Just Right for Grace
Well, now, friend, how about you scoot you a chair a little bit closer over here on this ol’ front porch of ours? It’s a real special treat to have you stoppin’ in for a little spell because you can be joinin’ in as we’re about to go traipsin’ into a truth that hits harder than a lil’ ol’ woodpecker that found a real good hollow tree to git to workin’ on. Ok, now, Romans 3:23, tells us that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard. That there’s not meant to shame us. It’s downright meant to level the playin’ field so we’ll stop pretendin’ we’re the moral center of the universe. Every doggone one of us has gone and plum missed the mark, just like a lil ‘ol’ squirrel that tried to leap from one branch to another and landed right flat on its pride on the hard ground.
I once heard a story about a television host askin’ how in this ol’ world a good, lovin’ God could ever judge “good people.” Well, friend, that there question pops up more often than a lil’ ol’ prairie dog that heard a suspicious, loud noise. But the real issue is this. We humans have a slidin’ scale of what we think is good. We grade ourselves on a curve that always seems to tilt in our favor. We hand ourselves gold stars while pointin’ out the dirt on everybody else. Yet, God’s definition of good just ain’t based on comparisons. It’s plum based on real truth.
Romans 3:10 says no one is righteous, not even one. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us that our best efforts are like filthy rags. And Titus 3:5 deepens this truth by sayin’ that God saved us not because of righteous things we had done but because of His mercy. And Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that salvation is a gift from God, not something we earn. Them there verses are tellin’ us that Heaven ain’t filled with the nicest people or the most impressive folks. Why, Heaven is plum filled with sho’-nuff’ forgiven people.
So, how do we respond to somebody who truly believes they will go to Heaven because they’re a real good person? We gotta gently remind ‘em that goodness just ain’t the ticket. Forgiveness is the golden ticket, though. We gotta be pointin’ ‘em to the cross where Jesus paid the price we could never afford. We gotta help ‘em see that God’s love is not proven by lowerin’ His standards but by sendin’ His Son to meet all them standards for us.
Friend, if you’ve been trustin’ in your own goodness, now’s the time to step off that real shaky ladder. Confess your sins. Ask for God’s forgiveness. Trust in Christ’s righteousness. Make Jesus your Lord and Savior right now. And if you already belong to Him, then take this here message on out to others. Help ‘em see that good is just not good enough, but grace always is what it takes. God’s grace is what it takes.
Lord, thank You for loving us enough to tell us the truth. Thank You for offering forgiveness instead of leaving us to chase our own goodness. Help us trust in Christ alone and share this hope with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, friend, there it is, and that’s plum enough to be thinkin’ about for today. I pray that you can be walkin’ away from here a whole lot wiser than a lil’ ol’ sly fox that finally learned not to chase lil’ porcupines, steadier than a fence post that’s been planted deep in Texas soil, and truly grateful for a lovin’ God whose grace reaches a whole lot farther than the tentacles of our failures ever could.
With joy,
Gwen
