12/14/21 THE WHY

12/14/21 THE WHY

For those of you who wonder, "why," let me tell you.

I hang around me more than any other mortal person I know, and I sometimes ask myself, "WHY does God put up with me and keep me?"

I don't understand the answer, but it is true anyway.

Why?

Because He loves, He loves me, He loves me this I know. He gave His Son to die for me, because He loves me so.

This does not mean that His salvation did not reach me in my sin, transform me from my darkness, conform me to His image, teach me in His way. Though He gives me His word, so that I might not sin against Him, He also gives me His Son as my Advocate, in the event that I might sin against Him. I rest in Him as my only ground of hope.

Though He saves to the uttermost, cleanses me from all sin, leads me not into temptations but delivers me from evil, enlightens my path, empowers my walk, guards my heart and my tongue, leads me in truth, builds me in faith, perfects me in love, and though He rebukes, and reproves and corrects and instructs me in righteousness, and though He is faithful, and He actively restores and refreshes and revives, and redeems me, and He makes it possible for me to keep His commandments and do that which is pleasing in His sight, I still realize that I am feeble and frail and unworthy of His mercy, His love.

Whatever good I have, or whatever worthiness I experience, it is all because of His goodness, His kindness, His long-suffering, His grace, His sacrifice.

Sin certainly reveals our unworthiness, but it does not take sin for us to realize our total dependence on God and His salvation. As recipients of Divine favor and full salvation, we are still inherently unworthy and we also realize that nothing we can do will add to the fact that whatever good we have is because He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. We are not inherently good and we have not done anything to earn His blessings. Whatever worthiness that we do have is the work, the gift of God, and that not of ourselves.

So, when I sense my own weakness, frailty, incompetence, I am still aware of my great need for God and His adequacy and I seek to make my calling and election sure, for great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.