Romans 7:7 – Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. (NIV)
I ruptured my right Achilles tendon playing in a game for the church softball team. After surgery to repair it, a blood clot formed in my leg while it was healing. As a result, my leg swells when it isn't propped up. Tennis shoes are the only type of shoes that I can wear to allow for the swelling.
One day, a friend of mine invited me to a wedding reception. While posing for pictures with some friends, I was able to see my reflection in a mirror that covered an entire wall. I had on a black suit with my white tennis shoes, and I couldn't believe how poor the combination looked. The mirror gave me a perspective that I'd never seen before — a complete view of myself, rather than my normal limited perspective — and I didn't like what I saw.
Mirrors do not lie. Their only job is to reflect perfectly what stands before them. God's Word is like a mirror. When we read it and contemplate how well we have obeyed it, we realize that we don't look nearly as good as we thought we did.
The mirror in the reception hall exposed something I didn't like, that is, how poor my white tennis shoes looked with my black suit. And that led me to take action. I bought a pair of black tennis shoes.
God's Word goes much deeper than exposing our poor appearance. It exposes our sinful nature, and once we see that, it should lead us to cry out for mercy from God. God's Word says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1 Peter 3:18 NIV) Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and willingly died a sacrificial death for the unrighteous (you and I), so that God would consider us righteous.
Prayer: Father, thank you for giving us your Word so that we can know how you want us to live. Thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sin when we fall short. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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