What do we deserve? - Will Tyler
There was a monk who lived 500 years ago. This particular monk knew he was a sinner, he had lived in fear that his sins would keep him from entering heaven, so when a life threatening event occurred, he promised to join a monastic order so that he could find how to get rid of his sins. When he joined the order, he confessed his sins day and night. It is said he confessed his sins for six hours and still feared that he would leave and remember more sins that he had committed. He would stay up whole nights in fits of fear, desperately hoping that he was good enough to be saved. He starved himself on numerous occasions, saying to himself “I have not sinned today.” But then doubts would fill his mind: had he fasted hard enough? Had he truly done God’s will for that day? He traveled across the known world at the time, going to holy sites trying to earn favour from God. But no matter where he went, what he did, or how long he spent confessing, he lived in fear knowing he deserved wrath. There are stories of this monk being afraid of paintings of Christ, as he was so afraid that God would condemn him to hell. When talking about prayer this monk said this:
“I thought to myself, with what tongue shall I address such Majesty, seeing that all men ought to tremble in the presence of even an earthly prince? Who am I, that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my hands to the divine majesty? The angels surround him. At his nod the earth trembles. And shall I, a miserable little pygmy, say I want this, I ask for that? For I am dust and ashes and full of sin and I am speaking to the living, eternal and the true God.”
His superiors had no idea what to do with him, so they transferred him to a University, and he was made professor of Biblical studies. He started to read the Bible and found that though he was a sinner, through Jesus he was saved- he was made pure in the sight of God. His emphasis on the grace of Jesus became what he is most known for today! The effects he has had on the church of God are still felt to this day. That Monk’s name was Martin Luther, who literally reformed the church over the idea that only Jesus’ death and resurrection was sufficient to forgive sins. His struggle with his sin, and how he could be rid of it led to the Protestant Reformation, which led to some of the greatest theological minds of all time.
The gospel is the foundation of the Christian story. Jesus’ death and resurrection for the sins of mankind is central to every Christian teaching. But there is a part of the gospel story that is being undermined in our culture and in more progressive Churches. This key part of the gospel is the idea that we are sinners. We live in a culture that claims we deserve to be loved and have good things happen to us. You can turn on the TV and hear the words, “you deserve (insert name of whatever product they are trying to sell you),” which if we really think about it is the notion that since you are a good person or you’ve worked hard or whatever, you therefore deserve to have the blessing of enjoying this product. Even in the more modern progressive churches you’re more likely to hear a sermon on how you are worthy of God’s love and affection, then you are to hear you are what you are really deserving of. This should lead to us asking what do we deserve?
Romans 3:23 states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” so what do sinners deserve is the real question that we have to ask ourselves. Romans 6:23 states that “the wages of sin is death.” We deserve to die because of our sin. We are separated from God because of our sin, and we deserve hell because of our sinful nature. But of course, Romans 6:23 does not end there. Next it reads, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the gospel, though you and I are sinners, though we deserve death, though we are not worthy to be in the presence of God (much less loved as a child of God!) Jesus took our sins upon himself and bore the Father’s wrath so that we may be saved from the Hell we deserve and finally have a relationship with God the Father.
When we acknowledge sin in our life, we are immediately humbled. Too often Christians are known to be proud condemners, but how can we be proud when we have been totally saved not by our own merit or works but only by the grace of God? How can I look even at the worst sinner on earth and say I am a better man when I am a sinner as well? The only thing that separates me from him is the forgiveness of God. Yes, he may have done worse, but in the end my good works will not help me if I have not accepted God’s glorious gift.
Similarly, acknowledging our sin teaches us to live in thankfulness of the grace of God. When we realize what we have been saved from, how can we do anything else but be filled with joy? Think of your worst sinful moment. If you have accepted the grace God has extended, you are free from all guilt and shame from that atrocious moment. Think of Hell, a horrific place you will never have to see, a place of eternal suffering and gnashing of teeth you will never have to experience because God has had mercy on you. The modern church sometimes gets too caught up in our present world so that we forget to celebrate what we’ve escaped. We forget to be thankful and celebrate the wondrous sacrifice of Jesus.
FInally, acknowledging our sin shows us the nature of God. We do not worship a god who says do your best and try to earn my mercy, like every other world religion. Rather, we worship a God who shows us we can’t make it, but rather than letting us suffer trying to earn something we never could, He opens our eyes to see His grace. He opens our minds and hearts to accept the grace He extends to us. How merciful, how gracious, how steadfast is the love of our God that He would love a people who do not deserve Him! In their sin people can’t even turn their own eyes to see the beautiful gift He has for them, so He works in the world to take the scales off our eyes so that we may see the glorious plan He has for us!
Maybe acknowledging our sin and being laser focused on the grace extended to us will start a new reformation in our lifetime, after all it worked for Martin Luther. Maybe accepting our inheritance in the sacrifice of Jesus will spark a flame of change in the heart of Calvary. Do you wish to see the Holy Spirit change the hearts of people of Steinbach? Well, maybe we need to show them the joy that grace gives us. It’s impossible to say what would happen in our community and eventually the world if we simply lived as people who have been forgiven of sin.
As a church we can ignore anything that claims that we are good enough, that we are morally righteous and therefore deserve God’s blessing us with good things. We can ignore this lie that by ourselves we are worthy of the Father’s love; instead rejoicing that we are only made worthy through the blood of Jesus. But by faith in Jesus we really are made worthy and confidently enjoy the Father’s love and blessing as a gift. People instinctively seem to know that something is wrong with them; they know they aren’t perfect, and perhaps showing them that there is love and forgiveness if they will turn their eyes to Jesus will be the life changing message of hope they need. It was for Martin Luther.