Are you a good person?

Four things you need to know about God

by Ray Comfort

God is holy and just

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before you." (Psalm 89:14)

In civil law, a good judge must punish crimes. If he turns a blind eye to injustice, then he is corrupt and he himself should be punished. During a decade in the United States, 100,000 murderers were never brought to justice. These are unsolved crimes. If God turns a blind eye to these murderers, then His nature is corrupt. It stands to reason that if he is good and just, he should be angry at those who take the lives of others, and should punish murderers, rapists, etc. This is the teaching of the Bible—God never acquits the sinful. He will judge every work, even every thing that is hidden, whether it be good or evil. God's wrath is daily against the wicked.

His Word says, "The wages of sin is death"

"Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)

Let's take a brief look at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) to see if we are keeping God's law:

• Let no other gods be before me
• Thou shalt not carve an idol for thyself
• Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain
• Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy
• Honor your parents
• Thou shalt not kill
• Thou shalt not commit adultery
• Thou shalt not steal
• Thou shalt not bear false witness against others
• Thou shalt not covet the things of others
  

Before we say we keep the commandments, this is what a man would look like if he kept the law—he would love God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love his neighbor as himself. He never made a god fit for himself in his hands or in his heart. He always honored God's name, kept the Sabbath day holy, honored his parents with all his heart, and never became angry with his brothers without cause. He never hated anyone, had lustful thoughts in his heart, or had sexual inappropriateness. He never stole a paper clip or ballpoint pen, never said even a "white" lie, and never even longed for anything that belonged to someone else. He was always "pure in heart," with perfect thoughts, words, and deeds. The truth is, we're not like that. We have all "sinned" many times, and as a result we have accumulated God's wrath that will be revealed on Judgment Day. The proof of our sin will be our death, and after that we must face God's judgment. Think about it—if He saw every thought, word, and deed of us, and He was going to expose all of our sins as evidence of our guilt on Judgment Day, we would all be found guilty. Our conscience has shown us right and wrong; We will have no excuses. God will give us justice, and hell will be the place of eternal punishment for us. "For there is nothing that is concealed that is not revealed; There is nothing hidden that will not be known."

God has compassion for all who call on Him

"Nevertheless, God is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us" (Ephesians 2:4)

There was once a young man who borrowed a fast car and traveled through his hometown at 120 mph while drunk. Since everything is a horse-drawn carriage in his country town, there are no speeding laws. So the City Council enacted a law that made 30 miles per hour the maximum speed, and anyone who violated it would be fined $100 for every 1 mile overspeeded. When he returned to town, he decided to play one more trick like this. He was caught, tried, and convicted by his father, the only judge in town. He was fined $9,000 and the young man was taken away and jailed because he had no money and no defense. As he sat behind the bars in despair, his father appeared at the door and told him that he had sold all his precious possessions and paid the fine for him. The son couldn't believe that his father loved him so much. They hugged each other tightly like never before, and walked out of prison in a new relationship, connected by love. This is a picture that God has made for us through the gospel. We have all broken God's law many times, but God came into the world as Jesus Christ and paid a fine - "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life." The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Jesus satisfied eternal righteousness and then rose from the dead to conquer death. Hundreds of people have seen Him after His resurrection; This is not a fairy tale. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about the promised Savior, which were written in the Bible hundreds of years before He was born. But just as we cannot earn gifts by good works, we cannot earn eternal life by good works—"For by grace ye are saved, and by faith; It is not of oneself, but of God; nor by works, lest any man boast."

God provides eternal life through Jesus Christ

"He that hearkeneth unto me, and believes in him who sent me, hath eternal life, and shall not be condemned, but hath passed from death to life." (John 5:24)

The greatest mystery of life, death, was destroyed by the One who said that I am the way, the truth, and the life. The Bible says, "And with the Son there was life." To find the way to God, to understand the truth in God's Word, to receive the gift of eternal life, you can begin repentance and faith through the following prayer: "Dear God, I understand that I have broken your law and sinned against you. Please forgive me for my sins. Thank you for allowing Jesus to suffer and die on the cross in my place and be resurrected. I trust Him now to be my Savior and Lord. Pray in Jesus' name. Amen." If you have repented and trusted Jesus, then your sins have been forgiven, and you can now participate in the blessings of the New Testament. Here are ten of God's great and precious promises:

• You have risen from the dead into life (John 5:24).
• God will provide for all your needs according to His abundance (Philippians 4:19).
• Jesus will be with you in your trials, promising never to forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
• The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth and give you the strength to live a holy life (John 16:13).
• You have been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ – God has turned your sin as far away as the east from the west (Psalm 103:12).
• As you dwell in Christ, you will see the manifestation of His spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-25).
• When you read the Bible daily, it will become alive and grow in your faith (I Peter 2:1-3).
• When you pray, God hears and answers your prayers (I John 5:15).
• The cross will be an ongoing proof of God's love for you (Romans 5:8).
• God "is able to keep you from stumbling, and to stand before his glory with blemish and joy" (Jude 1:24).

Search the Bible daily to see what God has in store for those who love Him. Follow Christ's command to be baptized, find a Jesus-centered, Bible-teaching church and commit to it. May God continue to bless you as you obey Him.