Clearly in Scripture God is holy beyond what we can even imagine (Ex 33).  To be in his presence we too must be righteous.  There are two faith systems in this entire world–righteousness by works or righteousness by Christ.

Imagine for a moment that a person is in one of the faith systems where your good works have to outweigh your bad works to be in God’s presence in heaven.  Suppose those good works are at 51% and the evil works are at 49%.  Or for that matter, good works are at 95% and the person only has 5% bad.

Think for a minute on that unrighteousness.  In that 5% or even 1%, a person lusts, lies, steals, slanders, cheats, etc… Can you think for a minute that this is acceptable in “heaven”?  That we are mostly righteous?  Do you think a God so holy that Moses could barely see a shadow of him can have in his dwelling with him those who still lie/cheat/steal but are 90% righteous?

Not at all.  That would not be heaven.

Only righteousness can dwell with God.  And if that is the case, we are doomed.  That is, doomed outside of Christ.

Christ gave us his righteousness and took on our own unrighteousness.  That’s the point.  It’s the only way we can enter into the presence of God because 90% righteousness will never be enough.  Just something to think about.

Php 3:8

8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in ^a Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.