Pride and worth…

 

Not too long ago, a professing Christian said to me, “I feel so unworthy…” and I replied, “That is exactly how God wants us to think.”

No one is worthy of salvation. There is no distinction for “all have for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-24) The gospel is not for ‘worthy’ people for there are none. As it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10–18)

Those who say they are not worthy often say this as a complaint, as a “I wish I were a better person” and are trying to make the gospel about them and their worth. It is a pride thing to want to earn my salvation, to be able to say I am worthy of such an incredible gift.

Pride shows up in so many ways. It focuses on the failures of others, is fault-finding, independent, wants to prove I am right, wants self-advancement, is confident, or self-conscious, quick to blame others, quick to cover up sin or excuse it, and so on. I have a list and try not to read it too often for it is very convicting. Nevertheless, the Lord knows how to humble a proud heart and the only way to avoid the pain of that is to say yes to it.

The above passage provides an outline for those who are washed by the gospel:

“You are given the righteousness of Christ and the Holy Spirit has blessed you with an understanding so that you now seek God. Rather than turning from Him, you now turn to Him and have great worth in His sight. You are now able to do good because He lives in you. Your words can tell others of His grace and bring good news to others who are still lost in sin. The goodness of God can now flow out of you as you praise Him in joy. You are quick to bring life to those who are spiritually dead because you now know the way of life and peace with God. Your distain for Him has become reverent love and respect…”

The flesh wants all the credit, even to say “I accepted Christ” even though Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)

Humility admits no worth yet declares the incredible worth of the One who saves, the One who did all the work and declared, “It is finished” at the moment of His death.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

PRAY: Pride is easy to declare. Humility not so much. As soon as I think I have it, i’m reverting back to boasting. Jesus, You know my ups and downs, the things that mess with my mind and the struggle to wait on You without boasting about it. I know I’m set free and that freedom means living without thinking much about myself, but about You and about others. Keep me in the right place and frame of mind that most glorifies You. You are worthy — totally and completely!

Sin is serious

Exodus 21; Job 39; Luke 24; 2 Corinthians 9

A friend who works in a women’s prison tells of hearing the following conversation. One inmate says, “I don’t know why I am in here.” Another says, “What did they charge you with?” She replied, “Assault and battery.” The other woman asked, “What did you do?” The first woman said, “Oh, I hit my boyfriend with a car, but only a little bit.”

Her attitude reveals much! I wonder how she would react to Biblical Law. For instance, Exodus 21 begins a list of laws and punishments for only a few things. Two of them show that God takes seriously what many people might claim is “only a little bit” serious:

“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death . . . . Whoever curses (dishonors or reviles) his father or his mother shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:15; 17)

Imagine the consternation if the lawmakers in this present day put this law of God into effect. Would it stop parental abuse? Or would there be a sudden increase in statistics concerning the death penalty.

This disrespect of parents is only one sin on the list of what could be described as how we break the Ten Commandments. There are more and some seem much less serious, such as craving what belongs to someone else. Yet God considers human attitudes that go against His principles as serious sins. Jesus verified that is in our hearts is the source of our sinful actions.

The New Testament is clear; the seriousness of sin is the reason God sent Jesus to suffer and die on the cross, not a death that He deserved but to give life to sinners:

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:44–47)

The New Testament is clear; “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” but this verse does not end with that. The next verse says, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-24)

It is as if God is the judge and we are guilty of breaking most of the law, but as we stand before Him, we are told that another has taken our penalty. We can go free if we accept that other as our Lord and Savior, giving our lives to Him because He has bought us with the price of His own life.

Sin is serious. So also is the remedy for sin. God’s redemption plan is not only astonishing in the freedom from guilt it offers, but the add-ons that come with it. Here is one example of the life that is offered in God’s redemption package:

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work . . . . He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:8–11)

No wonder that the writer of 2 Corinthians ends this section with, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

APPLY: God is giving me occasion this day to rejoice in all that He has done in Christ for me. I’ve broken His laws and fall short of His glory, but He gave me Jesus, the Substitute who paid my debt and set me free, sending me out into this sinful world with all the grace needed to live for Him. For the enormity of this inexpressible gift, I am deeply humbled and deeply grateful, also deeply willing to do whatever He asks of me as His redeemed servant, His child, and His friend.