have created a false god in their mind. A lot of people have created an idol that accepts them just like they are. I used to have a false god that I worshiped and I foolishly thought the he was the real God. But I was wrong. A lot of other people are wrong too. Their false god allows them to think that they are saved while their false god overlooks their habitual sin. They don’t want to go the Hell when they die, but they still love their sins and they don’t want to give them up.
What or who are you counting on to save you when you die? What or who do you love today? What sin do you love so much that you don’t want to give it up? What do you spend your time, money and energy on? Whatever that is, that is your god. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ and you have repented from your sins, then you are worshiping and following the One true God, the God of the Bible.
But if you are spending your time, money and energy on anything else in this world, you are worshiping a false god, you are worshiping an idol. This includes yourself, if you are counting on your own good works or your own righteousness for your salvation. Salvation is faith in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. Salvation is not faith plus anything else. It is not faith plus works. Only Jesus saves, but you must submit your will to His will. You must recognize that He is Lord over all.
Your sins can be forgiven. Romans 4:7, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Is Jesus your Lord? Have you truly been saved? Have you turned away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ? Are you saved? Are you a new creature in Christ? You see, many people are in Hell right now because they thought that they could claim Jesus as their Savior and still hang on to their sinful ways, hang on to the sin that they love. What do you love today? Who do you love? If you really love Jesus, then you will surrender your life to Him. You will cry out for Him to save you. You will turn away from your sins and turn your face to Jesus.
Only God is good and He sent Jesus to save you from your sins. Are you ready? Are you ready to bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord? It isn’t a matter of if you will do this, but when you will do this. If you wait until Judgment Day, it will be too late. You will spend eternity in Hell. But if you will bow your knee and confess with your tongue in this life time, then you can have eternal life. Receive the free gift of salvation. Today is the day of salvation. Be saved today. Repent and believe the Gospel. Choose life, eternal life. Do this today. Put your trust in the one that is better than good. Put your trust in the one that is better than gold. Trust Jesus.