What is a “good” Christian? What defines “good”? Are you “good”? Is your life “good”? Is your relationship with God “good”? How “good” are you? And how “good” do you have to be to get to heaven?
I know all you Bible students just went in your minds to Matthew 19:17 “There is none good but one, that is God..” And you are going to expound that no one goes to heaven based on their own goodness but on the basis of Christ’s sacrificial life, death and resurrection. I agree.
Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:20 ” For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus covers a lot of teaching in this message we call the sermon on the mount. He is not trying to make things ‘easy’ when it comes to salvation, He is trying to elevate it from religious emptiness to meaningful life. He is dealing with religious people who fasted, prayed, and gave offerings. He doesn’t do away with our responsibility to DO any of these. He outlines HOW to do them right! How to take them from “good’ to GREAT!
Read these words slowly and carefully:
“Take care not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward [[a]reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven.
Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets like to do, that they may be [b]recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward [c]in full already.
3 But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward [d]in full already.
And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and [m]sour and [n]dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to and seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward [o]in full already.
17 But when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face,
18 So that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.” (Matt. 6:1-6; 16-18)
In our Western Christianity today we have so tried to bring grace back to center focus, we have forgotten the disciplines that make one a true disciple(note the root word). Good works are not what save us–it is by grace–but our lives BECAUSE we are born again should be filled with ALL kinds of good works! Jesus was not telling us NOT to pray, He was saying don’t pray like Pharisees. They pray to be HEARD of men. So what was the reward? They were heard of men! BOOM! What a reward!
He did not say not to fast…come on now! He said don’t do it like them–to be SEEN of MEN! When you fast… do it before ME and I will reward you OPENLY! Do you see the difference? Giving, praying, and fasting all have the potential to be good for men to see your good works…which if that is your motivation then you got what you wanted. Or you can go from good to great and do it for GOD! Let your motivation be for HIM and not for your self aggrandizement and watch what God does in your life! HE WILL SHOW YOU OFF!
To fast the Bridegroom fast, one must have a high vision. One must shake off the pressure to just be “good” enough and one must want to find the GREAT. Being just good enough will get you to heaven–because your place there is already secured in His greatness. But having a HIGH vision–to be GREAT will get heaven to YOU! That experience where you ARE where HE is! The ascended life of GREAT faith,GREAT strength, and GREAT love! Why would we settle for just going to heaven when we can be a people who live FROM heaven!
How far is the distance from good to great? It is a big gap. It is the difference between settling and SEIZING! It is the difference between emptiness to being ENGULFED! It is the difference between just trying and triumphing! It is the difference between bareness and BOUNTIFULNESS! It is the difference between excuses and EXCELLENCE!
Commit today, one day a week. To give your focus, your passion, and your faith to press into GREATNESS for the Lord is GREAT and GREATLY to be praised!
Finishing Strong 