Be good now!

People tend to measure themselves by other people. I'm not as bad as... I'm better than... we always have Hitler and if God grades on a curve most people can find an easy justification for themselves.

So we put the best on one end... say Mother Teresa and Hitler on the other end. Where do you see yourself on this line? The better question is: "Where does God see you?"

If you are 'in Christ/ saved/ having repented of your sins' then God sees you as in Christ's righteousness. What that means is that you stand guilty before God, as breaking His law, sinning against Him. Repent (turn from) those sins and receive Christ's payment for those sins. Then you are acquitted and Christ has paid your penalty (the wages of sin being death. Rom 3:23). The requirement of the law has been met! This is justification, the transaction of the cross. Nothing more is required for salvation. Nothing! God does not forget, He is not bribed by good works, time does not forgive sin... only Christ’s blood. God is a holy and righteous Judge, His law is fulfilled.


So then, now are you good? No. But for the first time you have the power to do good:
Romans 6:16 "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"

Before you are His, you are a slave to sin. (sinful from birth Psalm 51:5) You had very little power to do right and your thoughts were evil from conception. If you did good deeds it was with selfish motives (make yourself appear good, feel good, appease guilt, get something from someone else).

Afterward you are a slave to Christ. With His Holy Spirit you now have the power to do right, to please God. Not to earn or keep salvation but to participate in sanctification which is the work of God in you to make you more Christ like. 1 Thess 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”