Commentary: Not good enough By RALPH FUDGE Sunday, August 24, 2025 Today, there is much confusion about what it means to be Christian. For years, I, too, felt that I was not living as a Christian should. This was after trusting Christ as my personal Savior. Each time I sinned, I had some doubt as to whether or not I was really saved. But age has taught me a lot about humanity and Christianity. I now realize that I, and everyone on earth, will continue to sin as long as we live on earth. The Apostle Paul blamed our “Old man,” our old, sinful nature, which salvation did not eliminate. But no amount of sin can eliminate Christianity in anyone. In fact, God promises to forgive any sin that we confess to Him. (1 John 1:9). But even if we do not confess and ask forgiveness, sins that Christians commit never threaten their salvation because all our sins were “nailed to the cross” at Calvary. It is most unfortunate that far too many preachers actually teach “works salvation.” They preach that Christians must act one way and do particular things. They teach that Christians should not do other things. The truth is that they are all hypocrites in that they commit the same sins that they so vehemently preach against. I will admit that Christians normally refrain from doing some things and do make an effort to do good deeds, but that has nothing to do with being saved. The preachers who exhort goodness and rules forget, or ignore, the fact that no Christian can just decide to be good or kind or patient or display any of the other spiritual gifts. We can only bear the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us. Our part is to love God first and foremost and other people as ourselves (Great Commandment—Matthew 12:28-29). By preaching that a Christian must live a certain way and do certain things and not others, a preacher is claiming that a person can produce fruit that only God’s Spirit can produce. We Christians can only bear spiritual fruit. I believe one of the reasons we see so much lack of church attendance is the feeling many people have that they are not good enough. This is tragic because we really are not good enough. God knows this. He knew that man could never live up to His standards. That is the reason God came to earth as the Man Jesus, the Christ. Satan is full of tricks, and he uses all of them against us, especially those of us who are God’s children (Christians). The devil uses preachers who teach that we must be good. He puts wrong and heretical ideas in their minds to mislead Christians. Every Christian needs to stop worrying about being good, for no one on earth is good. Every Christian needs to pray for guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit. Christians should simply do the best they can as they listen to the Holy Spirit. Everyone, including all Christians, needs to realize their own unworthiness. Every Christian needs to realize that he is no better than unbelievers except for one thing. And that is belief and trust in Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Praise God. When He looks upon a Christian, He does not see the vile sinner that he is, but the righteousness that Christ has imputed to that one who has trusted Christ. What a wonderful and free gift God has provided to all who will believe in and call on Christ for salvation! ___ Ralph Fudge is the pastor of Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church in Coolidge, Ga., and has a Master’s degree in theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. --- PULLQUOTES --- Quote: Everyone, including all Christians, needs to realize their own unworthiness.