So many people question how God could punish “good” people and send them to eternal torment in hell. I used to think the same thing. As I studied the Bible, I realized the Bible says that nobody is actually good.

as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10)

Our problem is we use the wrong standard. We compare ourselves to other people. We especially compare ourselves to other people who are much worse (at least in some area) than we are. This makes us look “good.” When defining “good people,” we usually compare people to the worst of the worst. We say, “He is a good person. He isn’t like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc.” This is using the wrong standard. Our standard is the Word of God. Our standard is the perfect life of Jesus. When we use the right standard, instead of being a couple of inches better than other people, we are light-years short of the real standard, Jesus Christ.

When we think about what we consider “the worst sins,” we usually think about these:

“You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:13-17)

They are all sins against other people. Even if we only consider these sins, is there anyone who has not broken at least one of them sometime in their life? I don’t think so.

The Bible tells us that all it takes is one broken law to be guilty.

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. (James 2:8-11) {emphasis mine}

Jesus, however, takes the commandments to a whole new level and considers our hearts, and not just our actions.

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)

When we change from judging people’s actions to judging people’s thoughts, it is pretty easy to see that everyone falls short of God’s standard. Still, there is a greater sin than these.

We learn the most important commandment from Jesus.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40) {emphasis mine}

If the greatest and most important commandment is to ”love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” then the greatest sin would be breaking this commandment. Therefore, the worst sin a person can commit is to fail to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Using this standard, we really fall short. Most people don’t “love the Lord your God,” but not one loves “the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” We fall woefully short. I’d argue that we don’t truly obey this command even one second out of our lives.

After his affair with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah, David, “a man after God’s own heart,” says this:

Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:4)

David understood that all sins, including those against other people, are primarily sins against our Lord and Creator.

It is clear that there are no truly good people. We all deserve death and torment. Thankfully, there is an answer to our dire sin problem:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:9-10)

Lord Jesus, forgive us for not loving you like we should. Forgive us for not loving others as you have loved us. Help us love you with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Help us never to take your grace for granted.

Trust Jesus

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.