We sometimes try to be good enough to live with God. But depending on our own goodness just gets us in worse trouble. We all fall far short of God’s glory and perfection. We simply cannot save ourselves by our own ability and work.
When we admit that we are not good enough, we can let Jesus be at the center of our religion. Jesus is good enough, and He is willing to save us by His grace. God shows both justice and mercy by substituting Jesus for us in punishment and by giving us His goodness and purity. Jesus frees us from sin to become like Him.
Memory Verses
1) 1 Corinthians 15:2-4 – [I remind you of the Gospel]… by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
2) Ephesians 2:4-5 – But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
3) Romans 5:8 – …but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
4) Titus 3:4-5 – But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…
Most holy God, who cannot tolerate evil, help us to be honest about the evil within us and within all sinners.
Most loving God, who overflows with mercy towards us, help us to realize how much we need You.
We confess that we cannot satisfy Your justice by working hard enough at being good.
Humble us to depend on the gift of pure grace – the forgiveness that Jesus brings to us. Give us the wisdom to let Jesus be the center of our lives.