Being a "good person"

This post may be somewhat contraversial, but know my heart - we're not here to make friends - Jesus was the most contraversial man on earth!

Often my dad says to me, "As long as you're a good person...", but this is not what God says: Isaiah 64:5. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. Obeying the law of Jesus is not righteous. Then the righteousness of God is in his law, but it is not revealed to men by the law. Romans 1:16-17, the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel to men, and not in the law. It is in the law, but it is not revealed there to us because we are sinners, and sin has so darkened our mind that we can not see it there, and therefore our vision has to beenlightened by some other means, which is the gospel, where we must seek for it, Romans 3:21. The righteousness of God is made known without the law. How? By faith in Jesus Christ, through the gospel, and not by the law.*

The only way we can be seen righteous is through Jesus Christ! In Zech. 3:1-8. Here we have Joshua standing clothed in his own righteousness and Christ takes it off and clothes him with the righteousness of God. Now Joshua had been doing the best he could, but would he have been saved? No. How often we hear people say "I do the best I can," and believe they will be saved. Joshua was reclothed and was to stand with the angels. If then our righteousness is all taken away and Christ clothes us with God's righteousness, then to walk in his law, we will stand with the angels.

God will show us our sins, take it as a blessing because he wants to save us. It is a token of His love for us when sin is made known. Because our Saviour wants to take it away. He wants us to to believe in Him and be saved. Matthew 5:6. Are there not many here who hunger and thirst for righteousness?

*Italics are excerpts from a sermon by A.T. Jones (http://www.shepherds-rod.org/1888/1889sor1.htm)