If you were to ask most people if they are “good,” they would probably say yes. They pay their taxes, they don't steal, and they try to be kind to their neighbors. Even in the church, it is easy to fall into a mindset that says, “I'm doing pretty well. I'm a good person.”
We can convince ourselves that we are “good enough” without really admitting our daily, desperate need for Jesus. We might believe that because we go to church, serve in a ministry, or grew up in a Christian home, we are on solid ground. But the book of Romans challenges this comfort. It digs beneath the surface of our lives to ask a hard question: Is your confidence in your own goodness, or is it in salvation by grace through the finished work of Christ?
In Romans, the Apostle Paul exposes 3 lies that keep us from truly depending on Christ and experiencing the freedom of justification by faith. He does not mince words about how salvation works. In Romans 3:28, he states clearly, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.“
It isn’t about balancing our bad deeds with good ones. Paul explains in Romans 3:24 that we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” This is the definition of justification by faith: being declared righteous not because we earned it, but because Jesus paid for it.
The Sinking Foundation: A Hidden Problem
Imagine the city of Chicago. It is a world-class city with incredible architecture, deep-dish pizza, and a rich history. It is beautiful to look at. But there is a hidden problem many people don't know about: Chicago was built on a swamp.
Engineers and architects have spent decades trying to manage the water and stabilize the buildings, but the reality remains that the foundation is soft. Technically, the city is sinking.
This is a perfect picture of the human condition. On the surface, your life might look fantastic. You might be building a great career, raising a wonderful family, and managing your finances well. From the outside, you look like a beautiful city. But if you dig through the dirt of your soul, you will find a different reality.
Without Jesus, our souls are sinking. It does not matter how much you try to engineer your life with good morals, success, or religious habits. If the foundation is flawed, the structure is unstable. We cannot self-save. We cannot fix the swamp of sin beneath the surface by simply building prettier buildings on top of it. We need a new foundation entirely; we need justification by faith.
Exposing the “Good Lies” Christians Believe
Paul writes in Romans 2 to religious people, people who knew the scriptures and believed in God. He warns them (and us) about the “good lies” we tell ourselves to avoid admitting we need a Savior just as much as the “bad” people do.
Lie #1: “I'm not that person.”
The first lie we believe is, “I'm not that person.” This is the lie of comparison. We look at the world around us, maybe the news, a public figure, or maybe an old roommate who made wild decisions, and we think, “Well, at least I'm not like them.”
We use other people's failures to make ourselves feel better. It eases our guilt.
But Paul warns us in Romans 2:1, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector in Luke 18:9-14. The religious Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men… extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.” Meanwhile, the tax collector wouldn't even lift his eyes to heaven, praying simply, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
Jesus said the tax collector went home justified, not the religious man. Why? Because self-righteousness condemns us. Thinking “I'm not that person” blinds us to our own need for grace and separates us from true justification by faith.
Lie #2: “I'm not that lost.”
The second lie is, “I'm not that lost.” This is rooted in what we might call “Beliefism”, the idea that simply knowing the right information saves you.
You might think, “I believe in God. I know the Bible stories. I grew up in church.” You might feel secure because of your proximity to faith.
Paul addresses this in Romans 2:13, “For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”
Hearing the truth isn't the same as letting it change you. You can know everything about the city of Chicago—its history, its sports teams, the best restaurants—but that doesn't mean you live there. In the same way, you can know everything about Christianity, but that doesn't mean you have a relationship with Christ.
Lie #3: “I'm not that bad.”
The third lie is, “I'm not that bad.” This one relies on religious rituals and “good deeds.”
In Romans, Paul talks about circumcision, which was the major religious symbol for the Jews. Today, we might substitute that with things like baptism, taking communion, or church membership. We think, “I've been baptized. I serve in the nursery. I give money. Therefore, I'm good.”
But even rituals like baptism do not save us. They are outward signs of an inward change. Our good works do not wash away sin on their own; only the blood of Jesus can do that.
Think of religion like a balloon. When we rely on our own works, our attendance, our giving, our “good boy” or “good girl” resume, we puff ourselves up. We get a big head. We start to feel superior to others who aren't doing as much as we are. We become judgmental and insecure, constantly worried that if we stop “doing,” God will stop loving us.
Paul says that if you rely on the law (your good works), you have to keep it perfectly. And none of us can do that. Relying on your religious resume is a trap because justification by faith means realizing you bring nothing to the table but your sin.
This realization brings us to the ultimate legal reality. No matter how much we puff ourselves up, our own works will never tip the scales of divine justice in our favor. We need a verdict that comes from outside of ourselves.
The True Gospel: Salvation by Grace, Not Works
So, if being “not that person,” “not that lost,” and “not that bad” isn't enough, what is?
The true gospel is that salvation by grace alone saves us. It is not about our goodness; it is about His. There is a powerful phrase we must remember: Jesus did not come to make bad people good; He came to make dead people alive.
We are not just “sick” and in need of a little medicine. We are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). A dead person cannot perform religious rituals to come back to life. A dead person cannot compare themselves to other dead people to feel better. They need a resurrection.
This is what justification by faith is all about. It is the legal declaration by God that you are righteous, not because you behaved well, but because you trusted in Jesus, who lived a perfect life and died on your behalf.
Applying the Gospel to Your Daily Life
If you are reading this and thinking, “I hope my husband reads this,” or “I wish my friend who is struggling would hear this,” pause for a moment.
Ask yourself: Who is the person you know best who needs God most?
The honest answer should be: “Me.”
You are the only person who fully knows your thoughts, secrets, and heart motives. You know the darkness that exists in your own heart better than anyone else's.
We need to fire the “defense attorney” in our hearts. You know that voice, the one that constantly defends you, saying, “But I tried hard,” or “But I had good intentions.” Stop defending yourself. Plead guilty. Admit you are sinking.
The moment you stop defending your own goodness is the moment you can receive God's. Romans 2:4 tells us that it is “the goodness of God [that] leads you to repentance.” God isn't trying to crush you with condemnation; He is trying to woo you with kindness. He wants you to stop building on a swamp and step onto the solid rock.
How To Escape the “Good Lies” About Salvation
If you recognize yourself in these lies, there is hope. You can escape the trap of religious performance and find true rest in justification by faith.
- Self-Examination: Be honest with yourself. Are you relying on your comparison to others, your knowledge of the Bible, or your religious checklist? 2 Corinthians 13:5 encourages us to “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.”
- Repentance: Repentance isn't just saying “I'm sorry.” It literally means to change your mind. Change your mind about what saves you. Turn away from trusting yourself and turn toward trusting Christ.
- Put Faith in Christ’s Finished Work: Stop trying to add to what Jesus did. When He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He meant it. You cannot add your good works to His perfect sacrifice. Trust that His death and resurrection were enough to purchase your freedom from sin.
Takeaway
The lies are subtle. “I'm not that person.” “I'm not that lost.” “I'm not that bad.” They sound good, but they are sinking sand.
Release your self-reliance. It is exhausting trying to be “good enough” for God. The beauty of the gospel is that you don't have to be. You just have to be willing to admit you aren't. Will you keep building a life on a sinking foundation, or will you step onto the solid rock of salvation by grace? The invitation is open. The work is done. The gift is free. Receive it.
This blog was adapted from a sermon titled “Romans: Good Lies,” which was preached at Paradigm, Abundant Life’s young adult ministry.