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

Saturday Song: Kraftwerk, "Sex Object"

We certainly live in a sex-obsessed world. From advertising to television, we can't escape seeing women and men being objectified.

Kraftwerk is one band which commented on this tendency of people to turn others into objects of their lust. This isn't love but inordinate desire.

Hear the song here.

I love Job's answer to the matter of prurient appetites. In Job 31:1 (KJV), he declared, "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?"

Some people in Christ's time figured that as long as they never committed adultery with a woman, they were righteous. In Matthew 5:28 (KJV) Jesus explained, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Men are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Ephesians 5:28 (KJV) leaves no room for wandering affections. "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself."

And though this verse is awkwardly phrased in the King James version, Song of Solomon 2:7  (KJV warns against sex before the age of maturity. "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please." Newer versions render "he" as "it."

This is why Christianity is superior to other belief systems. Women and men are equal, though they have different roles.

On Monday, I'll explain how Christianity cures guilt. So many earnest folks figure just doing some sort of ritual will cleanse them of past sins.

Saturday Song: Cher, "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves"

People certainly can be hypocritical about outward appearances. They claim they'd never do this or that but those folks secretly indulge themselves in what they despise in others.

The end of the chorus of this song says it all. The people of the town called that traveling show "Gypsies, tramps, and thieves" with enormous smugness and self-righteous pride. But after sunset, all the men would come around and lay their money down.

Listen to the song here.

But Romans 2:1  (BBE) shows ) that self-righteous people often project their sins onto others. Paul wrote, "So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things."

In the previous chapter of Romans, Paul outlined how humanity sank into immorality. He knew that there would be people patting themselves on their backs because they never did any of the sinful things he listed.

But Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 (KJV), "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

All sin comes from the human heart. Doing external deeds such as not stealing or murdering looks good to people but all evil actions begin inside of us. Check out what Scripture says in James 1:13-15 (KJV). "Let no man say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted of God:' for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

So, how do we avoid the trap of sin? Paul answers that in Galatians 5:16 (KJV). "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

How wonderful it is that we have the power from God to avoid the snares Satan sets up for us. We need not give in to sin because we think we have to make our lives livable.

On Monday, I'll deal with the confusion some Muslims have about our Bible containing four accounts of Christ's life.

Saturday Song, David Bowie, God Knows I'm Good

This song is so convicting for anybody who still has a conscience. The shoplifter hopes God will cut her a break since she's so poor and the "national concern" has so much money. "God may look the other way today," she tells herself.

Hear "God Knows I'm Good" here

But God knows what's going on. Nobody can fool him. Worse yet, people professing to be Christians act just like the woman in this song. They say they never murdered anybody and they never robbed a bank. This is most likely true but the Lord still can't be fooled.

What many Christians don't realize is that God judges the thoughts of people. Jesus explained this in his Sermon on the Mount regarding murder. Even anger is akin to murder. Matthew 5:22 (KJV) quotes Christ's statement, "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

The same goes for inappropriate desires. A man can claim to have never sexually assaulted a woman but look at what Christ said in Matthew 5:28 (KJV). "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

So, what do you think? Are you really a good person or have you wished that some jerk would drop dead? Have you secretly envied those folks with more money? If you wish to, please leave a comment on this subject in the comments box. If not, have a wonderful weekend anyway.

What Is Love?

Continuing on with the topic of same-sex attraction, I need to address what love really is. Many folks claim that love validates whichever kind of relationship they're in. Does it? And what do they mean by love?

I've heard people say so often that they're in a committed relationship with their partner. They point out one or two same-sex pseudo-marriages which are working out while ignoring divorces of same-sex partners.  If sodomite partnerships are so wonderful, why are many seeking a divorce?

What people continually ignore is that love is a verb. Just read what Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthian church, chapter thirteen, and you'll see how love is always expressed in selfless actions.

What people call love is really lust. They might claim to admire somebody but they only want their own pleasure cravings met. Look at what Christ said in Matthew 5:28 (KJV) "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Same-sex partners might even believe that they love each other but not according to what God calls love. Leading anybody into sin and justifying it is evil. This is why we Christians warn sinners, including same-sex partners, to flee fornication. We hate sin but we care about sinners and want them to be rescued from hell before it's too late.

I want to warn all who sin to yield their lives to Christ and follow him. That's why I'm working on a book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? I don't even want my worst enemy to end up in hell. Its horror is unimaginable and eternal.