Naked Truth: Our Hearts Are Wicked
Is God's comfort too little for you?
Is His gentle word not enough?
What has taken away your reason?
What has weakened your vision, that you turn against God and say all these evil things?
Can any mortal be pure?
Can anyone born of a woman be just?
Look, God does not even trust the angels.
Even the heavens are not absolutely pure in His sight.
How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person with a thirst for wickedness?
Job 15:11-16
Is His gentle word not enough?
What has taken away your reason?
What has weakened your vision, that you turn against God and say all these evil things?
Can any mortal be pure?
Can anyone born of a woman be just?
Look, God does not even trust the angels.
Even the heavens are not absolutely pure in His sight.
How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person with a thirst for wickedness?
Job 15:11-16
It is indisputable: Job was a righteous and blameless man. God Himself attested to that! But the truth is that no human righteousness can suffice on its own before a most holy God! Job's insistence that his righteousness gave him a meritorious standing before God and therefore did not warrant his sufferings was not a spiritually sustainable claim! His friends were right in saying that human purity could simply not cut it with God: "Even the heavens are not absolutely pure in His sight. How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person with a thirst for wickedness?"
As righteous as we might seem, there is still an undeniable bend in the human heart toward wicked acts. We have a thirst for wickedness so we can never pound our chest in pride. In fact, Scripture reminds us that our righteousness is like filthy rags before God. This reality should keep us humble at all times. It should cause us to be grateful for the bountiful grace of God toward us because we simply do not measure up before God on our own merit.
The only righteousness that suffices before God is the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. Because He died and shed His blood for us as the perfect and sinless Son of God, Jesus is able to clothe us with His own righteousness which then gives us a perfect standing before God.
So, when you are tempted to brag about how righteous you are, rather take the time to thank God for His grace and mercy and for the righteous blood of Jesus. The naked truth is that our hearts are prone to wickedness and we are only hemmed in by the grace of God.
As righteous as we might seem, there is still an undeniable bend in the human heart toward wicked acts. We have a thirst for wickedness so we can never pound our chest in pride. In fact, Scripture reminds us that our righteousness is like filthy rags before God. This reality should keep us humble at all times. It should cause us to be grateful for the bountiful grace of God toward us because we simply do not measure up before God on our own merit.
The only righteousness that suffices before God is the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. Because He died and shed His blood for us as the perfect and sinless Son of God, Jesus is able to clothe us with His own righteousness which then gives us a perfect standing before God.
So, when you are tempted to brag about how righteous you are, rather take the time to thank God for His grace and mercy and for the righteous blood of Jesus. The naked truth is that our hearts are prone to wickedness and we are only hemmed in by the grace of God.
Prayer: Father, I thank you that Christ has clothed me with His righteousness so that I can stand pure and righteous before you. Please help me to walk in humility and never to pound my chest in pride over my personal righteousness. Amen.