“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.”
--Romans 3:10-11
Perhaps you’ve seen or heard the illustration of people trying to get to heaven as trying to leap over an ocean. The illustration goes that some may jump further than others, but the point is clear that no one can jump across the ocean. And in the same way, while some may live better lives than others, the point is that no one can live a life holy enough to get to heaven.
Now, I want you to know that I believe all of that is true. Not one person is good enough to go to heaven. And even those who seem to live better lives than others still fall short, by far.
But do you know what I’ve noticed in life? It’s that most people don’t even try to jump to attain salvation. Oh, there may be a few religious people who try to prove themselves to God, but very few people today even bother to try to jump to get to God because most people today assume they’re already okay.
However, the reality is that not one person apart from Christ is okay. Every single individual has sinned and has fallen short of God’s holy standard. No one is okay, but God has given them a way to be made okay with Him.
So, don’t let the prevailing attitude of “I’m okay, you’re okay” keep you from sharing God’s truth. It’s only through Christ that anyone can come to God, so share that with others each day!
NO ONE CAN COME TO GOD APART FROM JESUS CHRIST. SO LIVE YOUR LIFE TO TELL THE WORLD THAT JESUS HAS MADE A WAY BACK TO GOD!
What God Wants When We Sin
Thursday, January 30, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”
Psalm 51:3–6
The first sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sank their teeth into the forbidden fruit. The first excuse for sin followed not long after when God confronted Adam about what he had done. Rather than confessing his sin, and acknowledging his responsibility for it, Adam blamed both his wife and God for it. “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12).
And ever since, blame-shifting and rationalization of sin has been used by generation after generation. But until we accept that we alone are responsible, we cannot deal with sin properly. God desires and demands truth when it comes to dealing with sin. The popular catch phrase “The devil made me do it” is not true. He tempts us and tries to lure us into sin, but he does not cause it. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:14).
If we are blaming the devil or other people or even God for our sin, we are not yet ready to make things right with Him. Only when we point the finger at ourselves instead of someone else can we begin to return to close fellowship with God. The lies that we tell ourselves and others about sin will block that relationship as long as we cling to them.
Today's Growth Principle:
Until we are willing to confess the truth of our responsibility for our sin, we cannot truly repent.
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