Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
Tally Up His Grace
“Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight, no man living is righteous” (Ps 143:2)
When subjected to bright light, even the cleanest room is found to contain dust, dirt, and grime hiding in the corners and under the furniture. Before the bright and perfect glory of God, no man’s life is truly clean. We can only deceive ourselves into a sense of “goodness” by comparing ourselves to others who have sinned in a way that is different from us… be wary of thinking of yourself as better just because your dirt smells better than others’ dirt. It only smells that way because you are used to it and live with it every day.
In the sight of God, all sin is equally filthy, and every sinner needs grace instead of judgment. The answer isn’t rationalization of our sins but genuine remorse over them.
The integrity to recognize our need for God’s grace starts with an honest assessment of our own works. Most of us believe ourselves to be good people, but perhaps that is more boasting than truth. Here is a useful test – carry a small notebook with you for 24 hours. Count up every time you say something unkind, complain, judge others unfairly, dwell on lustful thoughts, or speak carelessly. I suspect, if we are transparent with ourselves, that the tally marks will be more than we wish to share.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)
We are saved by grace, not perfection. More specifically, we are saved by God’s perfection and God’s grace. We work for Him because we trust Him to save us. Our faith, our trust is in Him to do what we cannot.
