THE FACE OF A SINNER

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV)

"There is none righteous, no, not one… All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:10, 23 NKJV)

Some would disagree with such strong words.  They look around and say, "Compared to everyone else, I'm a decent per­son." You know, a pig might say something similar.  He might look at his trough partners and announce, "I'm just as clean as everyone else." Compared to humans, however, that pig needs help.  Compared to God, we humans need the same.  The standard for sinlessness isn't found at the pig troughs of earth but at the throne of heaven.  God, Himself, is the standard.

We are beasts… Our deeds are ugly.  Our actions are harsh.  We don't do what we want to do, we don't like what we do, and what's worse -- yes, there is something worse -- we can't change…

And then observe what Jesus does with our filth. He carries it to the cross… The sinless One took on the face of a sinner so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint. 

-- Max Lucado in He Chose the Nails


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