One day Joe and I were talking to Bill and Steve at the lake. The question was brought up, “How could people possibly be held accountable before God who have never heard of God or Jesus Christ?” I said, “Bill, suppose you went to visit Steve at his home, but he was gone and his wife was there. If you entered into an adulterous affair with her, would you feel guilty for violating your friend’s wife? Even though you had never heard of the Ten Commandments or read the Bible? Where did that sense of guilt and feeling of accountability come from?”

God has given every person, through the Law and conscience, the ability to sense right and feel guilt for wrong. The Law and the conscience are the self-judging functions that either accuse or excuse us in regard to our conduct (Rom. 2:14-15).

Bill had been telling me what a good person he was. He didn’t really see any need for a Savior. I turned to Exodus 20 and began to read to Bill the Ten Commandments. “Bill, has God always been first in your life, and have you always loved Him more than anything in the world? If not, you have broken the first commandment” (Ex. 20:3). “Have you ever exalted anything before God? If so, you have broken the second commandment” (Ex. 20:4). “Have you ever used the name of Jesus Christ as a four-letter word? You are guilty of breaking the third commandment” (Ex. 20:7). “Have you always set aside a day to honor and worship God? You have broken the fourth commandment” (Ex. 20:8). “Did you always honor your father and mother in your youth? You have broken the fifth commandment” (Ex. 20:12). “Have you ever become extremely angry with a person? You have broken the sixth commandment” (compare Ex. 20:13 with Matt. 5:21-22). “Have you ever looked upon a woman and lusted after her? You have broken the seventh commandment” (compare Ex. 20:14 with Matt. 5:27-28). “Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you? You have broken the eighth commandment” (Ex. 20:15). “Have you always told the truth? If not, you have broken the ninth commandment” (Ex. 20:16). “Have you ever had a desire to have what belongs to someone else? You have broken the tenth commandment” (Ex. 20:17). “Do you see why Jesus said He came to save sinners?” (Mark 2:16-17).

The problem with thinking we are good enough, or trying to be good enough to go to heaven, is the fact that we have all broken the Ten Commandments. James 2:10 tells us that whoever keeps the whole Law yet fails to keep just one point is GUILTY of breaking the Law. The Law was never meant to make you righteous but only to reveal your sin (Rom. 3:19-20). We all need a Savior! The word “Savior” has the idea of one that can rescue you from the penalty of sin. Jesus rescues the perishing so that they might have eternal life (Matt. 1:21).

To be good enough to go to heaven, we must have a righteousness that equals God’s (2 Cor. 5:21). The good news of the Gospel is that not only will Jesus forgive your sins, but He is offering—freely—His very own righteousness to us as a gift (Romans 5:17: “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ”).