Messes, Mercies and Disappointments

From Tullian Tchividjian

On Your Mercy

Lord Jesus,
My soul and body are defiled by so many sinful deeds

My tongue and my heart have run wild without restraint,
causing misery to others and shame to myself.

My soul bleeds with the wounds of wrongdoing,
and my body is a playground of selfish indulgence.

If I was to come before you as a judge,
you could only condemn me to eternal torment,
for that is what I deserve.

Yet I come before you,
not as a judge, but as a savior.

I depend not on your justice,
but on your mercy.

As you look upon the wretched creature that I am,
I ask that your eyes be filled with compassion and forgiveness.

And as I sit at your table,
I beg you to renew within me a spirit of holiness.

- Ambrose of Milan (4th Century AD)

HT: Trevin Wax

Upside Down

"When our salvation depends upon our righteous behavior, our righteousness will be driven by a desire to elevate ourselves in the eyes of God.  This is not love for God, it's self-protection.

The gospel turns religion upside down. The gospel assures us of God's acceptance, given us as a gift earned by Christ's worthiness, not ours. In response to that gift, we are moved to obey. Love for Him grows in response to His love for us....

...The gospel reawakens us to the beauty of God and overwhelms us with mercy. Our behavior changes us because we change. Until that happens, all religious changes will be superficial. Even if you force yourself to act right, your heart will be going in the other direction. This is the doctrine of total depravity."

- J.D. Greear, The Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, pages 36-37