Romans 3:10

As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one:

When we golf with friends who only play when someone needs a fourth to fill a scramble team or on a monthly basis to get away from the house, it is usually a ego boost to us who are blessed to play regularly. Invariably, they refer to you as a great or a solid golfer. They may even look to you for swing advice no matter how hesitant we are to offer. High handicappers feel the 15 handicapper is good, the 15 handicapper thinks a single digit player is highly skilled, while the scratch player realizes he is closer to a 15 handicapper than to the skill level of a touring professional. The world attempts to create a similar hierarchy of goodness for us as citizens. The unbeliever will justify his goodness by rating his/her sins as lesser than the Deacon at the church. “If Johnny is going to heaven, I will have no problems getting in!” What is good is relative to what with we are comparing. Thankfully, we are not granted our salvation by our relative goodness because the Bible sets a rather high level as to who is good. Though he was tempted in every way, Christ lived a sinless life, died on a cross and then arose so that we may be deemed worthy. He was and is the only person deemed worthy of the label “good.” In Luke 3:25, we see that we are saved only through and by the shed blood of Christ for the remission of sins. “Man is justified by faith without the deeds of law.” Good deeds and sanctified living are important to God. They are fruits or evidence of a person who has accepted Jesus Christ, but do nothing toward the salvation of man. My prayer today is for the daily realization that all things good in my life come from him and nothing of my own doing. This fact is especially true with salvation. I pray you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and strive to be set apart daily for the kingdom’s usage.