"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Everyone is good at heart, so goes the common thought. As Christians, though, we know that the Bible teaches that all humans have sinned, and that no one can measure up to the sinless perfection that a holy God requires. We're grateful that God in His great mercy has provided salvation from the penalty of our sins through His Son Jesus' death and resurrection. Our acceptance of Jesus as our Saviour means that God no longer sees our sins and shortcomings, but rather Jesus' righteousness and sinless perfection.

We know all these things theologically, but our theology doesn't fit with today's common thinking that everyone is basically good at heart. That common thinking makes it difficult to tell others about Jesus and what He can do for them. After all, how can I tell someone that they need Jesus if it's taboo to tell them they are a sinner in need of a Saviour?

Falling into this common thinking that everyone is good at heart is detrimental to us as Christians, too. It causes us to forget our unworthiness, and when we do, we become demanding of what God should do for us. And we become ungrateful for all that He has already done, and is doing, for us.

Because we think we deserve good things because we are good at heart, we become angry when God doesn't give us the earthly things we want: a good job, plenty of money, a spouse, good health, and so on. In light of the fact that God has already given us far more than we deserve, who are we to demand that God give us anything else and to become angry when He doesn't?

When we compare ourselves to someone else and think we are more deserving of having what they have, we have lost touch with our unworthiness. We have wrongly come to believe that our goodness makes us worthy of receiving God's good gifts. In reality, He gives or withholds according to His bigger plan and purpose, and according to what He lovingly knows is best for us, not because we are worthy or unworthy.

Remembering our unworthiness helps us to retain our awe and wonder of the fact that God loves us so very much, that He died a painful death on the cross for us, in order to give us eternal life. There is no greater gift, and no greater love, than that. No matter what earthly treasures we have or don't have, we are tremendously and undeservingly blessed.

© 2009 Fern Horst

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