In Touch - Apr. 6, 2007

In Touch Daily Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

            Walk up to a man on the street and ask him if he’s going to Heaven. He may tell you “yes” and give you a list the good things he’s done. Unbelievers, and some churchgoers, can’t understand why their works aren’t sufficient for salvation. Many people don’t recognize their need for redemption at all.  

            The man on the street assumes that if he’s a faithful husband, a caring father, an honest friend, and a reliable employee, then he’s good enough. He doesn’t recognize himself as a sinner. And he doesn’t realize sin separates him from holy God. Unfortunately, the man believes he’ll earn a place in Heaven through his own actions. 

            Unbelievers, and, sadly, some believers as well, fail to recognize the Lord as the only one who can redeem man’s sin. Some of us compare ourselves to others, and we feel pretty good. We can always find someone to make us look better. But when held up against God’s perfect holiness, we’re all lacking. 

            Jesus Christ died and rose again so that everyone could be holy, as God is holy. In 1 John 1:7, the disciple John explains how the believer’s sin is washed away. He says, “The blood of Jesus ... cleanses us from all sin.” Good works mean nothing unless they are the result of a clean spirit. We can become holy only by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation. 

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