The scripture for today, July 20 (7/20), is Ecclesiastes 7:20 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”
Many people believe if we don’t murder or steal, and if we help people poorer than ourselves, and aren’t mean to our family, God will have no choice but to let us into heaven. It only takes one sin to be a sinner.
God ~ who is Perfect Goodness ~ cannot dwell with sin. But mankind has never figured out a way to be perfectly good. Remember, the cost of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So in Old Testament days, God allowed people to kill perfect animals as a substitute for paying the cost of our sins ~ temporarily.
Then Jesus came. He became that perfectly good person (Hebrews 4:15) ~ that perfect Lamb of God (John 1:29). Then he died in our place to pay the cost of our sins ~ permanently. Now all he asks is that we love him, thank him, worship him, follow his examples and all his commands (there aren’t many). Then God the Father will consider us perfect too. And then we will be accepted into heaven.