Is that good enough?

Is that good enough?
You know folks have different ideas about what good is. There seems to be something in us that knows God is good and if we wish to be with Him and escape judgement we must be good too. I suppose it turns folks off and makes them uncomfortable but deep down most of us want to measure up. The problem is we don’t understand the magnitude of the endeavor. By way of an analogy I’ll try to help you understand what we face.
Henry Kohms  applied for a job he saw listed in the local paper, it was to clean an 1800 Sq ft commercial building, to ready it for use as storage for food grade materials. After the interview Henry signed a contract and was told to start as soon as possible, but would only be paid after the job was completed. Henry obliged and was able to start that afternoon. The building was pretty messy but the company was supplying everything he might need to finish the job. He got busy, worked the rest of that day and finished it at the end of the next day. The following day he went in to get paid, he was told that the job didn’t meet their requirements, it was no longer going to be used for food storage but was now going to be used as a medical clinic. The level of cleanliness that was suitable for food storage wasn’t suitable for a clinic. However they told Henry that they would still pay him for what he had already done if he would finish the job. Henry said “Great, I need the work”.

Again Henry started, that mid morning and for the next three days when he finally finished, by that time everything was clean, and sanitized. The following morning he went in to get paid. Apologetically they told him the clinic had backed out but another company had rented it, this time with a large deposit. The only problem was again the facility didn’t meet the requirements of cleanliness, a clean room facility wanted to create a room within this building but only could have particulate less than 5 microns in size.
We find ourselves in a similar position, good is a relative term with us. We think if we can just clean up our life and do good we’ll be accepted by God. The problem is that the standards, ours and God’s, are so different. We can never achieve His standards.

Isaiah  64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

What we think will be acceptable to Him, He sees as putrid! To get an idea of His level of perfection, consider the requirements for animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, that couldn’t have any spot or blemish, they had to be perfect. To top that off, they could only “cover” sin for a season. What a terrible predicament!

Romans 5:6-10 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Right here, this is the sacrifice that pleases God, His own Son, perfect in all of His ways. We can only meet God’s demands in His own way. How is that you might ask? His offer is to “Sinners”, the Bible says, “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God”  When you realize your way is insufficient to please God, you can then agree with Him and have a change of heart, a remorse and turning from sin, this is called “Repentance”  God sent His own Son to die in my place and yours, as payment for sin. His shed blood is the only sacrifice that is good enough. If we agree with God and accept Jesus as our Lord, He will bestow His own righteousness on us, making us fit to be in His presence. It’s good enough for God.

Is that good enough? (For you)