The Gospel – Needed Everyday

I had failed once again, despite trying so hard to get it right. Discouragement and condemnation banged on the doors and windows of my heart. You’re a failure, they whispered. You’re hopeless.

True…but that doesn’t need to end in discouragement or condemnation. Unlike in other religions, in which man has to make himself worthy of God, the Bible teaches us that all of us are indeed hopeless apart from Him. Jesus didn’t come because we were 90% of the way there and just needed the little difference made up—He came because we had no hope.

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” Ephesians 2:12

And, if we have come to God through Jesus, then on the cross Jesus claimed all our unrighteousness as His own (was made sin for us) and declared all His righteousness ours.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1 Corinthians 1:30

Wow. The gift of Christ’s righteousness is a truth we can’t hear often enough.

I once heard someone say something along the lines that Satan reminds us of our sin to beat us up, but God reminds us of it so we can run to Christ. We need the gospel everyday. Everyday we can live the same way we were saved—by turning from ourselves and to Jesus, admitting we have nothing and clinging to His righteousness.

When you see a fresh glimpse into the depth of your sin, don’t let it lead to looking at yourself more. Instead, let it make you run back to Jesus and rejoice again in His gift of forgiveness and righteousness. Repent of your sin, but don’t be surprised by it. God isn’t.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2