Do you know what is the most popular religion in America? It is the religion of "good enough", or the religion of morality. Many believe that all a person must do to be acceptable to God, and be saved, is to just live a good moral life. You know the drill, don't lie, cheat and steal. Don't murder, rape and pillage or anything really bad. As long as you are a decent person and live a decent life, then you'll be just fine. You don't really need any of that "stuff they talk about in church." Like many things the world presents to us as being true, nothing could be a bigger lie.

There is a good example in the New Testament of someone who was a good moral person. As a matter of fact, I don't know too many today who could measure up to this fellow's "goodness". His name is Cornelius and we read of him in Acts chapter ten.

Acts 10:1-2 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Acts 10:22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

Certainly it is the case that if any man could have gone to heaven by simply being a good moral person it was Cornelius. As we read further into the chapter, however, this was not the case. In verse 22 we learn that he is is warned by an angel from God to send men to Joppa to call for Simon Peter who would give him the true message of salvation. Surely this could not be so! Is there some sort of mistake? How could such a good man be lost? How could it be that he needs to hear a message of salvation since he is already such a good man? The true fact is, man is condemned by his sins and no amount or degree of good moral living will save him. He needs the grace of God presented in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

We find in our text that there are two things necessary for Cornelius' salvation. First, he needs to hear the message of salvation. Second, there is something he must do (Acts 10:5-6). Peter needed to come to Cornelius and preach the gospel and Cornelius needed hear and heed (obey) the gospel. Apart from these two things, Cornelius had no hope. All of his good deeds would not earn him any "points" to merit salvation.

Just as Cornelius could not be saved by simply being a "good moral person" neither can we. Just as he needed to hear, believe and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so must we. God has done His part. He gave His only begotten Son so that we might be saved. Will we do our part by hearing, believing and obeying?