Splendid Sins by Charles Spurgeon

Galatians chapter 2 verse 16. We know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. See the uselessness of mere morality. Honesty, morality, and such things may be very good among men, but all these things put together without genuine faith do not please God.

Without saving faith, all moral virtues are but splendid sins. You will as surely be lost if you trust to your good works as if you had trusted to your sins. Trust Jesus and you are saved. Trust self and you are damned. unbelief nullifies everything. It is the dead fly in the ointment. It is the poison in the pot.

All the moral virtues, all the benevolence of philanthropy, all the kindness of unselfish charity, give no title to divine acceptance, for without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6

The cardinal error against which the gospel of Christ has to contend is the tendency of the human heart to rely on salvation by its works or morality or virtues. The poor sinner trying to be saved by his morality or good works is like a blind horse going round and round a mill and never getting a step further, but only being whipped continually. J. C. Ryle.

The holiest actions of the holiest saint that ever lived are all more or less full of defects and imperfections. They are either wrong in their motive or defective in their performance, and in themselves are nothing better than splendid sins, deserving God's wrath and condemnation. To suppose that such actions can stand the severity of God's judgment, atone for sin and merit heaven, is simply absurd.

The only righteousness in which we can appear before God is the righteousness of another, even the perfect righteousness of our substitute and representative, Jesus Christ the Lord. His work, and not our work, is our only title to heaven. This is a truth which we should be ready to die to maintain. Arthur Pink.

The Gospel addresses men as guilty, condemned, perishing criminals. It declares that the most chaste moralist is in the same terrible plight as is the most voluptuous profligate, and the zealous professor, with all his religious performances, is no better off than the most profane infidel. The Gospel contemplates every person as a fallen, polluted, hell-deserving and helpless sinner. Salvation by Christ alone is the sinner's only hope.