Unredeemed sinners have a very different opinion of themselves than God. Let’s look a few common things people say vs. what the Bible has to say.

1a: I’m a good person. 1b: Mark 10:18 – And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ; Romans 3:10 – As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one.

2a: I’m not that bad, there are a lot of people worse than me, I’ve done more good than bad, I’m a pretty standup guy, I don’t bother anyone. 2b: Isaiah 64:6 – For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

3a: God knows my heart. 3b: Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is more deceitful than all else
and is desperately sick; who can understand it?

4a: I know I’m going to heaven because I’m always helping others in need. 4b: Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.; Titus 3:4-5 – But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

5a: Only God can judge me. 5b: John 7:24 – Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.; 1 Corinthian 6:2-3 – Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?  Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

These contrasts clearly leave us with moral, spiritual and eternal dilemmas….

1. None of us are good, only God is good. Jesus was not denying that He is God nor was He denying that He was good. He was exposing the fact that since they did not believe who He claimed to be then why were they calling Him good? Christ was not born of the seed of man and therefore, He did not inherit the sinful nature we all possess. Because of this, He alone qualifies to be our sacrifice.
2. On our best day and on our best behavior, with best of intentions will still sin. Because sin is not only what we do, it’s what we are, we can never do anything completely free of sin of our own accord. Apart from the blood of Christ, we are irreparably broken, and we bear the unrelenting stench of it. Our best is still filthy rags–like a wearing a white suit and wallowing in mud and pig feces. Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”
3. “God knows my heart” is perhaps one of our weakest arguments. He sure does! And He knows that apart from Him radically redeeming us, every single one of us are wicked to the core. Were it not for the restraints of the Holy Spirit, we would all be liars, thieves, murderers, terrorists, rapists, molesters, abusive, haters of good, sexually immoral and the worst the world has to offer. Our pride, arrogance and self-righteousness says differently, but God says otherwise.
4. God doesn’t grade on a curve. No one can be saved and obtain eternal life apart from faith in Christ. No amount of good works can erase one sin or change fundamentally what we are at our core. “Sin is God’s would-be murderer.  Sin would not only unthrone God but ungod God and replace Him with us.  If the sinner had his way, God would cease to be God, and the sinner is the only god in his world.  So, sin is defiling, and sin is open, incessant rebellion.” John MacArthur: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-233/what-is-sin
5. Christians are God’s children. They are His ambassadors with divine and supernatural enlightenment to understand the Word of God and discern right from wrong based on God’s revelation of Truth. Christians are therefore not only authorized but commanded to judge all things in light of this Truth. That doesn’t mean that they are to be ungracious, unkind, condescending, critical, busy-bodies, meddlers or condemning. We are not to deny the truth or agree with those living a lie, but we must be patient, speaking the truth in love and remembering from whence we came before God delivered us. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 – The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

The intent of emphasizing such contrasts is to clearly point out every sinner’s desperate need for a Savior. God is a holy, righteous judge who will not tolerate one sin or change His holy, true and moral standards. I am a sinner who has broken His laws countless times. God knowing this, He lovingly sent Jesus die a subsidiary death and pay the penalty for my sin that I deserve. We must believe this by faith to be saved. You know you have when you are utterly destitute with no reliance on anything that you yourself have done or could ever do. That is Good News! That is the Gospel!

Put your faith in Christ ALONE for salvation today! https://youtu.be/38wS67Y4hV8

“Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. Naked, come to Thee for dress.”

 “My grace is sufficient for you”

Only an all-wise and omniscient God knows what we’ll encounter this year and in fact each moment. He alone knows every situation and every outcome. Moreover, He sovereignly presides over every aspect of human existence, from global events to the minutiae of each of our lives. We tend to think much of ourselves and our particular situation and less of the sovereign God who rules and reigns supreme. Is it any wonder we often live in worry, stress, doubt and fear? In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, the Chief Apostle tells of a physical affliction he endured which was of Satanic origin. Note, he didn’t seek to address the Devil but rather to take up his case with God, whom He knew had sovereignly ordained this to be so. He likely was reflecting on the patriarch Job’s dilemma. His request for the Lord to remove this thorn in the flesh was answered not only with a “no” but with God basically telling him that His purposes in this affliction were greater that Paul’s relief or comfort (“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness”). Of even greater importance is the fact that the Lord asserted that His power is manifested much greater with human weakness rather than human strength which is rooted in pride, arrogance and self-reliance. Note Paul’s response: “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” What of us? Are we willing to accept unpleasantness or suffering in our lives that the will of God may be accomplished in us and that He may receive greater glory? God has to bring about our “living-death” in order to manifest the life of Christ in us. We must die to self!

“Proud self-sufficiency and boastful self-righteousness must be leveled to make a highway for the King of kings. Divine fellowship is never bestowed on haughty, high-minded sinners. The Lord respects the lowly and visits the contrite in heart, but the lofty are an abomination to Him. My soul, beg the Holy Spirit to set you right in this respect.” C.H. Spurgeon

The working of God’s grace and all-sufficiency is expressed beautifully in this verse from John Rippon’s 1787 hymn “How Firm a Foundation”:

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Psalm 119:71 – It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.

As we endeavor to get 2023 off to a good start, we must put God first in all things. This is a good time to chart our course. We must have plans (spiritually, heath-wise, financially, relationally, etc.) but in all of our planning we must be prepared to bow our will to His and always leave room for Divine Sovereignty to change our trajectory. The Bible is our compass and counselor. It shall be our guide to keep up from shipwreck as well as our advisor to provide our way ahead.

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Isaiah 55:8-11 – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Proverbs 16:9 – The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.

A few recommendations to facilitate putting God first:

1. Get up early to pray and read the Bible and/or a devotional
2. Read the Bible through this year. There are many reading plans you can search online for. MacArthur also has a Bible to help facilitate this: https://www.amazon.com/MacArthur-Daily-Bible-Paperback-Comfort/dp/0785257640/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3A4TNVGS1E0JG&keywords=macarthur+daily+bible&qid=1672724439&sprefix=macarthur%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-4
3. Read Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (link on this blog page)
4. Attend church regularly (in person)
5. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo. Seek to be challenged spiritually