Scripture: Romans 3:10-12
As it is written, There is no righteous person, not even one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who looks for God. They all turned away. They have become worthless together. There is no one who shows kindness. There is not even one.
Thought for the Day: Jonathan Edwards was a famous preacher from the First Great Awakening. One of his most famous sermons was entitled, Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God, and in it he described humanity as worms. In fact, he described us as “feeble, despicable worms of the dust,” and that was one of the nicer things he said. And though it might appear as if Edwards intended to knock us down to build us up, I’ve never found him successful in the building up part. If anything, I end up feeling like a guilty and horrible worm in the end. Paul sounds equally tough in these words, though his intention is to put both Jew and Gentile at an equal starting place – everyone falls short. No one has the right to point out the sins of another for in judging another you are only judging yourself. The Good News is that unlike Jonathan Edwards, Paul will turn to God’s grace extended equally to all, Jew or Gentile. When you stand back a bit, it becomes clear why Paul saw it necessary to speak harshly. First, there is no one who is better than another, and second, we are all entirely dependent upon God’s grace. No one can suggest that some might be in need of grace, but not me! Grace isn’t grace until one truly understands how, by its very nature, it was undeserved but given nonetheless.
Prayer: I may not be worthy of your gift, O Gracious God, but it was given to me. It is a gift, and I pray that I never forget how it was gifted to me well before I even knew how much I needed it. Amen.
