Romans 14:12: "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."
When all is said and done and the life we know is over, none of us will be able to stand justified based on our own merit or deeds. The common message that we hear in society today is that you have all you need in yourself, that you just need to find your inner strength and confidence to push forward, to achieve, etc. However, that just won't cut it when it comes to cohabitating for eternity with a holy and perfect God. An account of "I did all I could", "I did the best I knew how," or "I was a pretty good person" is not sufficient.
The good news is that Jesus has interceded for us.
The only acceptable account to God the father is an acknowledgement of our belief and trust in Jesus Christ as the savior of all. His merit and deeds are the only ones that can justify our lives and our hope needs to lie in them...not our own actions or thoughts.
I have heard the question, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" asked multiple times before. That definitely invites a lengthier discussion, but let me throw a couple things out there. First, we are ultimately responsible for that...not God. We introduced sin into the world. This world is not perfect and we can see that without exerting much effort. Second, there is much more to what we see or hear about than just our own thoughts and perception of that event. That event is not necessarily the end of a succession of events, but one event that is part of larger story. To clear up any potential misinterpretations, that is not saying that bad things are actually good. Bad things are bad; however, they can still be used for a greater purpose.
Finally, instead of focusing on that question, what about "Why did God extend his grace for a people like us?" Think about the worst thing you've ever done...specifically, that act or thought that would displease God most. Now, multiply how bad that seems times 10 or 100. There are horrific, unspeakable acts of evil that continue to happen in the world on a daily basis. Think of the red Xs that were posted across Facebook recently and what they are intended to help stop. Guess what? God extended grace to those offenders fully aware of what they would do. Now that is amazing grace!
Our only given account to God needs to be Jesus and what he has done for us, plain and simple.
-Phil
