Are You A Good Person?

Are you a good person? Be honest with yourself! The other day as I was driving home, this passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans popped into my mind: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate …And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway”. (R omans 7:15, 18-19 NLT). Ouch – that hurts! Really, nothing good lives in me? – Well, I have to admit – NO, nothing good lives in me – especially driving home from work, after a long day. I have mean thoughts about the people I share the road with (and I call myself a Christian – ha); but I do have those thoughts. Paul said it is “our sinful nature” and how true those words are. I really want to be good (and do good), but I just can’t.
Do I have to depend on my own ‘goodness’ to spend Eternity in heaven? Not if I put my trust and faith in Christ and believe that He died for my past sins and the sins I will still commit in the future. WOW – that is cool (I really can’t stand the thought of spending Eternity in hell, but than again AZ in the summer is not too much different – just kidding).
God promises in John 3:16 (NLT): “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (now you know what those signs at sports events mean).
So – don’t try to be ‘good’, because you just can’t; but you can be nice to others.