I’m better than…(Jeffrey Dahmer or Hitler) s30e147 Ps 53

Oh, if we could just make it to heaven by comparison. One of the great offenses of the gospel is that none of us is "good enough". We all fall short. The Bible notes that everybody, even our own beloved mothers, don't earn heaven by being "good enough." 

So is God thwarted in His desire that none should perish? Nope. He makes a way thru Jesus that gives access to all to call on Him. Our "earning" is discarded for His accomplishment.  

Join me for 7 minutes to see if being "better than Hitler" is enough. 

https://youtu.be/wTO84eP0V4s

Transcript

I’m better than…(Jeffrey Dahlmer or Hitler) s30e147 Ps 53

We are tempted, as a group of people to stand  before God, point our finger at somebody who we judge as worse than us and declare: “I’m better than THAT guy.”

Let’s say that IS true, let’s say by many earthly measures you ARE a “goodperson,” at least compared to Hitler: You pay your taxes; you go to work, you don’t beat the dog, you don’t swear, you give a little to charity, you haven’t hit anybody in a couple of decades.

IF SO, You might be the most dangerous person in your country.

You would be tempted to say then, MY righteousness, MY goodness will get me all the way into heaven. If so, you would be a danger to YOURSELF. 

That doesn’t mean a low IQ, it means spiritual senselessness. It means you are a knucklehead.

Ps 56 talks about two kinds of people.  Fools and not-fools. The not-fools might be of more danger than the fools. For both groups, . God looks down from heaven, on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God

At least to His perfect, standard.

Are there any, fool or no, who are going to make it to heaven based on their purity, their lack of corruption, based on their goodness.

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES good, not even ONE. Ps53:3

Brothers and sisters this is a wake up call.

This is a warning, here it is: You are not good enough, by yourself to make it to heaven. King, pauper, environmentalist, doesn’t matter. 

God cares deeply about our behavior, our words, our thoughts. But are any of them enough to merit the achievement of paradise?

Can I earn my way into heaven? No.

OH, that the salvation for Israel would come out of zion! V.6

We look to rescue from One who will come 1000 years after this psalm.

            We look to the One who came 2000 years ago out of Zion.

Jesus is offensive.  He is the representative and the marker that indeed, no, you cannot make it on your merit. This IS THE OFFENSE of the gospel.

Another offense of the gospel is that you have misjudged yourself.

Bad people cannot make it on their merits.

“good” people, cannot make it on their merits.

Here is how God views your merits: There is none who does good. None who does good enough.. NOT EVEN ONE. How about billy Graham? Nope.  How about Warren Buffet. NO. Bezos? No. Elon musk? No. joel Olstein? No. Greta Thunberg? No. Your pastor or priest or imam? No. This one will hurt: How about your own sainted MOTHER? Is your own mother good enough for salv? 

Here is how God views all of them: there is none who does good to my standard. Not even one.

Think about this: if any single one of them were good enough to make it to heaven by their generosity or their accomplishments or even their LOVE, then JESUS died in VAIN. 

Then Jesus didn’t need to come. 

Then a savior could came from this world and not His world

So as God looks at the entire set of humanity does He throw up His hands and declare that He’s out of ideas? And this turned out beyond his capabilities?

No. The good Lord knows that we are dust. Psalm 103:14 

14    For he knows our frame; 

he remembers that we are dust. 

The dust just makes the salvation sweeter.

The good Lord knows that we sin. Remember when Adam and Eve sinnedand were hiding from God. It was exactly then, when God was walking in the garden in the cool of the day.  “Where are you Adam?” now at that moment, God KNEW exactly where Adam was. He knew where he was LITERLALYY . He knew where he was spiritually and relationally: that is, in big big trouble. God knew at that moment exactly where Adam was and what it would require to get him out of the mess he made with Eve. But somebody didn’t know “where he was”. When God asks a question there is always someone who doesn’t know the answer to that question, and that person NEVER is God. Who didn’t know where he was? Adam. He didn’t know how desperate his spiritual position was.

Similarly, in our psalm we cannot approach it pridefully:

     We must not say: at least I am not the BIG FOOL, the one who says flat out: THERE IS NO GOD. That is error #1

     We must also be very careful not to say, I’m GOOD ENOUGH. I’m better than Hitler. That is error #2

To God’s standard, perfection, Holy holy holy, without blemish, no you are not. This is why you need a savior. This is why I need a savior.

So here we stand with Adam, in the bushes, in the biggest of big trouble

And what do we find? God leaning in to help him and help us get on a rescueplan that would be fulfilled 1000’s of years later:

Jesus comes. Perfect sacrifice. Perfect life. Substitutional sacrifice. Pays all the penalties for us. V. 6 the salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

He didn’t leave you in the bushes when He judged you as fallen away, not good enough. He made a way thru Jesus. Come to Him today. Receive Him today. Ps 10:4niv: 4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; 

in all his thoughts there is no room for God. 

Make room. Make room for Him today.