Vanity?

So today, my pastor spent some time discussing the things that Jesus said while on the cross. He was only able to discuss two out of seven of them, but wow, what a powerful message. He spent the majority of the sermon discussing when Jesus said to God, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Pastor Eric said that often times we discuss the physical torture that Christ endured, but we don't talk so much about how much spiritual pain that He suffered as God forsook Him and what a mystery this is...

I mentioned on Facebook and have shared with a few people that I've shared the Gospel with that it seems to me that all of that suffering Christ endured is in vain if our good works are enough for God to be pleased with us. Why would Christ have been sent to earth and died the way He died if all we had to do is "be a good person." Who is a good person? Are you a good person? I'm not. Anything that is good in me is because God Himself put it there for me. How does one interpret some verses that contradict the statement that any human being is good? For example,

“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
Romans 3:10-12

Or this one: “ The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9,

or this: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." Isaiah 64:6

The Truth is, my friends, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
I do not point finger at others and say, YOU alone have sinned, no, on the contrary, I realize the wickedness of my own heart and how deceitful it is and know that my only means of salvation is through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. If I look at the Law of God (the 10 Commandments), and look at whether or not I've broken one, I would have to say unequivocally, yes! I have used the Lord's name in vain, I have lied and although I haven't physically murdered another, God equates hate with murder.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause[b] shall be in danger of the judgment". Matthew 5:21-22

Here I have looked at three of the ten commandments and have broken all three during some time in my life. The Bible says that, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10
So when you stand before God on the day appointed to you, will you be found innocent or guilty? Some people say, "Well, God is good and is Love and He will accept me." Okay, now if someone came into your house and murdered a loved one of yours and was put before a judge and the judge said, "Well, I'm a good judge and a loving judge and although you broke the law, I see that you're a good person, so I will let you go," you would be outraged! If God is good then He must punish our guilt.

Please examine yourselves, are you a good person? In the eyes of God Himself? There is a way to find right standing before God. Only one Way. His name is Jesus Christ. Won't you acknowledge your sin before Him, turn to Him today and put your faith on the sacrifice He made? Eternity is a very long time...


"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"
2 Corinthians 13:5