Good Friday morning! The fireworks season often makes me think of all the wrong things... so we'll move on from that. Have you ever tried to make excuses for another person's sin? The excuse usually starts off with something like: well, he/she/they was/were probably... and then we insert some excuse for that person. We want to think that everyone is a good person underneath and that given another chance the other guy won't sin again. At least we sincerely hope so because that would mean that we have a chance under the ol' human goodness to save ourselves. Unfortunately, when we look at God's word a few contrary verses come to mind. You probably recall hearing verses like: They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:3) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
I don't like those verses. They all include me in the wrong way. I want to be good and fair and just and honest deep down underneath. It is circumstances that make me sin, not my heart or least of all me, myself and I. Sorry, I can only blame the way I am from the start: corrupted by sin through and through. And we know that we have no way to save ourselves. Why else do we write, talk, sing and tell of the salvation of Christ? You and I may not like hearing Paul tell us the straight and unblemished truth about our condition in Romans, but only by realizing that condition fully can we seize upon the many more verses that speak of salvation, forgiveness, grace, and God's great love for us.
A person who loves the darkness and the wickedness in his heart will never see the light in John 3:16. A person loving her lost condition will not look for the Way found in John 14:6. When the Spirit came into my life, I didn't start liking Romans 3:23, but I did agree with with it. List the ten commandments of God and I can look back at the old life and cite examples of how I violated every one of them. Of course I didn't actually murder any person, and neither did most folks, but we also know what Jesus had to say about harboring hatred or anger in our hearts. It only takes a wrong thought or two and we can be stamped guilty. But then comes the good news.
Not one of us can save ourselves or each other, but Jesus can save us all! Jesus has the right to save us because he paid the penalty for our sins. I may have started out completely wicked and sinful, but Jesus can cleanse me and declare me righteous. What is impossible for me is possible with God; to paraphrase Jesus in a personal way. And since Jesus made the perfect sacrifice there is nothing that you or I have done that can prevent Jesus from saving us from the first moment we ask him. All any of us need is that moment when we set aside the pride that says, "I can save me!" and take the time to hear the Master say, "Your sin is great, but my sacrifice was sufficient. I can save you!"
Now that's some good news! Enjoy the Independence Day weekend!
Bucky
No comments:
Post a Comment