Weekly Newsletter

Pastor David’s Weekly Devotional
      The prevalent thinking in America today seems to be that human beings are inherently good.  Many Americans, if not most, believe that humans are good people who sometimes do bad things, and not bad people who sometimes do good things.  The natural and treacherous corollary to this is that many Americans believe that most humans do not need to be forgiven by God – therefore they do not believe they need a Savior.  Scripture adamantly affirms that this is simply not the case.      It is interesting and important to note that Jesus encountered this same erroneous philosophy in His day: “A certain ruler asked [Jesus], ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  ‘Why do you call me good?’  Jesus answered.  ‘No one is good – except God alone’” (Lk.18:18-19).  Jesus was not rejecting the fact that He was a good teacher.  He was connecting the dots for this young ruler.  Jesus was declaring that He was both a good teacher and God – that He was a good teacher because He was God!  For God alone is absolutely and inherently good, and no one is good apart from God.      Scripture is replete with declarations concerning our utter depravity and absolute sinfulness.  God’s Word makes it unmistakably clear that no one is good or righteous apart from God: “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one’ … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:10-12, 23; see Jer.17:9; Is.53:6, 64:6; 1Jn.1:8,10).
      Once again, we can look to the thieves, crucified on either side of Jesus, for an accurate illustration of our condition apart from Christ.  One criminal rebuked the other saying, “‘Don't you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.  But this man [Jesus] has done nothing wrong’” (Lk.23:40-41).  He had finally come to a point in his life where he realized his punishment was warranted.  He was no longer under any illusion that he deserved better, or that he was being treated unfairly.  At this point, he understood what so many today fail or refuse to grasp: “the wages of sin is death” (Rom.6:23).  There is an obvious distinction between the thieves on the cross and Jesus Christ.  The innocence of Jesus was recognized by everyone who was willing to see – those not blinded by a hatred of Jesus, or a love for sin (see Lk.23:13-16, 47).  Both thieves knew they were being punished for their crimes, but only one saw Jesus Christ for who He really is: the sinless Son of God.
      The fact is, just as stealing one thing makes you thief and telling one lie makes you a liar, committing one sin makes you a sinner before God and in desperate need of God’s forgiveness.  As the saying goes, 90% milk and 10% strychnine will still kill you.  No one is good but God alone.  But by sending His one and only Son to be our Savior, God made a way for us to be completely and eternally good in Him! (see Rom.6:23; 2Cor.5:21; 1Jn.1:9).  For on the cross, Christ bore the full consequences of our sin so that through our faith in Him we could be forgiven – forever standing before God clothed in the goodness of Jesus Christ!

Together in and for Christ,
Pastor David

Scripture Readings for the Week (Monday – Sunday ~ Week #33):
Numbers 1-4; 1 Chronicles 5-9; Psalms 96-98; Proverbs 17-18; Daniel 7-12; John 5-6; 1 Timothy 1-3
Recommended Reading:
“By Grace Alone” by Sinclair Ferguson