Why is it that when people are asked if they......?

Good question! The fact is we are all sinners! But we don’t look at ourselves that way! We judge our righteousness by measuring ourselves to the people around us. I may be a sinner but I’m not as bad as that rascal that lives down the street from me. Or I’m not as bad as the guy I work with. I’m not as bad as my uncle Ted he was so crooked when he died they had to screw him into the ground! We look at ourselves as not beings saints but not beings sinners either, we see ourselves as lying in the middle somewhere. And through religion we make up our own plan for receiving forgiveness from God. Some believe that if my good deeds out weigh my bad some how my bad deeds will be forgiven. Some believe that if I’m just sincere in what I believe my sins will be forgiven. Some believe that if I go to church or give x amount of money, or be baptized or become a member that some how that will make up for the wrongs they have done. Some believe that if I just have a good heart God will somehow overlook my sins. Still others believe that if God in His love and mercy will somehow turn a blind eye to my sins and forgive me. All of these plans though some of them are very noble and some are very sincere are not God’s plan to receive forgiveness. When it’s all said and done it’s only God’s opinion that will matter and it only God’s plan for salvation that will bring about forgiveness to our souls. God will have the last word. And it is God who makes the rules that we have to follow. And here is what God has to say:

Romans 3:19-28, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

That is a very Good question!!

Im actually one of the very few Christians that don't name all the good things they've done. My answer to questions like that is that only God knows my fate. All I can do is try my best and live my life according to the Bible.

However I understand where most of those poeple are coming from they just need to understand the Bible better.

The reason they name all the good things they've done is because it says in the Bible that 'Faith WITHOUT works is dead' therfore most of these people probably believe is that if they do good things in their faith then they are saved, but this is not true. You must do good things an follow the Bible and keep the commandments and do alot of things.

We are not perfect we are all sinners and God knows it thats why we will be judged on different aspects of life.

My advice is just keep your life and character true to God!!

God Bless

The bible also makes it quite clear that "faith without works is dead". presumably such people are pointing out all the positive manifestations of their faith in Christ, rather than just bleating about how much they love him and how saved they are.

That is not my experience at all. Most Christians I have read of say they are saved through mercy and not good works.

A good question but perhaps that is as far as those people can understand the after-life and hence give you such a short-cut answer.

It's really a moot point, since both the concepts of heaven and salvation are nonsense.