Doves On Distant Oaks

God's Forgiveness

Here we stand trying to do good, knowing what is good, and still we do what we know we should not do. This is even what the apostle Paul said of himself, who was one of the greatest apostles and author of 23 percent of the New Testament. If he struggled so mightily with doing what was good and righteous, what chance have we?

Often the biggest lies we tell are the ones we tell ourselves—to justify our own behavior. If we were to grade ourselves on several aspects of our Christian walk, just how well would we do? We would probably give ourselves a bunch of C's (because we're humble), a few A's and B's (because deep down we're good people), and a smattering of D's (because we know we're not perfect and need to work on a few things). Unfortunately, we're grading ourselves on a curve and the classroom is all humanity. Yet, compared to God, we all deserve F's, and not just borderline failures—epic fails—because as Paul well knew, we don't even come close.

That fact alone could well make us truly despondent, without hope, and it would if we were still under the law. But something marvelous happened almost two millennia ago. Jesus went to the cross and bore all of our sin. While we still garner failing grades, God no longer sees them. Covered by the blood of Jesus, God only sees His son's "A"s in our stead.

Does that mean we can go out and sin at will, knowing our sins are forgiven? No. The law is there to show us our sin nature and exhort us to do better, even when we continue to sin. We should hate our sin even as we fall into it, rather than excuse it away as simply our sin nature.

How often have I seen the bumper sticker that says, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven"? I believe it sends the wrong message. It seems to say Christians can do whatever they want, as long as they ask forgiveness for it later. Perhaps we should just stop right in the middle and leave it at that: "Christians aren't perfect."

When we acknowledge that imperfection, every moment of every waking day, we will finally come to the same revelation that Paul did—oh what wretched sinners we are. Then we will find that place in ourselves that turns to God with heartfelt thanksgiving that He has delivered us through Jesus Christ.

For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

– Romans 7:19-20

Keywords: Law, Imperfection, Christ

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