Our Rags Or His Robe?

September 12

Sometimes people can be too good for their own good. There are people who cannot begin to see themselves as sinners in need of the Savior. They were reared in a belief system, that though well-intentioned, promotes the notion of living sin-free lives in order to please God.

These individuals refrain from commission of overt sin—they don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, they don’t indulge alcohol, they do not engage in casual sex or in premarital sex. They would never steal anything from anyone. They are kind, they are helpful. And unless they’re very careful, they will be very self-righteous.

They will have an opinion of themselves, that though they may not voice it aloud says, “If everyone were as good as I am, Jesus wouldn’t have had to endure the cross.” Sound far-fetched? Perhaps so, but the religious person who sees himself as pious is as precariously close to perdition as is the individual who, indulging every pleasure, counts nothing as sin. No matter on which end of the spectrum one finds himself, he is lost until he recognizes the veracity of Romans 3:22-24.

Here, the Word tells us, “God makes people right with Himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. "This is true for all, because…all have sinned and fallen short of God’s righteous standard. All need His grace which is a free gift to everyone who will receive it. We all need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The last thing any of us should want is to one day stand before our Holy God with just our rags of righteousness to cover us when only Christ’s robe of righteousness will satisfy Him.