Monthly Archives: May 2025

CHOOSE LIFE!

Gospel,

Matthew 7:13-14 NLT
[13] “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. [14] But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

Hell… Life… What are these in the context of our existence on earth? Many Bible commentators explain Jesus’ statements as relating to our future destiny in eternity. However, as much as eternity is our ultimate goal, we must live this life here on this planet before we reach the destiny we want for eternity. How we live, what we do now will determine our eternal destiny.

To understand the difference, we must put these verses about life and hell in the context of what Jesus said about living in God’s realm as opposed to living in this world’s system. The first way can be a foretaste of heaven and the other a foretaste of hell.

Since there are only two realms in which we can live, either the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan, i.e., the world, we have a choice. Jesus said the one way is very narrow, the other a highway. What did He mean?

First, we must choose…not which way is the easiest and most convenient way but…which way will end up where we want to be.

The way of God’s kingdom is a narrow way because truth is specific. Truth is narrow. Truth includes single options, for example, sexual purity means saying “No” to every other option but faithfulness to one’s spouse for life and abstinence outside marriage. . Honesty means saying “No” to every other option but absolute transparency in every situation, no matter how difficult it might be.

The world’s highway, by contrast, can be the choice of any one of many options to evade the truth or to enjoy sin, even if there are serious consequences.

Whichever way we choose, we must first enter this way. Entering God’s kingdom demands a dramatic and drastic change of heart. Only God can make that change but we must make the choice. It means that we give the reins of our lives to Him. We die, once and for all, to everything that the world’s way offers, and follow truth.

The world’s way is easy. All we need to do is to go through the wide gate simply by continuing on our path of self-will without boundaries, and obeying the dictates of our selfish nature. We don’t need to be concerned about our destination. It’s too far ahead to worry about now, so we think!

The narrow way into God’s kingdom also requires a choice. We must enter through the little gate. It’s small because we must choose to shed everything that prevents us from going through the gate…every shred of self-will and self-effort must be nailed to the cross.

So, both ways have an entry point, a course of action, and an end result. Everything depends on what we choose. Our choices, in turn, depend on whether we care less about our destination and the way to get there and more about our comfort and convenience now.

Let me illustrate. I need to travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town. I go to the station, buy a ticket and look around for directions. I can either watch which train the majority of people are boarding, assuming that they are also travelling to Cape Town or I can look at the notice board to see which train will take me to my destination. How can I be sure that I will arrive in Cape Town? Only if I check the destination of the train I catch and board the correct train.

Jesus said that only one “train” will take me to life. All other “trains” will lead to hell. This means that, since life involves making a multitude of choices every day, every choice I make will take me closer to my destination. The entry point is a choice. The day-to-day choices I make are part of my journey. I must choose to follow the narrow path of truth to experience life, or follow my own way to experience hell both here and now and at the end of my life.

Foolish people think that they can go any way they like and reach heaven! That is as crazy as climbing on any old train, expecting to get to Cape Town. Wise people who want real life will choose to live by the truth because Jesus said that this is the only way to life both now and then.

Each one of is already on our chosen path. We can only change our destiny if we choose to change our entry point…the broad gate or the narrow gate. We will end according to where we started.

So, every choice we make today is important!

God’s passion for us is “Choose life!” but He can’t do it for us.

FAITH OR DELUSION?

Apologetics, ,

We humans are incomplete in ourselves. We are not self-sufficient and self-sustaining. We need someone or something greater than ourselves upon which to lean for meaning, purpose, and support. Babies need mothers; children need parents; adults need a higher power to guide and sustain us through life. In whoever or whatever we choose to trust will either meet our needs or fail us when we call for help.

Faith and its opposite, unbelief based on a delusion, has both a broad and a narrow base. What do I mean?

Let’s first examine the concept of faith. What is faith? Faith is confidence in the reality and reliability of a person or object, i.e., anyone or anything that can do what it says it can do and what we expect it to do.

The object of our faith must be real. It must exist even if it is unseen. If what we believe in and trust does not exist, faith is not faith. If we choose to repudiate what is real in favour of what cannot be proven to be real, we are deluded. If faith has no legitimate object in which to trust, it cannot be real faith. It is a delusion.

Legitimate faith, then, is the broad base upon which we function, our confidence in a person or thing that is able to sustain us in the context of everyday life. This faith forms the basis of our spiritual experience. The object of our faith must have both the  authority and power to perform as expected. This object, then, in whom we trust, is a god to us, one who has real authority and power.

The narrow base of faith is the trust we exercise in the one with whom we can communicate when we need help. We call on His name and He responds with intervention and action. We speak to Him and He speaks to us. This communication is not a figment of our imagination. What He says and does can transform our thinking and behaviour.

Hebrews 11:6 NLT
[6] “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Those who want to interact with God (or a god) must be convinced that He is real and that He responds to those who communicate with Him.

Delusion, on the other hand, is based on someone or something that only exists in human imagination. People have, since the fall of the first man from faith to delusion, created gods in their own image to evade the true God and their accountability to Him.

David concluded…

Psalms 14:1 NLT
[1] “Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!”

The reason for and purpose of their delusion is to make their own rules to accommodate their sinful desires and to escape accountability to the God who (they know) created and owns everyone.

Psalms 24:1 NLT
[1]”The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

Despite man’s every attempt to escape from God, in the end, He really does exist, and He will call all people to account for their thoughts and actions.

How do we know that God is real and, therefore, our faith is faith, not a delusion? Since God’s existence cannot be proven scientifically, those who believe in Him base their argument from signs that are real.

The Bible gives us several signs that point to the existence of God. These are not scientific “proofs”, only clues that point us to His existence and, consequently, our faith in a legitimate object. Only when we are convinced that what the Bible says about Him is true can we bridge the gap between Himself and us by the gossamer thread of faith.

At least four clues have no explanation outside of a real God.

1. The natural world.
There is evidence of both design and unity in diversity in the natural world. Ecosystems everywhere point to the actions of a designer with their evidence of interaction and delicate balance that sustains their continuity. When humans interfere, this balance and continuity break down.

The Bible recognises that the human body is a miracle of intricate design…

Psalms 139:13-14 NLT
[13] “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. [14] Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”

Despite the theory of evolution, if we remove or try to change a single function in the intricacy of a human body, that part will be dysfunctional. How, then, can every detail of the body function efficiently when it is, supposedly, evolving and in the process of change?

The universe and the natural world are a cosmos of splendour and beauty which suggest the work of a supreme artist…

Psalms 19:1-4 NLT
[1]”The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. [2] Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. [3] They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. [4] Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.”

So powerful and so glorious is this created universe that Paul declared…

Romans 1:20 NLT
[20]”For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

2. Miracles point to the intervention of a Divine Being.
Miracles are events that either speed up or cut across natural functions. Outside of the Biblical narrative, humans have experienced miracles that have no natural explanation. There can be no other conclusion than that a Being greater than man has intervened.

3. The evidence of prophecy.
People try to predict the future but mostly in such vague terms that fulfilment is difficult to recognise. Only God Himself claimed to be able to foretell the future in such detail that no one could doubt its origin.

“The Bible is the only known religious document with historically verifiable prophecies that have consistently been fulfilled…

…That the Bible has dozens of prophecies that can be verified by historians as having been accurately fulfilled is very strong proof that God is its Author…

…The Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah in great detail. According to the Old Testament, the Messiah would:

be a descendant of Abraham (Gen. 12:3; Gen. 22:18)
be from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10)
be a descendant of David (2 Sam. 7:12 and 13)… (and many more)…

…Jesus Christ fulfilled all these prophecies and even more. With such amazing accuracy about the first coming of the Lord, why would any reasonable person doubt the prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled? And why would any reasonable person doubt that Jesus Christ was the man the Old Testament prophecies referred to? The fact that the Bible has been accurate in its prophecy time after time should make it easy to believe God is its Author, and that its prophecies concerning the return of Jesus Christ, the battle of Armageddon, the coming Judgment of all people, and saved people’s living forever, are all true.”

(Source : https://stfi.org)

4. Personal experience
The Apostle Paul experienced a personal transformation so radical that there can be no other explanation than that a divine encounter stopped him in his tracks and turned him around. He told his own story…

Acts of the Apostles 26:9-10, 12-18 NLT
[9] “I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. [10] Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death…
[12] “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. [13] About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. [14] We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’ [15] “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. [16] Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. [17] And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles [18] to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’ “

Could anyone invent a story like this and spend the rest of his life following through on his invention, including the hardships he endured,  on a delusion? Millions of people throughout the generations can testify to transformation when they believed in Jesus.

Faith in this God and the experiences of His love and care that faith makes possible, has provided enough evidence that this God, the God of the Bible, is real. He exists, and faith in Him is not a delusion.

What of the many gods people have invented to replace the one true God in their experience? Characteristically, all other gods resemble humans and glorify the worst of human nature. They are mostly evil, unpredictable, vengeful, and malevolent in their attitude toward their devotees. They demand to be appeased and call forth fear in the hearts of their “worshippers”.

Who are these gods that demand obeisance? The Apostle Paul identifies them as demons masquerading as gods.

1 Corinthians 10:19-21 NLT
[19] “What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? [20] No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. [21] You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.”

Sacrifices and rituals offered to false gods are really offered to demons. Thus, “faith” in these gods is not faith but a delusion since they do not exist. Any religion based on gods created in the image of humans is a delusion.

People who are lured away from the worship of the one true God presented to us in the Bible by false teachings, also follow the doctrines of demons.

1 Timothy 4:1 NLT
[1]”Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”

Satan will do whatever it takes to deceive people into worshipping him, even when he is disduisedcas a god. When humans refuse to acknowledge and worship the only true God, they will fall for any delusion that lures them towards eternal death.

Isaiah 45:18 NLT
[18]” For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other.”

1 Timothy 2:5 NLT
[5]”There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.”

Thus we must conclude that God is real, that faith in Him is real, and that all other “faiths” are false. Every follower of a false god or gods is deceived and destined for eternal judgment. This truth cannot be classified as “hate speech” since it points to reality and offers hope to those who embrace this God as real. This is the only “love speech” that calls people away from delusion to the truth that offers them eternal life.

John 3:18-19 NLT
[18]  “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [19] And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

TWO CHOICES, TWO DESTINIES

Gospel,

Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV
[19] “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. “

The Lord, through Moses, threw down this challenge to the Israelites on the eve of their entry into the Promised Land. For forty years, they had tasted the faithfulness of God. He had led them, fed them, protected them, and taught them through every adverse circumstance the hostile wilderness could produce to discourage them and send them back to Egypt.

On the strength of their experience of God’s faithfulness and power over the natural world, Moses called the people to make the choice to trust in this God as a permanent way of life before they ever set foot in Canaan. It was their choice either to stay within the boundaries of God’s covenant, that would guide them towards their eternal destiny, or to walk away, choose their own path, and perish in the wilderness of unbelief. Life or death, which one?

Israel’s responses to the tests they faced revealed how fickle their trust in God. When all went well, they trusted Him. When the going got tough, they complained and rebelled. This kind of “faith” would never hold them steady when they crossed into Canaan to face the enemy. They needed a confidence in God that would engage His supernatural favour and power again all the savage forces in the land that were determined to protect their territory. The lives of God’s people, the lives of their descendants, and their new life in the land God promised them depended on this kind of trust.

From Israel’s turbulent history, we know that they continually wavered between belief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience, prosperity and adversity until their stubborn disobedience cost them their land and for many, their lives.

Israel’s ups and downs in their land are a picture for us of life in this world as citizens of another realm. Just as Israel was surrounded by enemy nations and needed to depend on God for protection and provision, so we are living in a hostile world and need a faith and obedience that will keep us safe and strong to the end of our days. We are not only surrounded by enemies, but also inhabited by an inward adversary, our own “old nature” that is equally determined to destroy us.

The Israelites were under constant pressure to replace their faith in God with the worship of their neighbours’ gods. When they turned to idols, they put themselves in danger of God’s wrath and punishment. When they stayed within the boundaries of the covenant, they enjoyed His protection and blessing.

So we, too, are under constant pressure to substitute God’s will and ways with our own will and ways. Our old, sinful nature demands that we do life “our way”. Our sinful desires relentlessly require satisfaction.

God, in His grace, resurrected our spirits when we were dead because of sin. Before He confronted us with the good news that Jesus paid our debt to free us from the power of sin and death, we were unable to have any communication with God. We were dead to God. However, faith in Jesus and what He did for us brought about a miraculous resurrection of our spirits.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 NLT
[1] Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

God promised that those who have been raised to new life in the Spirit will also be physically raised from the dead when Jesus returns for us to share His eternal reign in resurrection bodies like His.

John called this “the first resurrection”.

Revelation 20:4-6 NLT
[4] “Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5] This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) [6] Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.”

Whoever these are who were beheaded for their faith, we are assured that all who believe in Jesus will be raised to life in bodies like the Lord’s resurrection body.

1 Corinthians 15:51, 53-54 NLT
[51] But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!…
[53] For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. [54] Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

The Bible also speaks of a second resurrection. God will also raise the bodies of those who have refused His mercy and chosen to live their own way, following their own sinful desires and appetites. God’s Word does not give these people the possibility of annihilation. They will face wrath just as surely as those who believe will be raised to eternal life.

The first death is physical, separation of body and spirit. The body will return to dust. The spirit will return to God who made us.

The second death is spiritual. Unbelievers will be separated from God and all good forever, consigned to a place of fire and torment. Hell is a real place without God just as heaven is a real place with Him.

God’s justice is perfect since He leaves the choice of our eternal destiny to us. He gives us the option to choose life based on His mercy and His gift of righteousness which Jesus made possible by removing our guilt by His own sacrifice. Our choice carries with it the inevitable outcome of life or death. We choose our path and our destination.

Why would any sane-thinking person choose an eternal destiny in the torment of hell when God offers us eternal bliss in His presence?

Jesus gives us the only possible answer…

John 3:19 NLT
[19] “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

Those who love their sin more than the hope of eternal life will receive, in the end, what they chose…and no one can blame God for what they get!

On the other hand, those who choose life, who win the war between the flesh and the spirit, will get what they chose and fought to keep…eternal, everlasting life.

FOUNDATION STONES – 20

Christian Life,

KEEP THE PRIZE IN VIEW

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV
[7] “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8] Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

As much as the foundation stones in Scripture that we can lay for our lives are seemingly endless, how can we conclude this series with a final stone to provide a solid platform for life? From among the many stones, I have chosen Paul’s words as his life drew to an end.

Paul had experienced much and endured much throughout his earthly journey. He had begun by learning that he could never build a solid foundation for his life on his own self-effort.

Philippians 3:4, 6-8 NIV
[4] “… If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:…
[6]… as for righteousness based on the law, faultless….”

Paul had risen above his peers in his pursuit of righteousness but, to his dismay and frustration, all his efforts were fruitless. He discovered that he could never subdue his old nature. Despite all his efforts to obey the law perfectly, one sin stood out above all others, his pride! He took great pride in his own achievements despite their being the evidence of his arrogant self-will and independence from God.

Eventually, his puny efforts to overcome the flesh crumbled under the weight of a guilty conscience. He had to face the truth. He discovered that only one person could pull him out of the hole he had dug for himself. His very pride in his self-righteousness was his undoing. God’s mercy and God’s grace alone could rescue him from self-destruction. He was forced to surrender his will to the very God he had chosen to defy.

[7] “… But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ…”

Finally, and thankfully, he dumped his self-effort together with his pride in himself into the garbage bin and clung to the gift of Jesus’ righteousness as his lifeline. This transaction through the Spirit, Christ’s righteousness for Paul’s, made the difference, for him, between life and death.

For Paul, this righteousness that gave him access to a full and complete salvation, was a prize so valuable that he fought to the death to keep it safe and intact. The reality of Jesus, in all His detail and meaning, was the source of his understanding and experience of grace. As the Spirit enlightened him, so he unpacked the significance of Jesus bit by bit in his own life and in his communication with the churches he had founded across the known world.

The message of Jesus was a treasure to be preserved unchanged, unadulterated, and intact, to be believed and to be passed on to the next generation. It cost blood, tears, and perseverence to remain true to his calling.

So, Paul’s testimony was, with the prize of Christ’s righteousness always in view and at work in him to crown his life, he allowed nothing to hinder his pursuit of his goal.

Philippians 3:9 NIV
[9] “…and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Paul knew that the righteousness of Jesus, lived out in his daily experience, was a lifelong pursuit. No matter how many times he failed, he would get up and persevere.

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV
[12]”Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

The prize that awaited Paul and all who follow his example, was perfect likeness to Jesus. However, he had learned that he was not alone in his struggle to overcome the drag of sin in him. Like all his brothers and sisters in Christ, in every situation he faced, good or bad, God was painstakingly pealing off layer after layer of self-confidence, self-effort, self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, and…yes, the self-will that had refused to submit to the absolute authority of Jesus in his life.

Paul had to learn to embrace his weakness as his greatest asset if he wanted to gain the prize of Christ-likeness. Grace alone would enable him to win the prize.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
[9] “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Do you get it, my dear readers?

Alongside the stone that reminds us of our sinfulness is the stone of Christ’s righteousness, freely given, that covers our failure to please God, gives us access to the Father and all His wonderful benefits, and fits us for our unique role in God’s forever family.

How do we know we are on track? Only those who can anticipate Jesus’ return with great joy are ready to receive Him with confidence and without fear.

2 Timothy 4:8 NLT
[8] “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

Frailty, falls, and failure aside, we have every confidence in the promises of God that He forgives, restores, and works in us for our good when we strive for the goal of Christ-likeness, and keep it in view against all odds. The older one grows, the nearer to the final chapter of life, the more one sees with the eye of faith the celestial city up ahead. The coming of Jesus to reward His faithful saints is like a lighthouse that guides us away from danger and towards our heavenly haven.

We have examined many “stones” of truth that, together, form a solid platform on which to stand as we face the struggles and hardships we encounter as we build the solid structure of life. If we are to endure to the end, each stone must reassure us that we are creating an enduring “temple” in which the Holy Spirit dwells. Let us build in faith, for we are in partnership with the one who is recreating us in His image for His glory.

FOUNDATION STONES – 19

Christian Life,

Romans 7:18 NIV
[18] “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”

Now this is an unusual stone to build into our foundation! Unusual, but very necessary. Without this stone firmly in place, we are all in grave danger of floating above reality in the mistaken notion that we are both essentially good and self-sufficient, at least in some parts of life.

People in the world, and even some of God’s own children, think that they are good. Yes, we sometimes go astray but that isn’t the norm. Wrong! With that perspective, we deny the nature of our union with Jesus and our need of Him. He said that we can do NOTHING without Him…and that includes the change in our nature from corrupted to godly, by His blood.

Paul, the Pharisee, had to learn the hard way that his inner being was rotten with sin, every thought and deed that came from his inborn independence from God. Try as he did, he had no power to be “good”. The struggle was beyond even his strongest will power and best intentions. He had to conclude that he was sinful to the core.

Both Isaiah and Jeremiah, reflecting on their nation’s failure to live within the boundaries of God’s covenant, came to the same conclusion.

Isaiah 64:6 NIV
[6] “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

Jeremiah 17:9 NIV
[9] “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Paul, too, came to the same conclusion about the human race. Quoting Scripture after Scripture, he diagnosed the disease that infects all people, both Jews and Gentiles…

Romans 3:9-18 NIV
[9] What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. [10] As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; [11] there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. [12] All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” [13] “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” [14] “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” [15] “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
[16] ruin and misery mark their ways,
[17] and the way of peace they do not know.” [18] “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

With no fear of God to set boundaries around their lives, people without Jesus live in a hell of their own making, “a boundary-less place”, according to ancient Hebrew thought.

Not even the Jews’ association with God through His covenant could make them any different from the rest of the world.

Romans 3:22-23 NIV
[22] “… There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Apart from the mercy and grace of God, no one will every escape His wrath and judgment.

With this stone under our feet, the constant reminder that we are helpless and nothing without Jesus, but are only complete in Him, we can face life with confidence. We have the assurance that it is Christ in us who guarantees not only our perseverance to the end, but also our victory over the old nature that constantly threatens to drag us into destruction.

Dear friends, let’s stand on this truth. It will surely help us to keep our feet on the ground and our faith in our Source. Without Him, we are nothing, we have nothing, and are in need of everything.

The constant awareness of our old, corrupted nature should drive us to the Lord for His grace to overcome. Like Paul, we rejoice in the reminder that it is our weakness that qualifies us for His abundant grace.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV
[9] “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”