Starting The Season 0-1

As it is written: ​​“There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:10

It is not a question of fairness, though we feel it unfair, but each and every one of us began this season called life with a record of 0-1. Before we even knew to play in the game or what contest we were engaged in, we had a loss on our record. And, since God in His perfect holiness cannot allow any 'teams' with a loss on their record into His eternal kingdom, we were lost before we had a chance to gain a winning record.

Of course, a quick read through the law with an honest look at our deepest thoughts would reveal not only that one loss we began life with, but many, many more besides. With a few selfless good deeds on my record, I would estimate mine at something like 45-1,075,624,212 or something like that. And that is giving myself more credit than I deserve I suspect. In other words, there is no chance at all for me to redeem my 'team' by a winning record of truly selfless good deeds in my later years. Place dear old me on the scales of justice at the end and surely I will fall below the mark.

Thank the Lord on High that it is not dependent upon my good record!

No, there is a much greater weight on the good side of that dreaded scale - the weight of a Savior who died for me on the cross quite near where He was born. Every loss my 'team' suffered in this life is paid for by the Lord Jesus. Had the Huskers and Broncos had such an overwhelming victor on the winning side of their records this year both would have been champions. Whoa, that was a real stretch of fantasy there! Actually, Paul's comparison would be more like a team that had never won a game being given the championship trophy. So it is with all of us who are saved by Jesus - we have nothing to offer Him in the way of a victory over sin and death: all of the victory comes from Christ alone!

Merry Christmas to you on this sunny weekend!
Bucky