The Baddest Man on the Planet

        One of the things I’m often told when I share that I’m a Christian is that it must come easy for me because I’m a “good person.” People say, “Well that’s because you’re such a good and innocent kid.” Or, “It’s easy for you because being a Christian matches your personality.” Naturally, it comes as a surprise when I tell them I’m actually the baddest man on the planet.  And, because we’re all sinners, they’re just as guilty as I am.

        By society’s standards, many of us are nice people. We don’t steal, kill, or abuse others. Some of you may even recycle and eat all your vegetables. But if you’ve ever told a white lie or had an impure/malicious thought, you’re a sinner too. In fact, God’s word says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). I’m also a part of this group. The Apostle Paul referred to himself as the “Chief of Sinners,” but he never met me. Christianity, then, isn’t just for us good kids or for the nice people. Christianity is for us all because we’re all sinners in need of a savior.

        But couldn’t we just behave more than we sin and earn salvation? God’s answer is no. The Bible clearly states that no one comes to the Father (i.e. comes to salvation) except through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Our acts of goodness, kindness, and other forms of righteousness are, and will be, overshadowed by our sin nature (Isaiah 64:6). We cannot save ourselves through our own good works but only through accepting God’s free gift of salvation. Ephesians 2:8,9 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” We all need someone to bear our sins, and the only One who can do that is someone who lived a sinless life: Jesus Christ. Jesus bore our sins and took on the penalty of death for us sinners, making us righteous before God the Father!

        God has revealed this truth to us through His word, the Bible – a collection of 66 books written over a span of some 1500 years by over 40 authors who share and/or reinforce the message of salvation through Christ alone. Many of these books were written during the lifetime of eyewitnesses who knew Jesus Christ personally, heard His claims, saw Him crucified, and then resurrected from the tomb.

        There’s no big secret involved. The only good thing about Christians is the Master they serve, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you see a well-behaved Christian, it’s not to earn a spot in heaven; it is (or should be) because God is working in the heart of that individual and it honors the Lord when one keeps His commandments.

 

Author: Milton Aguilar