Many people hold to the belief that people are basically good inside.
But the question should really be, "Am I good enough to get into heaven?"
How do you know?
You can find out by asking yourself if you've obeyed the Ten Commandments. Maybe you've broken one or two, but never murder or anything that serious. Here they are, one by one:
1. "You shall have no other gods before Me."
That means God doesn't get "second place" in your life. Have you always had Him in "first place?" First place is total devotion to Him and obeying His commandments. Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love for anything or anyone else is like hatred compared to God. Have you ever failed to put Him first?
2. "You shall not make for yourself any idol."
Who is God to you? Is your god a god of love and mercy who would never send anyone to hell? Then you're right. Your god is just that. But your god is not the God of the Bible, and when you do not serve the God of the Bible, the Bible calls that idolatry. That's the oldest sin in the Book, and the Bible says idolaters cannot enter heaven.
3. "You shall not take the name of God in vain."
Have you ever used the God's name as a curse word? If you have, you have taken the holy name of God -- who gave you your family and your life -- and used it like any other word. Hitler wasn't hated enough for his name to be used as a curse! The Bible says anyone who has used His name that way is a blasphemer, and "God will not hold him guiltless who takes the name of the Lord in vain."
4. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy."
God commands to set one day aside out of every seven. Have you ever not done so?
5. "Honor your father and your mother."
Have you always honored your parents in every situation?
6. "You shall not murder."
This was not only speaking of physical murder. Jesus warned, "Whoever is angry with his brother without cause, is in danger of the judgment" (Matthew 5:22). Thoughts, intentions, and attitudes are just as decisive in the eyes of God.
7. "You shall not commit adultery."
Jesus warned, "You have heard... 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Have you ever looked at another person with lust? The Bible says those who are adulterers and fornicators (those who have had sex before marriage) will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
8. "You shall not steal."
Have you ever stolen something (even if it was something small)? The value of the thing you stole is not important; petty theft is still theft. Have you ever stolen something that belonged to someone else (i.e. the office, school, your parents, etc.)? If so, that makes you a thief.
9. "You shall not lie."
Have you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar. How many murders to you have to commit to be considered a murderer? Just one. If you have told even one lie, then you are a liar. The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). You may not think deceitfulness is a serious sin, but God does.
10. "You shall not covet."
This means that you should never desire anything that belongs to another person. Not their house, nor their car, nor their money, nor their lifestyle, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The Bible says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
You have a conscience (con = with, science = knowledge), so you have sinned "with knowledge" that it was wrong.
Does this bother you at all, that you have angered God with your sin?
Maybe you think that because God is good, He will overlook your sin. But wait a second, if a judge turned a blind eye to a known murderer, would that make him a "good judge"?
God could never be a corrupt judge. He will punish all who sin - every person, and their due punishment is Hell.
But there is good news! To find out the rest, check out http://www.wayofthemaster.com/goodperson.shtml or
http://www.livingwaters.com/articles_growth.shtml
(This is the basis for future blogs. A recognition of what sin is will be imperative to understanding my worldview and where I am coming from.)
:idk:
I always like warm weather.
And I'm always being told that Christianity provides a better source for self-esteem...
"What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!"
H. P. Lovecraft
I've broken all of those. And I am a good person - yes, a genuinely good person.
I do not worship God because I don't know if he exists, and I don't know if he is the Christian god, the Jewish god, the Muslim god, or any number of other gods, goddesses, etc. I also refuse to worship a god who would send people to hell for being born into the wrong religion or choosing the wrong religion.
To "set aside" one day? What does that mean? I try and make each day special and "holy" to me. Does it matter if I do schoolwork or not on Saturday? Does it matter if I work (and I love my work) on Saturday? Does something like that deny me admission to heaven?
I respect my parents. However, I'm sure there have been times when I disrespected them... because they, too, are human, and they make mistakes, and they can be wrong. I don't treat them with disrespect, however. But I don't think children should always be obliged to treat their parents with respect. An abusive parent, for example, deserves no respect from his children. A person must earn respect, and that includes parents. I respect my parents because they provided me with food, shelter, and most importantly, love. I would not respect them if they were abusive towards me.
I have been angry. Mostly with cause, but a few times without, just because I felt irritated randomly (due to PMS or stress or whatever). I try not to act on my anger, but I have felt anger - so have everyone, it's an emotion that is not under our control. .So is lust. Yes, I have looked upon others with lust. So what? I have never used another being soley for selfish sexual desires, my thoughts are natural and hurt no one.
Have I stolen? Yes. Did the people I stole from ever even notice the item was gone? No. Did it hurt them in any way? No. Do I deserve to go to hell for that? No.
Sure, I lied. Today I told my mother that I'm seeing the doctor tomorrow, even though I'm not seeing the doctor for another two weeks. I told her this lie so she wouldn't worry about me. Should I go to hell for that?
Coveting? Certainly I covet. I admire my roommate's printer. It is a handy little machine and I use it quite often and would love to have one of my own. Now explain, please, how this is harmful to me or her or anyone else, and why I should burn in hell for this?
What a cruel, cruel god you have. I pity you.
The Ten Commandments (The Law) was not written to be a set of rules to follow or a way to heaven.
It was written to show us our need for a Savior... that there is no way we can be good enough on our own. Righteousness (being holy/set apart/"worthy" of heaven) does not come by The Law, because if it did, Christ died for nothing. (Gal. 2:21)
The ten commandments are the big 'uns in Hebrew law, actually.
"What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!"
H. P. Lovecraft
You're contradicting yourself. You posted: "But the question should really be, "Am I good enough to get into heaven?"
How do you know?
You can find out by asking yourself if you've obeyed the Ten Commandments."
Nope, no contradiction at all. When you look at the Ten Commandments, there is no way in this world anyone could keep/have kept every law. That's why it shows us our sin and the resolution to that sin problem - a Savior.
Then why did God send billions and billions of people to hell before sending this "savior" (who seems pretty stupid to me - how is some kid in Africa supposed to know of the "Savior"? Why should a Muslim kid believe in him?)? Why not have simply written the ten commandments in a better way?
The Ten Commandments are based off of Natural Laws which are, do all that you have agreed to do, and do not encroach on other people or their property. If God wrote this then it begs to ask the question, why didn't he write out the two Natural Laws? It would have been shorter and covered what the Ten Commandments covered and then some. Either God believe his creation is stupid, the ten commandments never really existed, or they were created by men. I find is far more likely for the last two reasons to be the right ones.
It also doesn't answer the question if humans are genuinely good. From an economic standpoint, we're only good when an incentive is involved because homo sapien is a selfish animal.
Ah, people more cynical than I. :dances:
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
Haha, here at Cynical R Us you'll find loads of other people to keep with you at all times to make yourself seem less cynical. Only at Cynical R Us. :))
:)) heh heh. Shop Cynics are us. We help you feel better about your perspective by offering the finest batch of jaded, depressed cynics.
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
:))
Ah, I love it.
Meuchandising!
Cynics, the flamethrower!
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
I love posts such as these. They just make your soul come out and alive. All people have a place in their hearts for posts such as these and we must thank people such as you for writing them.