Confusing the Goodly With The Godly?

This is a continuing reflection from the previous two posts...

Many of us grew up in church, and that's a good thing..... but.... many like us fall prey to problems. Probably the biggest danger that those brought up in church will experience is the belief that growing up in church makes us a Christian. In other words, our ticket got punched
after all those years of perfect Sunday school attendance and we're registered in the Book of Life automatically without actually having our own personal conversion experience and daily walk with the Savior.

In today's world, more people than not feel "good enough" to enter into God's heaven. Many are quick to say that they have never broken the commandments, always abided by the law... and,well, they've never really killed anyone. All that being said (and most likely true) that is NOT what God is looking for, and honestly if you understand Christ, it shouldn't be what you're looking for either. FATHER, GIVE ME THE WORDS.

If we are quizzed long enough we might be surprised to find that we all mostly agree with this statement: that we agree with the "spirit of the law" more so than with many of the actual laws.
That's because laws are of no value until they are broken. It is then that a price that must be paid. Actually, doing what is right usually protects us from the breaking of any laws. One reason why God gave us the law through Moses so that we could live together, amongst ourselves, with rules that steer us to live good-neighborly... but He never intended that law-keepers, or even those who grew up churched could, in that alone, be saved. Just because you haven't been caught breaking a law doesn't mean that you haven't broken the law.... remember that spirit of the law thing?

That point that I made about the danger of growing up in church..... We often times mistake living within the law ( i.e. the church attendance ticket punch) as the same thing as Christ living within us. The difference is an eternity apart.... and I’m afraid, that many have not dealt with it. Please do not be so foolish (and proud) enough to think that living a "goodly" life is the same thing as living a "Godly" life.

Don't you remember thinking on how "restrictive" all those 'Thou shalt nots..." sounded. Yet, almost every evangelist you ever heard would belt out the phrase....' the Truth will set you free'. RESTRICTIVE vs FREE !? Are we confused yet? (Point to remember: confusion is of the devil, not of God). But the Good News (did you know that is what the word “gospel” means) is that you can know the Person, also known as the Truth, also known as the Good News who is the "Spirit" of the law. The One and only Jesus Christ. His entire life, death and resurrection was prophesized centuries before His birth and His life exampled what living with God is all about.

So it can be said this way, if we live being good without knowing God personally, our good will not be good enough to have our name recorded in that Book of Life I mentioned earlier. Sadly, we live in a time where even the churched are not receiving from our pulpits the needed call for repentance because we don't like to hear or think that we've ever done anything wrong. We can't be sinners.... We haven't killed anyone.... right? We are quick to point at others to offer our lives in contrast to theirs. Our aim is too low! We are told to compare our lives with Christ, He is the standard..... not the Billy Grahams’of this world! Do churches really teach people how and why to “pick up your cross” and follow Him?

Anyone been crucified lately for loving others???