Montrose, Colorado
Rev. Willis A. (Bert) Jones, a country preacher & Bible teacher
August 8, 2015
"I'm not that Bad!"
You say, "I have lived a good life. I haven't been wild. I'm not that bad!" Let us see what the Bible says.
"… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," -- Romans 3:23 (NKJV) .
The word "all" in Paul's letter to the Roman church includes both you and me, and every one else. God does have a solution to this problem. The Bible also says:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" -- Romans 6:23 (NKJV).
Our daily wage for this sin is death. But God's gift is eternal life, life now and forever. How do we get that gift? Both the above scriptures, in the context tell us, as does Romans 10:9-10 (underlined below):
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." -- Romans 10:8-13 (NKJV).
So believe in your heart and confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus as your Savior, follow Him in baptism and serve Him the rest of your life. Blessings!