Saying Grace
Isaiah 53:6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way". Roman 3:23 tells us "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". I John 1:8 makes it very clear "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us".
We are sinners. It is inevitable we will sin. God has made it easy for us to understand the impossibility of our being able to secure our salvation by living a sinless life. The realization of our sinfulness seems to lead to one of the following three conclusions.
- Sin is inevitable so why resist it. We have all heard someone make the following statement. "There has only been one sinless person". This comment is usually made by someone who wants to justify or minimize their own or someone else's ungodly behavior. This statement is often followed by the "I'm only human" excuse. I remember being shocked when one prominent religious leader seemed to be making an allowance for President Clinton's behavior with Monica Lewinski by saying "he is a good looking guy and these women just throw themselves at him". In other words, he's just human and there's only been one perfect person. Wink. Nod. Chuckle. Smile. Boyish grin.
- Some say God's grace covers my sin. Others say I'm not to concerned about my sin because God will bail me out. Those who take this view seem to be echoing the words of Romans 6:1 "Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound". They seem to view grace as a safety net that allows them to do dangerous spiritual maneuvers that put God to the test. They live there spiritual life on the edge. Romans 6:11 "In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires".
- Finally there are those who realize their sinfulness and are broken hearted because they are aware of God's grace and its power to cover their sin, but they realize that the cost of that grace was the sinless body of Jesus on the cross. Their sin produces "Godly sorrow" and this heartfelt sorrow provides a sincere desire to "repent" II Cor 7:10.
I John 1:1 makes our position and God's desire perfectly clear. "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Understanding our sinfulness is important because only when we understand sin can we appreciate the value of Grace.
Brother Dave
