But you don't know how bad I've been!

I am not good enough. You don't know how bad I have been. I have sinned to much! Have you ever heard this statement or might you have said it yourself at one time or the other? Do I have good news for you! You are right, you are not good enough, you have been bad and you have sinned. You are not alone so are the Pastor,Deacon, Teacher, Prophet and every person in the congregation. Romans 3:10 tells us, 'there is none righteous, no not one. This scripture led me to one in the Old Testament that confirms the New Testament scripture.<Ecclesiastes 7: 20> For there is not a just man on the earth who does good and does not sin. When I first read this scripture  I misunderstood it and thought 'there are many people who do good works.' But then I reread it and understood that it was saying there are good people who do good works but they still sin. So good behavior and good deeds does not make us good enough for God. <Romans 3:23> says for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
  This being the case how do we get good enough to make Heaven our home? <Romans 3:23> tells us we are justified freely by His grace, through redemption that is in JESUS CHRIST. It is only through Him, Jesus, that we are made right. Not our own works, not are cleaning ourselves up  are we made right but through Jesus. We feel like that if we grit our teeth and follow rules that we will be good enough. The only problem with that is we can only be 'good' so long and then it blows up in our face and then we are no longer good. Gal. 2:21 states, ' I do not set aside the grace of God for if righteousness comes through law(following rules in the flesh) then Christ died in vain.' It is very clear that we are all, NOT good enough. It is only through the grace of God through Jesus Christ that we are made acceptable. <John 1:12> Tells us how we are made acceptable- But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the RIGHT to become children of God, to those who believe on His name. It becomes quite clear that when we make Jesus our savior and Lord we are made good and acceptable. But I have sinned so much, I have done to much-<Is.1 :18>" Come now,and let us reason together," says the Lord, " though you sin are like scarlet, they SHALL be white as snow"
  SO the truth of the matter is this-we in and of ourselves can NEVER be good enough. BUT, In Jesus we are made pure and clean.  In closing, WE CAN NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH TO OBTAIN GOD BUT, WHEN WE OBTAIN JESUS AND HIS GRACE WE BECOME GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE THROUGH, BY AND IN HIM.