You are Not Too Bad to Come In - You are Not Too Good to Stay Out

There are hundreds of reasons people offer for refusing to attend the worship and study of the Lord’s church. Two of the most common excuses usually spring from completely opposite points-of-view.

One of the first explanations people make is that they are “too bad” to attend or become Christians. Some feel as though God could never forgive them for their sins.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We have “all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Jesus came to earth to “call… sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). He died “for us” because we were “sinners” (Romans 5:8).

Consider some of the sinners Jesus has called. He taught a Samaritan woman who had five husbands (John 4:17,18). He converted two greedy tax collectors (Matt. 9:9-13; Luke 19:1-10). Jesus even made Saul one of His greatest apostles. This is a man who was previously persecuting and killing Christians (1 Tim. 1:12-15). If that isn’t enough, think upon the sins the church at Corinth had committed before they were Christians in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

On the other hand, some feel as though they are “good, moral” people and that is good enough. Thus, they do not need God or any religious instruction at all.

In Acts 10 we find Cornelius was a “devout man” who “gave alms generously...prayed to God always” and “feared God” (vs. 2). Yet, he still needed to learn what he “must do” to be saved (Acts 10:6).

One can be religious like Cornelius and still be lost. Cornelius needed to believe in Jesus and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 10:48). Do you need to obey the Savior (Hebrews 5:8,9)?

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved…” (Mark 16:16).

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