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For many people, even Christians, and even those who know that salvation is by faith, there are nagging doubts – am I good enough? Will God accept me?

Usually that means questions like, have I done enough good works, have I pleased God enough, have I kept the commandments. The Bible calls these kind of things works of the law or keeping the law. The Bible also call these good works, and they are encouraged.

What is not encouraged to do is to depend on your goodness for your salvation. Or to keep your salvation. Or to go thorough works to gain favor with God, or to stay to God.

Once having become a child of God by faith, you don’t remain a child of God by keeping commandments or good works. You draw close to God by faith, in your spirit, not by your works. Sure, works may follow, but that’s not to stay close to God. That will flow because you are close to God. Ever know someone who does good things, but their heart is not right?  An outward show to convince themselves and you they are a good person. But their heart is not there. Yeah, don’t be that person! That is not what God wants.

Sometimes we lay heavy burdens on ourselves, or others lay heavy burdens on us. ‘I should do this..’ You need to do more…’ ‘You’ve got to…’

Improvement is not bad. But DON’T base your relation with God on trying to show Him you are good.

When we start walking with Jesus in the Spirit, we don’t then switch over and try to keep walking with Him by following the law. He set us free. Free to enjoy fellowship with Him.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” – Romans 8:1

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. – John 14: 5-6

Thomas asked Jesus a very important question? How can we know the way?

Our society (indeed, the human nature) does not like absolutes. Our human nature wants many ways. Each person make up their own way, whatever they want, whatever they think, that’s the way it is.

They are offended when they are told that God has a way. They are highly offended, maybe even outraged, when they are told that Jesus said He is the way.

It goes against those who claim to be tolerant. The anything goes crowd. The only thing that they won’t accept is someone who believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They will ridicule you, persecute you, seek to minimize you, even hope for your destruction.

What we end up with is a world of confusion. No values. No right and wrong, and won’t tolerate anyone saying there is right and wrong. We insist schools call wrong right and right wrong. We elect politicians who appease our sense of anything goes. We go to churches who don’t take a stand against anything. All this, and then when crime is out of control, these same people act surprised, as if they don’t know why.

Fortunately, Jesus is the solution. There is no confusion with God. It has always been settled for eternity. Jesus is the way. His atoning (pay for) sacrifice has paid for your salvation. Forever.

Not only did Jesus say, I am the way. He also is the truth. And the life. We can trust Him for everything.

Faithfulness has many aspects. Faithful in bad times: do you trust God when all looks hopeless? Faithful in good times: when everything is going well do you seek God?

Faithfulness to God is important. Faithfulness of God is important.

Faithfulness means:
– steadfast in affection or allegiance;
– firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty;
– given with strong assurance;
– true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original

The scriptures proclaim of God:
– Great is thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23)
– Thy faithfulness is unto all generations (Psalms 119:90)f
– I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Heb. 13:5)

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. (Psalm 36:5)

Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

God will be true to you. He will keep His word, no matter what.

There are times when each of us fails God. Times when we do not live like we trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, and that we are children of God.

We sin when we know it’s sin, we don’t do our best, we misunderstand and react, we allow ourselves to embrace self-righteous. We give in to thoughts of angry, hatred, or envy.

Many will go to church services, put on a smile, keep up appearances of pure righteousness. We all know that’s not the case, but it makes us, and everyone, feel more comfortable.

Maybe sins are open and public, everyone knows about them, they can’t be hidden, people and look down in self-righteous and condemn the sinner.

What about times when you fail God, and you know it and everyone else knows it? What about times when you habitually fail God? Some Christian leaders will scoff and say that you are ‘not a real Christian’ or ‘have never been a real Christian’. Seems like that’s an easy way to avoid the problem of Christians wrestling with sin.

Don’t give up. Don’t turn from God, or diminish your passion for loving God because you fail Him. Don’t let other people’s opinion of you convince you that you don’t belong to God. Everyone may say or think that you are not worthy. It’s true. None of us are worthy. Neither you nor them. If a single person could be worthy, Christ would not have died to atone for our sins. His sacrifice was required because we are not worthy.

Yet God, in His infinite unsearchable nature, loved you and gave His only begotten Son for you. It’s not you are so great, it’s that God is so great.

Unworthy. Unworthy. Yet God has counted you worthy through the blood of Christ at the Cavalry.

Christ was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  

The scriptures contain an account of Peter asking Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. Peter asked should he for forgiven someone who transgresses against him (against Peter) as much as seven times. Jesus replies that he should forgive more than that – even seventy times seven! The implication is that Peter should forgive a limitless number of times. God is perfect. If He expects us to forgive a limitless number of times, then our great God is willing to forgive a limitless number of times.

Don’t let what other people think keep you from God. Cling to Him. God will never abandon you.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. – Isaiah 41:10

Romans 8:28

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

That Bible verse is an amazing bold promise.

For everyone who has ever lived, bad things have happened. If we were to list all the bad thing that could happen, it would be an almost endless list. If you listed bad things that have happened to people you know, it would be a very long list. If you list bad things that have happened to you, it would be a very painful list.  

This verse does not mean that everything that happens is good. No. Everything is not good. This world is not heaven. We live in a fallen world, full of sin, evil, sickness, disease, disappointments.

It means that even in those worst of circumstances, God is going to take them and work it out to be something good for you. It may be different than what you had hoped for. In the long term, God will work it for something good for you.

Love God. Ask God to work all things together for your good. Trust Him with your circumstances. Trust Him with your life.

“For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.” – I Samuel 12:22

This scripture teaches us that God will not leave his people. When you become a child of God, He will not abandon you.

This gives great comfort because often people do abandon us. Maybe we do something, maybe we sin, maybe we fail, maybe someone is just disappointed in us and decides to have nothing to do with us. Maybe they didn’t really care about us. Perhaps they were just with us for their own benefit.

Sometimes they abandon us as a way to punish us, a what to control us, a why to show they have power over us. Sometimes they just don’t care. Sometimes they just can’t help it, they are struggling with their own demons.

It hurts to feel abandoned, forsaken, left alone.

Why is it that God will not forsake you? Is it because you are good? You never sin? You never make mistakes? You never disappoint?

No. His staying with you is not dependent on you at all. It is because of who He is, “for his great name’s sake”. It shows His greatness and pure nature. The great joy, the great beauty of it is that it is not dependent on you at all. You never have to wonder about it, you never have to worry about it.

The Lord will not forsake His people.

Pause and recognize that everything you have come from God.

All your possessions, every single one of them, has been given from God.

The health you have to earn a living and do things, the opportunities you have had to achieve things and get possessions, the people around you, the beautiful things in nature.

Everything you have came from God.

“Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power,
and the glory,and the victory, and the majesty:
for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;
thine is the kingdom, O Lord,
and thou art exalted as head above all.

Both riches and honour come of thee,
and thou reignest over all;
and in thine hand is power and might;
and in thine hand it is to make great,
and to give strength unto all.

Now therefore, our God, we thank thee,
and praise thy glorious name.”
– I Chronicles 29:11-13

There are times when we all feel unappreciated. There are time when we don’t just feel unappreciated – there are times when we are unappreciated.

Don’t blame other people. They are certainly not perfect. Your employer, your coworkers, your parents, your spouse, your family, and your friends. They will all disappoint you, they will all at times fail to appreciate you.

Maybe you work hard at your job but are unappreciated. Others receive praise, but your work goes unnoticed. In these cases, remember your job is not who you are, it does not define you. God has given you a job to earn a living, to provide the things you need. He has not given you a job to define who you are.

We all like the to be praised, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s remember that we really seek the praise of God. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” – Colossians 3:23

There were those who put the praise from men above praise from God. ”For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” – John 12:43.

Remember to be grounded, not in what other people think or do, but in who you are in Christ. Live like someone who is valued by God. Because you are.

“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. – Revelations 21:27

No sin can enter heaven. Part of the glory of heaven is that there is no sin. No sin. No hatred, no envy, no jealousy, no greed, no sinful lust, no evil, no self-righteousness, no unkindness. Everyone there is seeking and rejoicing in your good, and you are seeking and rejoicing in the good of everyone there. There will be no hurt feeling, no misunderstandings, no time when you feel diminished, and no times when others even think of diminishing you.

Who would want to live in heaven if hatred, envy, greed, sinful lust, self-righteousness was allowed? It would not be a very good place to be.

No sin can ever enter heaven. No sin. Zero. Not one. If we have sin, we can’t enter. Who then can go to heaven? Will God just zap us before we enter heaven and make us sinless?

No. God has provided the solution for sin through the atonement for sin through Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – II Cor. 5:21

If you accept His gift of salvation, all of your sins are paid for and forgiven. Your past sins, your present sins, your future sins.

Your behavior is important to God. You are called to good works, to live righteously. But your salvation, your righteousness, is not dependent on yourself. It is dependent on God’s work.

Not your work but God’s work. You are not sinless, but God computes your sin as having been paid for, and you enter into His heaven washed, cleansed, spotless. You before God completely and totally glorious.

“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” – Ephesians 5:27

Heaven is a free gift. It is not earned or deserved.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Wages are something we earn through our actions, through what we do. Gifts are something we don’t earn or deserve.

I suppose if most of us were asked to devise a plan so that people get into heaven, we would start thinking about a merit system. You have to be good enough. Hmmm…now let’s see…just how good should you have to be…how many good works should you do, and for how long…is one act of goodness enough…or does it take a lifetime of goodness…is one sinful act enough to keep one out of heaven…or does it take a lifetime of sinful acts…could a person ever know if they were good enough to gain heaven?

But God’s ways are higher than our ways.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

– Ephesians 2:8-9

How can you have this free gifts?

“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” – Acts 16:30-31

God’s free gift of heaven is yours today when you have faith in Jesus Christ, accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.