The last several years I have spent time at ministry booths at fairs and town festivals attempting to share the gospel with people. I think that I know people well enough not to be surprised by the way they think. But someone always blind sides me with something that I never experienced before.
In one particular case a while ago, as I was sharing the gospel, I stopped and asked a group if they had ever done anything wrong. Typically the response is affirmative; “everybody does, no one is perfect”. It’s a point in the gospel presentation when a person needs to recognize they are separated from God because of sin. But one person said “no”. I double checked. “You never did anything wrong?” “No”. Then I proceeded to ask a couple probing questions along that line. “Did you ever tell a lie?” “No” again was the answer. “Never told a lie?” “No”. At that point, in my mind I wanted to say you just lied by saying you never lied.
I continued. “Did you ever steal anything no matter how small?” Again the answer was “No”. I persisted. This one should get you to admit you’ve done some wrong things. “Have you ever had a bad thought?” “No”. Wow, a person that never had a bad thought! That’s pretty incredible. Well the next question was kind of off the wall, but it struck the right nerve. Did you ever fight with anyone? Kind of smiling and nodding the person at that point realized that no one is perfect.
This individual is no different than the rest of us. It’s our pride that keeps us from believing that we need a Savior. If you probe long enough and deep enough, everyone comes to realize they are sinners. Most however, do not recognize that they are helpless sinners. Most think they can fix their situation by trying to have their good outweigh their bad. But that’s an impossible thing to figure out. The truth is we cannot fix our relationship with God by being good, trying to be good, or promising to be good. The Lord had to fix it and He did.
So why not just agree with what God says about us? He says that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). He says that we can’t be good enough. In comparison to Him, “There is none who does good, no not one” (Rom. 3:12). Then accept His free gift of salvation by faith in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). It’s that simple. This person eventually did.
Assurance of Heaven 