Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Monday, June 20, 2016
Today’s Scripture Focus: Romans 3:23-28
We are focusing on sin recovery principle number seven of 12: “We submit to God and ask Him to remove our deficiencies.”
When I began discussing sin recovery principle number seven of 12, perhaps I should have used today’s theme text instead of waiting until now. It is foundational to all sin recovery that we sense the need to have God remove all of our deficiencies.
To some, it might be startling to recognize we all have sinned and all continually come short of God’s brightness. I can remember having a Bible study with a woman more than 15 years ago. She was very nice and lived a clean, tidy life. She did not say bad words. She was extremely helpful to people. She lived and worked with integrity. She was great! However, when we began to discuss the reality reflected in today’s theme text, she could not handle it. She desperately wanted me to say she was good-to-go. After all, she did not murder anyone. I am not making this up. She cried real tears because she felt as though this verse, and others similarly themed, portrayed her negatively. She could not see the beauty of the remaining portions of the text that said this fact was indeed a recommendation for God to lavish His love, power, and mercy on us. She could not see the beauty of God’s help because she was deceived by her self-appraisal.
Foundational principle for recovery
The very first principle in any kind of recovery intervention is that we recognize our need before we can get help. So where are you in this equation? We have been discussing our need and God’s provision for quite some time now. Are you willing to admit to yourself and God that you are in dire need of His help? Are you ready to admit to God and yourself that His standard of holiness is so lofty that there is no way you can attain it in your strength? Are you willing to receive His love into your heart so He can begin and continue the work of refining your character through His Holy Spirit?
There is no room for pride in our journey with God. The fact is that all of us are in the same pitiful boat. We have all sinned and fall desperately short of God’s intent for our lives when we are not entirely committed to Him. We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and must not give up yielding ourselves to Him. We all should be happy that God went to such lengths to make us holy. For it is only holy people who will live with God forever!
