A Great Bad Example
The apostle I identify most with is Peter. The dude's always saying the wrong thing. He's right on cue with, "oh no Jesus, they'll never kill you. We're going to kick some tail". And for that the response he gets is "Get behind me Satan!"
Shortly after I accepted Christ a friend of mine who I know was desperately looking for faith told me he didn't think he could be good enough. I expect there's a lot of them out there. People who don't feel they can live up to the standard of being a Christian. Come to think of it, my son's coach just told me those exact words last week.
My friend said, "you don't know about my past. You don't know what I've done. I can't give up drinking. With these guys I work with I can't imagine I could quit cussing..." He thought he had to make himself good enough for Christ before he could be accepted as a child of God. I think a lot of other people think they are good enough which can bring other problems.
It's tough being the bad example, but there's ample biblical precedence. Peter recognized Jesus for who he was upon their first meeting and knew he wasn't worthy. Even at his best, Peter, stepping out of the boat and walking across the water to Jesus lost faith and sank. He brought the sword to Gethsemane itching for a fight with those troublesome Romans and Pharisees coming for Christ. Jesus had to heal the servants ear after Peter cut it off.
Instead of going down in a blaze of glory, he skulks in the shadows while Jesus is tortured and convicted. How unworthy must Peter have felt standing beneath the cross with his hope hanging, dying in front of him. He tried to go back to his life fishing after he thought Christ was gone, but Jesus came back for him.
Three times, Peter had denied he knew Jesus while awaiting his fate. Jesus predicted the event. Three times the resurrected Lord asked Peter if he loved Him and in response to each affirmative answer, he gave him his commission.
My friend has his too. Like many Christians, he's now a good "bad example". So am I. We weren't good enough, but found that didn't matter. In fact I've come to the conclusion that the only reason anyone thinks they are good enough is because they are mistaken.
You see when a person walks through the church doors on a Sunday morning or professes their Christianity, they are admitting they are not good enough. Christ came to save the lost. None are worthy. If we could be good enough, we could not claim to be followers of Christ...Christians.
God's whole point in sending Christ was to bring us back to Him. He gave the law to show us we could not comply due to sin. He gave us Christ's grace as our way of being holy with Him, conquering sin.
Christians aren't good enough whether they think so or not. We're all just a bunch of bad examples. My friend finally let himself believe that and found acceptance he thought he didn't deserve. You can't be good enough either without Him. But with him, we are eternal and glorious.
My friend was right. He couldn't be good enough. And that's the whole point. That wasn't keeping him from Christ, that's the very reason we need Him.
Shortly after I accepted Christ a friend of mine who I know was desperately looking for faith told me he didn't think he could be good enough. I expect there's a lot of them out there. People who don't feel they can live up to the standard of being a Christian. Come to think of it, my son's coach just told me those exact words last week.
My friend said, "you don't know about my past. You don't know what I've done. I can't give up drinking. With these guys I work with I can't imagine I could quit cussing..." He thought he had to make himself good enough for Christ before he could be accepted as a child of God. I think a lot of other people think they are good enough which can bring other problems.
It's tough being the bad example, but there's ample biblical precedence. Peter recognized Jesus for who he was upon their first meeting and knew he wasn't worthy. Even at his best, Peter, stepping out of the boat and walking across the water to Jesus lost faith and sank. He brought the sword to Gethsemane itching for a fight with those troublesome Romans and Pharisees coming for Christ. Jesus had to heal the servants ear after Peter cut it off.
Instead of going down in a blaze of glory, he skulks in the shadows while Jesus is tortured and convicted. How unworthy must Peter have felt standing beneath the cross with his hope hanging, dying in front of him. He tried to go back to his life fishing after he thought Christ was gone, but Jesus came back for him.
Three times, Peter had denied he knew Jesus while awaiting his fate. Jesus predicted the event. Three times the resurrected Lord asked Peter if he loved Him and in response to each affirmative answer, he gave him his commission.
My friend has his too. Like many Christians, he's now a good "bad example". So am I. We weren't good enough, but found that didn't matter. In fact I've come to the conclusion that the only reason anyone thinks they are good enough is because they are mistaken.
You see when a person walks through the church doors on a Sunday morning or professes their Christianity, they are admitting they are not good enough. Christ came to save the lost. None are worthy. If we could be good enough, we could not claim to be followers of Christ...Christians.
God's whole point in sending Christ was to bring us back to Him. He gave the law to show us we could not comply due to sin. He gave us Christ's grace as our way of being holy with Him, conquering sin.
Christians aren't good enough whether they think so or not. We're all just a bunch of bad examples. My friend finally let himself believe that and found acceptance he thought he didn't deserve. You can't be good enough either without Him. But with him, we are eternal and glorious.
My friend was right. He couldn't be good enough. And that's the whole point. That wasn't keeping him from Christ, that's the very reason we need Him.
posted by John McGuire at 11:24 PM
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