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February 28, 2010
Good Enough...Isn't!
by Paul Pryor
Do you know what is the most popular religion in America? It is the religion of "good enough," or the religion of morality. Many believe that all a person must do to be acceptable to God, and be saved, is to just live a good moral life. You know the drill--don't lie, cheat and steal. Don't murder, rape and pillage or do anything really bad. As long as you are a decent person and live a decent life, then you'll be just fine. You don't really need any of that "stuff they talk about in church." As in many things the world presents to us as being true, nothing could be a bigger lie. There is a good example in the New Testament of someone who was a good moral person. As a matter of fact, I don't know too many today who could measure up to this fellow's "goodness". His name is Cornelius and we read of him in Acts Chapter Ten.
Certainly it is the case that if any man could have gone to heaven by simply being a good moral person, it was Cornelius (Acts 10:1-2, 22). As we read further into the chapter, however, this was not the case. In verse 22 we learn that he is warned by an angel from God to send men to Joppa to call for Simon Peter who would give him the true message of salvation. Surely this could not be so! Is there some sort of mistake? How could such a good man be lost? How could it be that he needs to hear a message of salvation since he is already such a good man? The true fact is, man is condemned by his sins and no amount or degree of good moral living will save him. He needs the grace of God presented in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1:16; Eph. 2:8-9).
We find in our text that there are two things necessary for Cornelius' salvation. First, he needs to hear the message of salvation. Second, there is something he must do (Acts 10:5-6). Peter needed to come to Cornelius and preach the gospel and Cornelius needed to hear and heed (obey:) the gospel. Apart from these two things, Cornelius had no hope. All of his good deeds would not earn him any "points" to merit salvation.
Just as Cornelius could not be saved by simply being a "good moral person" neither can we. God has done His part. He gave His only begotten Son so that we might be saved. Will we do our part by hearing, believing, and obeying?
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