In God's Eyes...
Why do nice people need God? Some people think that as long as a person lives a good life, sacrifices of themselves for the benefit of others, etc. there is no good reason why they should not go to heaven. Ages ago, I read the tract "Must nice people repent?" Well, obviously the problem was that they hadn't repented of their sins.... but, what does it really mean to repent of one's sins? I think back then I missed the boat when it came to realizing what about "nice people" God really didn't like.
Because I was human, I knew I needed to confess my sins like everyone else. I accepted it as head knowledge but really didn't believe that there was much wrong with me. I was a nice person (hurumph - that's what I thought back then!) who also confessed my sins (thereby providing some self-atonement to "make up for" my missteps). I thought I had it pretty much together, especially compared to everyone else out there (including other Christians). I didn't understand the heart change Christians should aim for.
Maybe the attitude about a "good person" being just fine comes from a "works religion" viewpoint. If it is the works themselves that save you, why does it matter whether you believe in God or not? The works could (in strict theory, and only as relates to the tangible things of life) have a very similar effect on the lives of others.
I suppose I used to view (and probably still do to some extent) my life from a works perspective (as a balance between the good and the bad deeds committed, with my confessions helping to "atone" for my sins). With that analysis, it was sort of logical for me to have regarded myself favorably. No wonder I had trouble recognizing myself as a sinner in need of God.
Works do nothing for the doer unless they are coupled to faith - and then it is not really the works that are beneficial to one's salvation, but rather the works are the manifestation of a heart after God. The motivation for living and the works that compose life are different for the Christian vs the non-Christian. Christians should do good deeds out of their true love for God and others, while non-Christians (speaking quite generally, because to be more specific I think there are non-Christians who are seeking God's ways and therefore would fall into the Christian motivation category) do not derive motivation from a focus on God.
One's motivation for life shows up in their thought life. How do I think of myself in relation to God? Do I view Him as the be all and end all, the main reason for my existence? Or do I feel self-sufficient and self-made? How do I compare myself to others?
God wants more than "nice people."
He wants a self-less, humble person with a heart after him; one who truely recognizes that without God he is nothing; one who honestly sees his purpose in life as consisting of loving God and others and whatever issues from those character traits.
Because I was human, I knew I needed to confess my sins like everyone else. I accepted it as head knowledge but really didn't believe that there was much wrong with me. I was a nice person (hurumph - that's what I thought back then!) who also confessed my sins (thereby providing some self-atonement to "make up for" my missteps). I thought I had it pretty much together, especially compared to everyone else out there (including other Christians). I didn't understand the heart change Christians should aim for.
Maybe the attitude about a "good person" being just fine comes from a "works religion" viewpoint. If it is the works themselves that save you, why does it matter whether you believe in God or not? The works could (in strict theory, and only as relates to the tangible things of life) have a very similar effect on the lives of others.
I suppose I used to view (and probably still do to some extent) my life from a works perspective (as a balance between the good and the bad deeds committed, with my confessions helping to "atone" for my sins). With that analysis, it was sort of logical for me to have regarded myself favorably. No wonder I had trouble recognizing myself as a sinner in need of God.
Works do nothing for the doer unless they are coupled to faith - and then it is not really the works that are beneficial to one's salvation, but rather the works are the manifestation of a heart after God. The motivation for living and the works that compose life are different for the Christian vs the non-Christian. Christians should do good deeds out of their true love for God and others, while non-Christians (speaking quite generally, because to be more specific I think there are non-Christians who are seeking God's ways and therefore would fall into the Christian motivation category) do not derive motivation from a focus on God.
One's motivation for life shows up in their thought life. How do I think of myself in relation to God? Do I view Him as the be all and end all, the main reason for my existence? Or do I feel self-sufficient and self-made? How do I compare myself to others?
God wants more than "nice people."
He wants a self-less, humble person with a heart after him; one who truely recognizes that without God he is nothing; one who honestly sees his purpose in life as consisting of loving God and others and whatever issues from those character traits.
posted by Claire at 16:52
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