Daily Bible Challenge: Day 648 Proverbs Chapter 20

Verse 9 says, “Who can say, ‘I've kept my heart pure? I am clean and without sin?'”

NOBODY CAN SAY THAT! The Bible says:

1) All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

2) There's not a righteous man on Earth who does what is right and never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

3) Our goodness is like filthy rags before the Lord. (Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”)

Unfortunately, our world is focused, not on their sin problem, but on the idea that most of us are “good people”. Even some who believe in God are striving to be “good enough”. And most define “good enough” as, “If you know someone worse than yourself, then you're good enough but they aren't.” Our standards for being “good enough” are very low standards. Most religions focus on striving to have more good deeds than evil deeds.

Let's get real! God's standards for “good enough” is PERFECTION. We're either totally righteous and holy and pure or we're dirty by our sins. We all have a sin nature and we all sin. We were born into sin. So all are dirty before God and the outcome for sin is one's life is separated from God forever in hell.

But God says he loves us and His son Jesus will take our penalty for our sins for forgiveness of our sins so we could be made righteous and holy in God's sight.

But it requires something on our part: Repentance!

Repentance is turning from sin and then turning to Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. Repentance is choosing to follow the way of Jesus.

Yes we will fail, but keep getting up and turning to Jesus in repentance and forgiveness.

The one who chooses to live in sin and does nothing about their sin problem, and does not repent from their sin, is not walking with the Lord.

CHALLENGE: Are you playing a game with yourself? Don't get deceived into thinking you're “good enough” because nobody is. Don't get deceived into thinking repentance is not important. Repentance from sin is the evidence that you are no longer walking with the world and their ways, but walking with Jesus and his ways. Don't forget, we will make mistakes but God's love, mercy, and grace are always available for forgiveness if we ask for it.

Have a blessed day.