Why There's No Need To Fear God's HIgh Standards

There may be someone out there who’s thinking about turning their life over to Jesus. To those who might be considering this, if you choose to make Jesus your Lord and Savior, you’ll be making the most important decision you’ll ever make in your life. But as you consider making this life-changing decision, you might be experiencing fears that are hindering you from making it. Among the many fears you might have, one of those fears could be God’s high standards. It could be that you’ve been learning about Christianity for some time and you know that passages like Ephesians 4:21-24 God require you to change your lifestyle, but you know that you’ll have to fight a long and difficult spiritual war to end your bad habits. You might also be aware of many passages in the New Testament that speak about dire consequences awaiting those who believe and/or teach false doctrine, but you fear you might accidentally misinterpret a scripture or misunderstand an issue the New Testament discusses. 

I understand these fears, because I had them for most of my life. I was led to believe that passages like 2 John 9 and Galatians 1:8-9 taught that God would condemn me to Hell if I wasn’t morally perfect and possessed a perfect understanding of the New Testament. But this belief led me to ask the question: how can I know if I’m righteous enough or knowledgeable enough to go to Heaven? This and many other questions that racked my mind for years became so severe that I started to doubt if I was truly saved. But after fourteen years of bible study, I now believe I’ve attained a better, more biblical understanding of God’s grace. There are many passages I could quote and comment on to reveal what I now believe the Bible says about God’s grace. But I’ll just quote one to make my point tonight. It’s one Christians are familiar with: Ephesians 2:8-9. Paul wrote, 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

This passage shows that our faith in Jesus is the reason God saves us, not our works. According to passages like James 2:14-26, works are a necessary part of our lives as Christians, but if God expects moral or theological perfection from us, then who can be saved? I believe God’s ultimate concern is not moral or theological perfection. God’s ultimate concern is your salvation. If you want to become a Christian, all God requires from you is a humble heart, a heart that leads you to confess your sins and submit to Jesus as one of His servants. Will you struggle to overcome your flaws? You probably will. Will you understand every detail of the New Testament perfectly? Probably not. God simply wants you to return home. And once you're baptized for the remission of your sins, you will be home. So don’t let any fear of God’s high standards hinder you from accepting His grace. ​