“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (1 Cor. 11:31) One of the mean reasons that many do not see a need to repent is because they do not see themselves as all that bad of a person. They do indeed judge themselves, but always in regard to someone else, and even the most callous, hardened person can look into the past of humanity and find someone worse than they are, there is always a darker evil if you will but look for it.
No man can stand in the relationship of the holiness of God, no one, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10) and that is the mark that the Lord judges us by, if any were ever found to be as holy as God, they of their own actions and life would find merit in entering into the kingdom of God, but out of all mankind there has never been one, save for Jesus. “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9) quite literally means what He said, without Jesus Christ you cannot be holy, and in fact whatever ability we have to enter into heaven is because of Jesus Christ. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
It concludes than that being Christlike is still not enough, we cannot be holy, but we can be crucified with Christ, and that is the key, if you will. Repent, be born-again, be crucified, die to self, allow the Holy Spirit to direct your life, every moment of it, for the glory of God, that is as close to holiness as we are going to get in this life.
The Roman Catholic cult and other religious organizations have deceived many millions into believing that from their local priest all the way up to the current pope is the way to holiness, by doing what they say, by performing the works and traditions, they will become holy, and God will accept them because of that. Ephesians 2:8-9 is not in the vocabulary of these cults, works are, deeds done to appease the Most High.
True repentance is the continuing acknowledgment of our sinful state in the knowledge of a holy God, it cannot be a one-time pronouncement, but a lifelong realization. Here is where so many in the Evangelical community fail, either they see that grace as unobtainable, and so also fall into a works based religious ideology, or they cheapen that grace, that price that was paid for us by simply repeating some words offered to them, being baptized, and then occasionally giving no more than lip service to Him who hung on that cross. Their lives become no more than a religious and tradition-based system of repetition. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” (Matt. 15:8)
They judge themselves against the actions, deeds and words of those around them, and in both cases they find they are not so bad after all, anyone who compares themselves to Hitler, Stalin or Mao isn’t so bad after all, right?
When we come to the realization of the error of these thoughts, when we finally realize that attempting to be like Paul, or living a life that mirrors that of Christ, and we see that we fall short each and every time, we can finally start to understand even in the most basic terminology the word grace. The word itself should be a testimony of the power and mercy of God, for none can earn unmerited favor. That is why those six words should be so beautiful to us, “It is the gift of God,” you cannot purchase this gift, you cannot earn it, work for it, access it in any way on your own, you can only accept it or reject it. Once you understand this and begin to judge yourself in the light of Jesus Christ and accept the fact that He alone is the door, the most meaningful words that will ever come from your lips will be praise for His unspeakable gift, (2 Cor. 9:15) and they will always come with a smile on your lips and joy in your heart.
