How White is a Sheep?

I used to believe that I was a pretty good person. I thought to myself that I never killed anyone, never hit a woman, work for a living, raise a family... God will be pleased with me when I get to heaven. I′ve done way more good things than bad... the scales will tip the right way... I′ll be ok. I mean... I am not Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer or Adolph Hitler... right?

The problem is that I was comparing myself to the wrong standard.

It′s kind of like this... picture in your mind a white sheep against a lush, green pasture... he looks pretty white, right?  However, when you put that same sheep against a pure white background of snow, he doesn′t look so white anymore... you can see that they are dirty. The wool is not pure white, but it is soiled. It is not like the pure driven snow.

That′s what it′s going to be like when we stand in judgment before God. We will be compared to his perfect standard. If we′ve ever lied, stolen, dishonored our parents we will be found guilty. Jesus said that if we even have unrighteous anger in our heart against someone else we are guilty of murder. The same goes with lust... we just have to think about it and we′re as guilty as if we′ve actually committed the adultery!

So if that′s the standard... then we all will fail. Right? Exacltly!

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

... but wait! There is good news! There is One who kept the law perfectly and never sinned. That one is the second Adam... Jesus Christ. God became flesh and lived a perfect life in your and my stead and then went to the cross to satisfy the righteous punishment that a just God must mete out. The judge paid our fine for us!! How awesome is that?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He′s not a big bad meanie God... He′s holy, He is just, and He is loving, because He provided everything we need to get to heaven and not be condemned. He provided even the righteousness we could never obtain. All we have to do is turn from our sin, realize that we are separated from Him because of it and turn from it.... and believe Jesus died for our sins and rose on the third day according to the prophetic scriptures.

No one will ever get there on their own. Remember... we will be judged against pure whiteness... not against a dark background. There is good... and there is not good. There is godly, and there is ungodly. There is Him and there is us. God tells us in His word that even our righteous deeds are like a filthy rag, because when we do anything, even if it is "morally good" by men′s standards, it is done out of the sin of pride and it builds us up instead of giving the glory to God who made us and gave us life and breath. If we take the credit, we are stealing from God. You don′t have to be an axe murderer to be guilty before God... just selfish.

There is only one way to God...

John 14:6 Jesus said... "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

I know that′s not politically correct, but it′s the truth.  Take the offering that God provided. Believe in Jesus and let Him be your righteousness.

Isaiah 1:18 (NASB95)

18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD,
"Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.

We can be white like snow... we can be clothed in Christ′s righteousness...

Isaiah 61:10 (NASB95)

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.