Rock of Ages

I was having a conversation with a coworker the other day and the subject of death came up. I mentioned that I was ready to go. She told me, "Yeah, that's what my mother-in-law says. I asked her why. She said she has lived a full life and has been a good mother and a good wife and her kids are in a good place, so she's ready to go to heaven." And I thought, "I cannot imagine being able to claim that I had lived a good enough life for God to let me into His presence."

Consider for a moment the concept of "good enough". It implies a standard beneath which is "not good enough" and beyond is. And apparently this woman believed that she was above that line. And I cannot even consider ever being there. So while it seemed strange to me to hear, I realized shortly that hers was the standard perception. It seems that almost everyone who believes in a hereafter believes that they are "good enough". Oh, no, no one thinks "perfect"; just "good enough". But enough for sure. The standard, then? "Whatever I've done." Oh, and now more stuff makes sense, doesn't it? Isn't "whatever I do" the standard for "moral"? Hasn't most of our society determined that right and wrong is whatever you make of it and the "good enough" point is somewhere below "whatever I do"? Indeed, most have decided that anyone with an actual standard (one that even they might not meet) is bad, hateful, bigoted, narrow-minded.

Enter Christ. On one hand there is the abundantly clear "Go and sin no more." It was Jesus who said, "You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt 5:48). And it is a quite obvious fact that not one of us measures up to that standard. So God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21). I don't stand in front of God with a pedigree. "I have lived a full life and have been a good father and a good husband, so you should let me in." Not working at all. No, I have a better standing than that. A more realistic one. "I don't deserve it. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die."

Do I have standards? Absolutely -- the ones given by the Righteous Judge of Heaven. Do I meet them? Not a chance. Whence comes my hope? In Christ alone. Where better to stand? On my own merits? God forbid!