What Good is Good Without Jesus?

“Jesus answered; I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (CEB)

I can’t recall the exact conversation, but Brooks and I were sitting on the back porch one morning and something was said about ‘being good’.  As I considered this for a minute, I thought well, what good is good without Jesus?  Being a good person, without having your life hidden in Jesus, is no good at all.  Many people are good people, but do not know and perhaps don’t have interest, in knowing Jesus as their Savior.  In the end, being good will cost those folks eternity with Christ.

Call me simple, but I believe, word for word the verse above.  There is only ONE way to heaven and that is by the blood of Jesus!  Just being a good person is not enough.  He is the ONLY way.  Romans 3:10 tells us, “There is no righteous person, not even one.” (CEB) and verse 23, a familiar verse to us all says this; “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” 

Does this seem harsh as we know God is love?  To the unbeliever, probably.  But here is a good answer to this thought:  Do all “good” people go to heaven? Since no one is good as defined by God, the answer is, “No.” Those who enter heaven do so not on the basis of merit, but on the basis of God's grace as bestowed by Jesus Christ. (www.focusonthefamily.com)

We cannot enter heaven based on our good deeds, our compassionate actions or helpful attitudes!  No!  It is only by the grace of God and our belief in Jesus Christ that we gain admittance through the gates of heaven. 

This next statement could be a whole devotion all its own, but for this purpose I’m not going to expound on it.  As works are concerned, yes, our works matter but they are the fruit of the Spirit, and we dare not depend on them for salvation.

So, what good is good without Jesus?  No good at all is my conclusion.  Just consider Paul’s statement here in Romans 7:18: “I know that good doesn’t live in me – that is, in my body.  The desire to do good is inside of me, but I can’t do it.”  (CEB) 

Apart from Christ our good is no good.  Without Him I am nothing and my good acts are of no account.  How true is this verse from the hymn, “Without Him”!  Use it as your prayer today.

Without Him I would be dying, Without Him I’d be enslaved, Without Him my life would be hopeless, But with Jesus thank God I’m saved!

Mylon Lefevre