Supposedly, good people go to Heaven, and most people believe that they are good and that they are going to Heaven. Why would anyone need Jesus? We are confident in our goodness despite our consciences convicting us of right and wrong. We feel guilt, shame, and regret for what we have done. We have all lied, stole, slandered, cursed someone, hated, and lusted for someone we should not. Are we innocent or guilty? Our consciences tell us that we are guilty but we all want to be free of such condemnation.
Sometimes, we console ourselves by saying that society’s standards make us feel guilty. Unless we have become morally callous, we should all feel guilty even if society approves of child abuse or trafficking of the innocent. Society cannot be the standard for moral right and wrong. Society did not give us our conscience. They have no right to tell us what is good and what is evil. We all have rights. We know that those who violate our rights are doing evil. Our consciences and our pursuit of our rights show constant proof of a standard of right and wrong.
The Origin of Virtue
Virtue was not invented by people but rather existed before people. From where would virtue have begun? Virtue is constant and has always been. The only other options for the origin of virtue that it comes from nothing or it came from people, which cannot be that something come from nothing or virtue from contradicting societies.
We are confident that the existence of virtue implies purpose. There is a purpose to life. Virtue presents justice as justice is essential to maintain human rights. There will be justice and there must be a judgment for the guilty. How can there be judgment without there being a just and virtuous Judge? However, we are all guilty great or low. We are often confused over what is right and wrong since people contradict each other. We are constantly convicted by our consciences to know what is good and evil by an innate sense of judgment upon us. From what we do know, we know that we all have guilt, shame, and regret.
How Does Jesus Help
This brings us to our question. Who needs Jesus? What’s the point? What does Jesus offer to understand right and wrong? What virtues does Jesus bring? Does Jesus bring justice to the guilty? Where are the greatest and purest morals? We can consider the morals of many. Among these is Jesus. We must admit that His teachings stand out among the many. He was the first to say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31), “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13), and much more (Matt 5:39–42, 44; 6:19, 21, 25; 15:18–20; Luke 6:37; 14:12–13; John 7:24; 13:34–35). His virtues bring much clarity on whether we really want to accept Jesus or not. In all of this, we are confident that there must be mercy, but not a mercy from those who keep doing evil and not a mercy made up by society. Therefore, we either neglect a search for truth with mercy, half-heartedly take in what we can, or we diligently pursue mercy among all the morality that we can gather.
The Words of Jesus
We cannot escape the words of Jesus of Nazareth. His words weigh on the hearts of those who know them. Some people scoff at him and most neglect him. The rest believe Jesus’s teachings and diligently seek mercy from the great Judge us all who Jesus refers to as His heavenly Father. By the evidence of a plurality of witnesses, we know whether history is true or whether someone is guilty of a crime. By this standard, the witnesses of Jesus’s life confirmed that Jesus lived, died, and resurrected. Jesus taught the highest and purest standard of morals that have ever been taught, but this teacher suffered persecution and died being nailed to a wooden cross. Then according to witnesses, they confirm that Jesus was innocent of all sin and was not worthy of the justice and condemnation of death, and thereby Jesus defeated death by being raised from the dead (Heb 2:14). Because of this, Jesus is the only way to eternal life in the new earth (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
Jesus revealed that His words will judge the world on the last day (John 12:47–48). His words are spirit and life (John 6:63). Jesus gave these words to His Apostles who wrote them in the Bible and His words will never pass away (John 15:20; 17:8; cf. Matt 24:35). Jesus’s apostles and prophets wrote His words so that you can know that you have eternal life and so that you can be complete and equipped to do every good work (1 John 5:13; 2 Tim 3:16–17). Jesus showed that our own good deeds cannot save us and get us into the eternal kingdom of the heavenly country (Eph 2:8–9). Christ is the author of salvation to all those who obey Him (Heb 5:9).
Meaning, Purpose, and Judgment
The problem with believing that good people go to heaven by being good is that they believe that they are good apart from Jesus Christ and this makes Jesus’s life and death meaningless and void. In doing this, we would disregard our own guilt. Jesus also taught that man and woman were created in the image of God (Matt 19:4; cf. Gen 1:26–27). Jesus’s words teach that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16; cf. 1 Cor 13:13). This indicates that humankind was created in God’s image with the purpose to love. This also indicates that to do evil is to act without love, which is how people are guilty and thus we offend God (1 Cor 13:1–3). Therefore, Jesus is right to say that if we love God, then we will obey His commands (John 14:21, 23–24).
Jesus’s words teach that one day everyone will be judged by God for what they have done (Rev 22:12; cf. 2 Cor 5:10). Jesus also taught that there are only two destinations for the innocent and the guilty: eternal life and eternal punishment (Matt 25:34, 41, 46). All are guilty including good people. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23; 5:12). All are condemned having earned spiritual death (Rom 5:16–18; 6:23; cf. John 3:18–21). However, there is good news for the guilty.
The Good News
How can we be saved through Jesus’s death and resurrection? Jesus’s words teach you to believe and confess that He is the resurrected Lord and God (Rom 10:9–10; cf. John 1:1, 14; 8:24, 58). Jesus taught, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21). There is more to being saved than confessing Christ as “Lord.” Jesus teaches that one who loves Him will keep His commands (John 14:21, 23–24). Jesus’s words teach the necessity for you to change your mind to stop practicing sin (repent) and be immersed (baptized) in water in Jesus’s name to wash away your sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Jesus revealed, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Know that there is only one baptism to obey, which is to be immersed in water (Acts 10:47–48; Eph 4:5; 5:26). With obedience, people are saved by the Gospel: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor 15:1–4; 2 Thess 1:7–9). One obeys the Gospel by re-enacting it by dying to sins, being buried in baptism, and being resurrected to a new life (Rom 6:4–6; Col 2:12–13). Is this the Gospel that you obeyed? “Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16).
By baptism, one is added to the church of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 12:13). The church is Christ’s people and community. Christ saved, built, and bought with His blood the one Church (Matt 16:18; Eph 1:22–23; 4:4; 5:23–26; cf. Acts 20:28). After baptism, one must walk in the light that the blood of Christ washes away sins (1 John 1:7). Walking in the light is to obey God’s commands in love (1 John 2:3–6). His commands include reading the Bible, praying, and going to the meetings of the church of Christ (Phil. 4:6–7; 1 Tim 4:13; Heb 10:25). The truth is that God wants everyone to know the truth and be saved (1 Tim 2:4), so be aware of many who knowingly or unknowingly perverts the gospel of Christ for they are accursed (Matt 7:15–20; Gal 1:6–12).
Seeing God's Breath 
Your affirmations of a good heart are what I must heartily agree with you, but in reading the Scriptures over and over again, I see clearly that I can understand God’s will and we can all agree (Eph. 3:1-5, 1 John 5:13, 1 Cor. 1:10). On the other hand, the Scriptures teach specific commands of God to be obeyed and to do so is to love God (1 John 5:13). Since I can know the commands of God written in Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and that I must observe all things taught by Christ (Matt. 28:20), I must then obey the commands of God to be baptized in water (Acts 2:38, 10:47-48). [By the way, I think you have me confused with the other gentleman who does not believe that one must be baptized in the Lord’s name unto the remission of sins.] If all commands are subjective to one’s understanding and one does have to obey them, then why learn them? If all commands are subjective to one’s understanding, where did the Apostles get the authority to command them? If commands of God are subjective to one’s understanding, then how can God judge man on Judgment Day? If God’s commands are relative to one’s understanding, then did the Holy Spirit rebel in inspiring Scripture and commanding baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Assembly?
I hope you’ll reconsider your understanding of Romans 14. The Sabbath day is not binding being dead under the Old Law of Moses (Rom. 7:1-7, Gal. 3-5, 2 Cor. 3:14, Eph. 2:11-16, Col. 2:13-14). In fact, Colossians 2:16-17 teaches, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.” Keeping the Sabbath is the only command of the ten commandments from the Law of Moses that is not commanded under Christ. Back to Romans 14, there is no command to only eat vegetables in the Bible. These are the teachings of men that we must avoid (Col. 2:18-23), but not the teachings of God that everyone can know and understand. Romans 14 is speaking of opinions. See Romans 14:23, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” This passage shows clearly that our deeds must be done in faith which only comes from God’s Word and not opinions. If I do things from faith, then these come from the Word of God (Rom. 10:17) and not opinions. Based on these Scriptures, I cannot agree with nor affirm that God with your understanding too. For this I believe that you are in danger of changing the Gospel of Christ, so heed the warning of God in Galatians 1:6-12.
Lastly, if our salvation is relative to the commands that we know, then why do instruct me when you believe that your understanding is relative to your own understanding? Is this not contradicting?
May you find grace and peace in the Lord.
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Romans 14 , to those who hold the point of view that the sabbath is to be held above other days as it would seem to be instructed of christ . it is as you say of water baptism essential law. and the fact that the scripture tells us to be convinced in our minds given that we are pure at heart for god is obvious logic. This scripture is telling us god can justify our differences in practicing our faith . yes romans 14 is exactly talking about the practicing of faith. to him we are accountable and through him all things are possible. ” and he will stand. for the lord is able to make him stand.”
GOD IS HERE NOW WITH US. and his will be done! this is why the living spirit which makes the laws of god written on our hearts acts of love.
I used mat10 to further the point that our narrow perspective of gods will is at least questionable. The scripture makes a way to god through even those who dont realise they are accepting god by accepting christ by accepting you. Brother if we love our father with all our heart and let his living spirit move us to his will we wont be able to contain the emense love he will pour out through us . Dont judge the lords servants . and dont forbid water baptism for those you bring to the lord. saul knew the scriptures better than any man and without the spirit to guide his understanding he did more damage to the faith than anyone. and when he came to know the lord did he rush to submit himself to the body or baptism . Do what you know is right and let god justify the unjust.
There was a time when i was too eager to state the law and tell how those who live the faith to the end will be accepted. the problem was it was with what i thought to be a better understanding of his will that i judged who was really born again. those who didnt give up their lavish lifestyles to feed the poor and chlothe the needy certainly couldnt be real. and who lives for themselves when the word says to die to ones self . you must give up your life to gain eternal life . not i but christ who lives through me.
Any believer who doesnt foresake this worlds ways was unholy to me. I was wholeheartedly sold out to christ . walked and talked for him in new miracles daily. But it was my selfrichousness that caused me to fall. the scriptures are for the saved. your love and the holy spirit are for to save.
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