Don't Lie to Yourself

We have to understand who the Bible says we are! This world tries to hold that all people are good. All people are born with a certain goodness and it is our circumstances that determine whether or not we turn out to be wicked or good. We want to believe so desperately that we are not the problem! We make excuses for ourselves all the time! I read a book last summer discussing what people really mean when they say they want “justice”. I believe as people born as image bearers of God we are born with a sense and a need for justice, but like everything else this has been tainted by our sin nature. When we cry out for justice in this world against those who do wicked, we want so badly for the evil of other people to be punished. The book touched on the truth that we cry for evil to be punished, unless it is our own! We want to see other people's sin punished, but when it comes to our own wickedness and sin, we always have some sort of excuse. We say “we didn’t mean to” or “it wasn’t intentional” or probably the most common and dangerous thing we tell ourselves is “it’s not a big deal!” We want sin and evil to be thrown in the fire while simultaneously telling ourselves that we have done no wrong, that we make no mistakes, and that this does not make me a “bad person.” The Bible shows us the truth, it makes us aware that sin comes from within a person, not from without. Our circumstances only bring out what is already going on within. We cannot lie to ourselves! We are sinners who are in need of a Savior! Jesus Christ is the only light! He is the way to righteousness because He is righteous! He bled and died to purify us from all our sins! Verse 9 is a beautifully clear verse for salvation. “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” My daughter asked me the other night after our nighttime Bible reading about Abraham, “Dad, why did God choose to help Abraham even though he did not trust God?” Abraham fell short all the time yet God used him to be the father of God’s chosen people! She did not understand why God would choose Abraham and she is right! It is a great question, but the greater question is why would God choose anyone? We are all like Abraham, even a child can see it so obviously. We all need God! Praise the Lord for choosing to save sinners!