A Proper Comparison

“You are my Lord. My goodness is nothing apart from You.” Psalm 16:2

One day two men went into the temple. One of them walked boldly to the front and said, “Look at me, God, I do what you ask. I even go above and beyond what others do. I am not like that guy cowering in the back who doesn’t obey you.” The second man told God only one thing. “God, I am a sinner”. Then he asked God one thing. “Be merciful to me.” Jesus said that guy number two had it right. If we always compare ourselves with ourselves we will never come up short. But there is a higher standard. God said, “Be ye holy, for I am holy”.

By God’s measure we will come up short. We sin and break His holy laws. We want our own way and not His pure way. We love this world more than the next. Paul summed it up in Romans 3 where he said, “There is none righteous, no not one.” But Christ died for the unrighteous and offers them His righteousness instead. Those who know Christ are now righteous in Him and can say with the psalmist, “My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

Dear Father, Thank You for sending Your Son to become our unrighteousness that we might become His righteousness before You. Amen.

For quality inspirational, educational, and fictional Christian books visit www.davidccraig.net