What About All the Good I've Done?

God must seem like a meany to so many people. They can understand Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot being in hell but what about (fill in the blank) who never harmed anybody?

At the risk of repeating myself, nobody is good. Check out what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:10 and 11 (BBE) with respect to all humanity, "As it is said in the holy Writings, 'There is not one who does righteousness; Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God;'"

Furthermore, God isn't a sadist.  If he were, he wouldn't have said in Ezekiel 18:31 and 32 (BBE), "Put away all your evil-doing in which you have done sin; and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: why are you desiring death, O children of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him on whom death comes, says the Lord: be turned back then, and have life." does that sound sadistic to you?

Furthermore, why would God have sent Christ, the sinless one, to die in our place? Because he has pity on us. The heavenly Father said through Paul in Romans 5:6 (BBE), "For when we were still without strength, at the right time Christ gave his life for evil-doers."

And as I've explained before, it's the motives of our hearts which the Lord judges. Hebrews 4:12 (BBE), usually quoted regarding the Bible, shows how he knows our every thought. "For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart".

But some folks will point out scriptures regarding the Judgement Day where Christ rewards folks who met the needs of the poor. This too is where Christ sees the motives of the genuinely-caring people verses the pretenders. Matthew 5:28 (BBE)shows how even our thoughts are wicked. "But I say to you that everyone whose eyes are turned on a woman with desire has had connection with her in his heart."

So we must realize that doing good to show off or gain points with God won't excuse us from punishment. I'll have to keep pointing this hard-to-swallow truth out in my book called You Think You're Going to Heaven. People don't want to admit this but we are all biased toward thinking good things about ourselves while ignoring our faults.

And speaking of wicked motives, my Saturday Song post will be about those who seek evidence of wrongdoing but even they do wrong things at times