In John's gospel chapter 3 we read about Nicodemus, the Pharisee, who found that his own religiousness was inadequate to take him into the blessing he thought he was earning by his goodness. When Jesus told him, Ye must be born again, it was a deathblow to all his hopes. So one of the most religious men, belonging to the most religious sect in the most religious city of the world, could not gain entrance to heaven by his own efforts. He could not make himself good enough.
In John 4 the best of blessings—living water—is offered to a poor guilty woman just for the asking.
In John 5 the friendless man at the Pool of Bethesda, too weak to secure by his own efforts the healing he longed for, got all he wanted when Jesus came.
What does all this teach us? Just this: if a man's own goodness cannot take him into the blessing, neither his badness nor his weakness, nor both put together can keep him out if he trusts in Christ.