I Would Never Do That
It can be easy for us at times to look at someone else and think, "well, I would never do what they did or what they are doing... That would never happen to me!" What does the Bible say? "For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) We are ALL in desperate need of God's love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Each and every one of us are capable of doing the unthinkable. Do you know why? "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick!" (Jeremiah 17:9) This is why Paul says in Romans 7:19, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep doing." “Wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25) Paul doesn't point his finger at others, but rather, he sees himself as the problem. Without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, each and every one of us is capable of doing things we never thought we could. We are in desperate need of His POWER to overcome our carnal flesh so that we might walk according to Truth and obedience to His Word.
Jesus said in Mark 2:17, "It's not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick." He also says, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32) The "church" is filled with imperfect people because there is only one perfect Person and His Name is Jesus Christ. In the world I have often heard people say they don’t want to go to church because they see from the Body of Christ judgment, gossip, ridicule, self-righteousness, or slander?! I'm guessing many have heard this verse, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:1-3)
Jesus prayed for sinners while He was dying for their sin. Please read that again! :) With our lives, we can SHOW them the LOVE of Jesus Christ! It's God's love that changes people. May our goal be for others to see CHRIST in us the HOPE of GLORY! He showers us with His unconditional love each and every day, even though we don't deserve His love. As A.W. Tozer stated, "We cannot pray in love and live in hate and still think we are worshipping God."
