There are quite a few angry atheists who are ex-christians who have been badly let down by the church. And what do we expect from atheists when we tell them "there is none righteous, no not one", or "your goodness is just filthy rags" or "your going to hell" or " your heart is ugly to God" or they have become "worthless".? Magenta, we must be very careful when we yank individual verses of scripture from their context and assume it applies to all people everywhere. There are plenty of people of all kinds doing tremendously good things. So it is not true that there is "no one good, no not one". Maybe in the setting that Paul was writing in it was true, but not in my experience.
Dibby53, I would suggest that you search out the scriptures again, because what I am seeing by your posts is that a person can be saved by performing good works, which is false. "doing tremendously good things" will not get anyone into heaven. As far as God is concerned, those good things that people are doing are as filthy rags. Performing them cannot grant anyone access into the kingdom of God. This is exactly how the world thinks, that if they do good works in their life that somehow after they die those good works will be credited to them and will allow them in. This is a lie of Satan! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me. Unless their is a shedding of blood their is no forgiveness of sins! Doing good works does not provide a covering for our sins.
Isn't the good news that in fact there is something beautiful at heart of everyone, the image of God? That Jesus saves us from sin that obscures our true relationship with the Father? So there is good in everyone.... but God prunes us, like fruit trees, to bear greater and more good fruit....without destroying the plant. Now that is good news!
Yes, that is true. However, you have to be in Christ to have a relationship with God. Those doing going good works without being committed to Christ, remain condemned. Below is a scriptural example:
"Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
What happened?! Those in the example above prophesied in Jesus' name, they drove out demons and performed many miracles. But at the judgment, Jesus' response to them will be "I never knew you; depart from me." They were doing good works, why did Jesus reject them? It is because they will have trusted in their own works as the reason for why they should inherit the kingdom of God. The reason they will not enter in can be seen by their own words "Did we not." It is only through faith in Christ that we will inherit the kingdom of God.