Forget Not the Work of Christ

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (Romans 4:1-4 NIV)

Last night I was in the grocery store getting some food for a get together at a friends house. I saw this girl in line at the checkout and it quickly caught my attention. What initially caught my eye was the way she was dressed (or the way that she wasn't dressed) and begin to overhear the conversation she was having with her friends in line with her. Her friends were several years younger looking and it was obvious that it was sounding like this older provocatively dressed girl was leading/aiding these younger girls into some things they should not be involved in. It angered me that she would be so careless as to lead impressionable people into sin and dress in a way that no telling how many guys she passed would devour her in their minds. I thought in my mind: "People like that deserve the wrath of God". And right after the thought formed clearly in my mind and I said it to myself I heard the Lord say in a firm but sweet and loving voice: "So do you." Immediately I was convicted by the fact that what even started me noticing any of this was my own lustful eyes and was overwhelmed by how great it is to have Christ because of the peace I have with God despite my shortcomings and that all of us are in need of a Savior. There is not one of us who has not "sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" and that those who have been made right with God are done so only "freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24 NIV). All the way to my friend's house Psalm 103 was on my mind.

Of David:

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.


I pray that more and more we will realize the gift we have of Christ and that our hearts would see it more fully with each moment that passes. I pray that we would see how truly desperate we once were without Christ but solely by His own grace and purpose, He "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Eph. 1:3 ESV) and saved us from wrath and to glory. When we truly see this, the world will see how amazing the work of Redemption is.