Made New Daily Reflections

It’s often said amongst people today:

“I’m a good person, so I don’t think I should go to hell. There are worse people out there than me.”

Yea….Sorry to break it to you friend, but that’s a statement as empty and as devoid of truth as the Father of Lies who deceivingly convinced you of it.

In truth, by default I’m not a good person…and neither are you. The minute you were born you were born a cute little baby yes, but also born as a sinful creature destined for the pit of Sheol once you pass the age of accountability; devoid forever of the peaceful, loving, glowing presence of God. The same as me, and the same as the next guy or gal, evil dictator, or holy saint.

What?! Sucks right? Are you shocked about this? Feeling offended? I get it, but just wait and hear me out on this….

It’s not because God sought to make you this way. Quite the opposite. It’s because of the fall of the first man and woman who chose through free will to sin against God their creator, who is all good, pure and knows no sin.

You see, as mere reflections made in the image of God, there is no independent good or worthiness of glory within any of us humans. Any goodness or light that we do have emitting from us, is through God living within us. But one day, the first man and the first woman chose (and by extension we chose) to depart from his sight and turn to the self, embracing the sin of pride (just as Lucifer did). Therefore, a generational curse and sinful stain has been passed down throughout the human race, which set us on the path of fighting bitter, seemingly endless battles every single day – battles of the world and of the soul.

But MAN are we good at covering our eyes and looking at the shiny distractions around us that tell us all is well and nothing could possibly go wrong despite this base truth. We’re just here living. It’s all good. Uh-huh… yeah….kind of like the story of the unforeseen and tragic event of the Henry Clay. Specifically, the part after a minor incident, which preceded the ultimately major destructive fire, where the ship’s co-owner reportedly —assured passengers that they were in no danger and the ship’s clerk was reported to have said he “wished people would mind their own business.”—

I’m Severely Flawed. So Are You.

I am a Christian. However, by the grace of God I am humbled by Him daily to see that although I sometimes strive to be “good” in my own might and common definition of goodness or morality, I am inherently not a good person. When striving to be a “good” person by my own works and ego, I am just endlessly trying to climb up from the default foundation of my sinful nature without the the help of the truly good God.

Yes, I try to speak kind, encouraging words and scriptures to others, but I also swear like a sailor often and take the Lord’s name in vain when I’m mad (or happy). Yes, I try to be grateful and look on the bright side of life, but I also have passive suicidal ideations and suffer from bouts of deep depression, cursing the very breath He himself has lovingly given me. Yes, I volunteer for non-profits regularly in my own time and freely give toward charitable causes, but sometimes I also choose to mind my own business when walking past a stranger when I know it would be more generous and Christ-spirited to help someone in need. Yes, I am courteous and smiley toward others, but am still tempted to gossip with friends and take pleasure in slandering the names of those who have done ill to me like any other red-blooded person would, rather than praying the best for them instead.

So yeah, in conclusion…I suck.

The difference however, and I mean the only difference, between you and I as we talk today, is that although I am a sinner, I have hope because I acknowledge and have surrendered my sinful nature to God and his only begotten son. I have chosen to accept the free gift that Christ Jesus offered to me when he died on the cross at Calvary as a living sacrifice to cover my sins and wash me of my iniquities for eternity.

Titles of being Catholic or Christian or ‘spiritual’ or tapped into the universe or whatever, don’t save me from this. Trying to be a “good person” or improve my behavior doesn’t save me from this. Manifesting my ‘highest self consciousness’ doesn’t save me from this. Believing in the name of Jesus and what he did for me does.

Romans 3:23-26 King James Version (KJV)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

God sees me and can welcome me back into his Kingdom as his child on the day of judgement not because I am “good” or do “good things”, but because what he sees when he looks upon me is his son, Jesus, and the beloved creature to whom he is bound, which he sacrificed himself for to save.

Ephesians 2:8-10 Amplified Bible 

“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. 10For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].”

This free gift my friend, is also offered to you. No matter who you are, or what you have done. All you have to do is accept it.

“You Don’t Know What I’ve Done.”

I don’t know who you are or what you’ve done in your life, but Jesus does. Whether you acknowledge him or not, he knows you and he knows your story. And He died for you any way so that you could return to Him. No matter what you’ve done.

Contrary to common belief in our society, which has been deceptively and increasingly peddled to us by Satan’s accusations, ALL sin is equally condemnable in the sight of God.

Folks struggling with the sins of adultery, drunkenness, lust/porn, greed and lying, (which are deceptively seen as more acceptable or common forms of sin by human definition), is in truth no different and on equal plane of condemation as folks who struggle with the sins of homosexuality/unnatural affection, murder, suicide, pride, blasphemy and more. There is no better or worse form of sin. Sin is sin. And it sets you apart from God.

Matthew 7:3-5 New International Version (NIV)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Oh. Did that strike a nerve, friend? Do you feel an agitation in your spirit reading that truth? Are you feeling bitterness, anger deep in your heart, and the desire to reject these “hateful” words from your mind and close out this stupid blog post before you finish reading it? Don’t be frightened of, or run from, the spiritual warfare you’re feeling inside right now. Face it and stare it down. That feeling is called conviction, and it’s the evil spirits within you trying to fight and keep you from hearing the truth. Truth that would evisceraste their attempts to keep you imprisoned in comfortable deception. Truth that invites the light of the Holy Spirit and words of God into your heart to set you free from darkness.

The only remedy, the only cure, and the only ticket to return to the throne of God in Heaven is calling on the name of Jesus Christ as your savior.

Time is very short my friend. We are in the end days (see the video below). The Lord has given us the sign of the times 2,000 years ago in the book of Revelation to know the season in which he is returning soon for his own, and that time is imminent. Accept the gift of Jesus Christ today. Invite him into your heart and be renewed in Him. He is waiting with joy to receive you unto himself.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.