Take this five question quiz and evaluate your moral character.
Have you ever been unreasonably angry at someone?
Have you ever looked at someone with lust in your heart?
Have you ever used swear words?
Have you ever lied?
Have you ever stolen anything, regardless of value?
If you’re honest with yourself, you will likely answer yes to all five questions. Does this make you a bad person? Who said so?
Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 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, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”(Matthew 5:21,22)
Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”(Matthew 5:27-29)
Jesus said, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all . . . But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”(Matthew 5:33,34,37)
Jesus said, “. . . all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal . . .”( Matthew 19:18)
If I tell a lie, what does that make me? – A liar.
If I look on someone with lust, what does that make me? – An adulterer.
If I steal , what does that make me? – A thief.
Say I take a 100 mile trip. If I drive the first 95 miles at the speed limit and the last 5 miles at 100 mph, am I a speeder? What if I only speed for the very first or the very last mile? Am I a speeder? If I am caught and ticketed, will it be a defense that I drove the speed limit most of the time?
So, according to the Bible, does committing these acts make you a bad person? It makes you a sinner. Perhaps you are not as bad as you could be or as bad as someone else you can think of, but we are all guilty of moral failure. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: . . .For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:10,23) “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (Mark 10;18)
But, some say, God is good and He will overlook my sins. This very thing that some men count on for their eternal destiny is the thing that will condemn them. If a judge was in the habit of overlooking crimes that came before his bench he would not be a good judge. A good judge judges righteously. “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness. . .”(Acts 17:31) “The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: . . .The wicked shall be turned into hell. . .” (Psalm 9:16,17)
The bad news is that no one is good, except God. The good news is that there are no good people going to heaven, only former sinners who have been saved by trusting in God’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John the baptist speaking of Jesus, John 1:29) “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [i.e. crucified] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”(Jesus Christ speaking of himself, John 3:14-15)