We're All Saved by Grace

I just read a blog post called "Top 10 People Christians are Better Than."

Spoiler alert: The list was (1) Nobody (2) Nobody (3) Nobody (4) Nobody (5) Nobody (6) Nobody (7) Nobody (8) Nobody (9) Nobody (10) Nobody

Pretty clever, right?

In it the author (see his cool picture on the left) points out that, basically, no one is "better" than anyone else. As Paul tells us in Romans, all are saved by grace, and not entitled to boast.

Still though, we tend to do a lot of boasting, don't we? Christians like to feel superior to non-Christians.

This is because... surprise!... Christians are human beings. Sometimes human beings are jerks. (What? You disagree? Have you been out on the road recently? Or on the internet even? We're JERKS!)

And the fact that we remain our own jerk-like selves all our lives, to one degree or another, may be God's own way of keeping us humble.

One of the comments I saw on facebook about this was from a friend who said she'd always had trouble with idea that your good deeds don't count with God unless you're a Christian.

Well, here's a shocker, my friend: Your good deeds don't "count" either way!

There's no giant scoreboard in heaven where God tallies up the points we've earned in life.

The Bible says our righteousness, our "good works," are filthy rags. The truth is, we can't earn God's approval.

God gives grace freely, or not at all. He chooses whom He chooses.

This is a difficult concept. I myself try very hard to be a "nice person," and find it very frustrating to be forever falling short, struggling with my own Inner Jerk. It is hard for me to accept that I, with my good deeds, am no better than that crazy homeless man who refused to wear his new boots in the New York snow. (Read that news story here if you want.)

So why should I do good works at all?

That's a good question. And I'll be the first to admit that I don't know the answer.

I guess I know why I shouldn't do good deeds. Not to earn points with God, not to get into heaven, not to impress people or to feel like I'm better than others.

Then what motivates me to do good?

All I can say is, Because God is good. It should be His goodness that I reflect.