Devotional For Students

Trying to be good and not sin seems like a full-time job. How can anyone stay pure? Why would anyone want to?
In 1 Timothy 6:11, Paul encouraged Timothy to 'pursue righteousness and a godly life.' In other words, keep doing what's right. But some try to seem holier than others in order to be admired or to earn their way to heaven.

Jesus talked a lot about the Pharisees. These men had created long lists of rules that they followed. They wanted to be admired for their discipline.

But in Matthew 5:20, Jesus made an incredible statement: 'But I warn you--unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!' In other words, you have to have more than just correct behavior. You have to be pure on the inside. This inner purity begins by accepting Christ's death on the cross as taking the punishment for our sins. When we do this, we take on Christ's purity. In God's eyes, we are worthy of eternity in heaven! Now that's a pretty good deal!

It doesn't stop there, of course. God wants us to be like Jesus. This is a lifelong process of allowing God to change us (see John 15:1-17; 1 Tim 6:11-12).

A Christian who's really alive realizes that her eternity is settled. But she also genuinely wants to be more like the one who paid such a high price for her soul--Jesus. Her motivation--and yours--is not to parade her goodness in front of others, but rather to please God.