The answer is no, being a “good Christian” is not biblical and goes against the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it makes our faith based on works. As we draw closer to Jesus in love, we happily set our lives apart from the world. To show why it isn’t biblical to think of yourself as a good or bad Christian, we must ask a few questions.
1. Can Works Save Me?
The answer is a definite NO!
Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.
Salvation is based on God, not on us. If salvation depended on how “good” we were or not, then not a single person would get to heaven.
Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Salvation comes because of what Jesus did, not what we have done or ever will do.
Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
2. Can Works Keep Me Saved?
To believe that once I am saved, I have to act like a “good Christian” to stay saved goes against the gospel. It shifts the gospel back to personal works for salvation. If works could not get me saved, then works cannot keep me saved. If being “good” does not get me to heaven, then it cannot keep me there.
1 John 2:1-2 (NLT)
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
This is the great mystery of grace. You don’t have to worry about being a “good Christian” because even if you mess up, Jesus is there, ready to defend you and make you pure once again. Being a good or bad Christian is not biblical. There are only Christians and non-Christians.
3. Can I Do Whatever I Want Since I Have Grace?
We, as humans, tend to exchange one extreme for another. When many people realize that they can’t be a good or bad Christian and that their works cannot get them or keep them saved, they will swing to the other side of the pendulum, which is just as dangerous.
This dangerous philosophy says that since it’s all about Jesus’ grace, I can go on purposely sinning and living the life I want, and his grace will forgive me.
Romans 6:1-3(NLT)
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?
The question is not about being a good or bad Christian, but if I am genuinely willing to die to the flesh and live my life for Christ? Have I made him ultimately the Lord of my life, or am I making myself Lord and following only my desires? Though works do not get me saved, they can reveal my heart and show who I believe the Lord of my life is.
If I claim to be saved but purposefully indulge in a sinful lifestyle and am unwilling to change my ways, then I am showing from my actions that I don’t believe Jesus is Lord. If I honestly did think He was my Lord, then I would submit my life to his words. I am not talking about messing up or accidentally sinning. We all do this, and there is nothing to fear if we do (remember Jesus is our advocate). I am speaking about habitual, continual, unrepentant sin.
I cannot make excuses that I am a “bad Christian,” saying I am saved, but I like to do whatever I want. It isn’t a bad or good issue, but a Lordship issue. When I got saved, my past sinful self-died with Jesus on the cross.
Roman 6:11-13 (NLT)
So, you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So, use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Holiness
Once again, The answer is no, being a “good Christian” is not biblical and goes against the Bible because it makes our faith based on works.
As we grow in our faith, our love for Jesus Christ calls us to change our actions more and more. To be holy means to be set apart. As we draw closer to Jesus in love, we happily set our lives apart from the world more.
Some may say that “they are good Christians,” but this is not true. They are just Christians who are happy to submit their lives to Jesus’ Lordship because they are in love.
When you see a Christian on fire for God, it is not because of their works; their heart posture has made them look a lot like Jesus.
The goal was never to be good, but always to love Jesus as you become more like him.
God Bless, Israel
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