Letters from a Skeptic:

But this is just the point, Dad. It is the central motive for all of Jesus' ethical teachings. We are unable to perform our way to God on our own: thus, we need a Savior!

Throughout Jesus' ministry He was confronting people who (like the Christians you've confronted) believed that they were righteous before God on the basis of how good they were. They didn't think they needed a Savior.

So how did Jesus help them? He helped them by showing them what they'd really have to be like if they were to be righteous before God without a Savior.

So, for example, the Pharisees were proud because they didn't appear as sinful as other people, but Jesus tells them they need to "be perfect, even as God is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Good luck!

So too, some self-righteous folks were proud for never committing adultery, but Jesus (not Paul) told them "if you've lusted after a woman in your heart you've already committed adultery" (Matt. 5:27-28, my paraphrase).

He makes His point precisely because everyone has lusted in his heart!

Then again, these religious types were very proud because they had never murdered, so Jesus told them "if you get angry or even say 'fool' in your heart towards a brother, you're already in danger of hell fire" (Matt. 5:21-22, my paraphrase).

The point, Dad, is that left on our own, we are all "in danger of hell fire. "

The list of verses could go on, but the point would always be the same. If you're going to stand before God on your own basis, Dad, you have to be perfect, for God is perfect.

Any imperfection is eternally incompatible with the character of God. Being "relatively good" just doesn't cut it. Being "sort of holy" will get no more brownie points in heaven than being a dope-addicted prostitute. One must have God's own perfect righteousness - or one has no righteousness at all that "counts."

But this righteousness, Dad, we cannot acquire through our own effort. This is the realization Jesus is driving us to with His teaching.

Being rightly related to God isn't about "doing" anything. It's not a performance. If it were, as some try to make it, we'd all be goners.

Rather, God's righteousness can only be received as a gift. God wants to give it to you, for free, no strings attached! He wants to establish a relationship with you, Dad, a relationship which is characterized by unconditional love.

All you have to do is admit that you can do nothing, and you do this by simply accepting His righteousness. The Bible tells us the most fundamental purpose of the "law" was to bring us precisely to this point (Gal. 3).

So, Dad, hear the impossible ethics of the Sermon on the Mount, throw your hands up in the air, and confess, "I cannot do it! I quit! I am a hopeless sinner!"

Read such teachings of Scripture, and recognize how badly you, like everyone else, need a Savior. And then simply accept Him.
 

The only issue is, do you accept this sacrifice?