Key #2: Man
Sinner or Saint?
Can we rescue ourselves?
Can we rescue ourselves?
MAN IS A SINNER. The Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
SIN DEFINED
When we think of sin, many times we think only of robbery, murder, adultery or something of this nature. But the Bible tells us that sin is anything that doesn't please God or is a transgression of His law. anything we do that we shouldn't, like losing our temper or stealing - these are sins of commission. anything we should do but don't, like failing to pray or read the Bible, or to truly love our neighbor - these are sins of omission. There are not only sins in deed but also sins in word and thought like lying, cursing, lust, pride, and hatred. The Bible says these are all sins.
WOW! ONLY THREE SINS A DAY?
I don't know how many times a day that I sin, but lets suppose I sin just three times a day.
Imagine if no more often than three times a day did I think unkind thoughts, or lose my temper, or fail to do what I ought towards God and man - I would be a pretty fine person wouldn't I? Even if I were this good, I would still have over 1,000 transgressions a year! If I lived to be the average age of 70, I would have 70,000 violations of the law of God on my record. Think what would happen to a habitual offender in a criminal court with 70,000 transgressions on his record!
The Bible says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF because God's standard of acceptance is perfection.
AN OMELET WITH A BAD EGG If you were to prepare an omelet with five good eggs and one rotten egg, you couldn't serve it to company and expect it to be acceptable. Even less can we serve up our lives to God, which may have many things in them that men would call good, and yet are filled with deeds and thoughts that are rotten, and expect them to be acceptable to God.
Scripture says, "For whosoever shall keep tho whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). Also scripture says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death," (Proverbs 14:12). Do you see now why it is impossible for man to make himself good enough to save himself?
This comes into sharper focus when we look at what the Bible says about God.
SIN DEFINED
When we think of sin, many times we think only of robbery, murder, adultery or something of this nature. But the Bible tells us that sin is anything that doesn't please God or is a transgression of His law. anything we do that we shouldn't, like losing our temper or stealing - these are sins of commission. anything we should do but don't, like failing to pray or read the Bible, or to truly love our neighbor - these are sins of omission. There are not only sins in deed but also sins in word and thought like lying, cursing, lust, pride, and hatred. The Bible says these are all sins.
WOW! ONLY THREE SINS A DAY?
I don't know how many times a day that I sin, but lets suppose I sin just three times a day.
Imagine if no more often than three times a day did I think unkind thoughts, or lose my temper, or fail to do what I ought towards God and man - I would be a pretty fine person wouldn't I? Even if I were this good, I would still have over 1,000 transgressions a year! If I lived to be the average age of 70, I would have 70,000 violations of the law of God on my record. Think what would happen to a habitual offender in a criminal court with 70,000 transgressions on his record!
The Bible says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF because God's standard of acceptance is perfection.
AN OMELET WITH A BAD EGG If you were to prepare an omelet with five good eggs and one rotten egg, you couldn't serve it to company and expect it to be acceptable. Even less can we serve up our lives to God, which may have many things in them that men would call good, and yet are filled with deeds and thoughts that are rotten, and expect them to be acceptable to God.
Scripture says, "For whosoever shall keep tho whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). Also scripture says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death," (Proverbs 14:12). Do you see now why it is impossible for man to make himself good enough to save himself?
This comes into sharper focus when we look at what the Bible says about God.
GODHe loves us!
He judges righteously. |
Jesus ChristWho He is.
What He did. |
FaithWhat it's not.
What it is. |
