Are you good enough?

I've had the opportunity to have many conversations with many different people about being good enough for God.  It's amazing that so many people in our world believe that we have to BE good and DO right to get in with God.  But the truth of the matter is scripture is pretty clear on this issue.  There are two verses that come to mind here - it's not what's on the outside that makes a man clean and what God has made clean man has no right to declare unclean. 

In Acts 10, Peter is summoned to the house of a man named Cornelius.  He was one of them, and by that I mean a Gentile, not a Jew, not one of the chosen ones, potentially not good enough.  God called Peter to go to him and eat with him and to bring them the message of the gospel.  Ultimately the people in his house were baptized.  This is all pretty big news.

But what is it that makes us right with God?  I mean what is it that makes God accept us and love us and welcome us into his heaven?

Our good deeds? - pretty sure it's not that because the bible says that we are saved apart from works so that no man can boast in his own accomplishments.  Then what about in a special prayer or some series of specifically assembled words?  - pretty sure it's not that either because isn't that about us too.  Is it some form of washing or cleaning of oneself?  the rite of baptism? church attendance? eating the right foods? being of the right political persuasion? attending the right church denomination?

While all of these are not bad in and of themselves, the scriptures are pretty clear from my perspective that they all fall short.  Not any one of these things will make us good enough for God.  The bible demands absolute perfection, no exceptions.  Nothing can come in the way of our perfection.  If you've ever done anything that isn't completely right.  Even if you've erred oh so slightly just one time in your life, then you're just not good enough.  And honestly, none of us are good enough.  Even better that's not even the point of the bible.

The bible isn't about being, doing, working good or hard enough.  It's not about assembling all the right works and saying all the right prayers.  The life of the Christian is about living the "God did enough" life.  Scripture says that God paid the price for our wrongs.  He removed our sins (errors, misdeeds, wrongs) from us as far as the east is from the west.  When Peter met Cornelius and began to realize what God had been telling him, he realized that God didn't show favoritism based on how long we've known him, or how good we are, or what race we belong to, or even what church we attend.

God is 100% gracious - he gives us the great things that we simply don't deserve.  He did everything for us so that we don't have to do anything.  We simply don't reject it.  So today, be good but not perfect.  Help people, but if you miss an opportunity it's ok.  Today just live the life that says God did enough and have a great day in the Lord.

Jesus today we need to know that you were enough.  Reassure us of your presence and the power of your life, death, and resurrection.  Amen.