Only One
Ezekial 33:13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
You would really think there would be some leniency here. After all, he had lived his life in a way that was much more acceptable than all those other repeat offenders, you know, the ones who just blatantly rebelled, swore, and were unfaithful and contentious. It wasn’t like this was a pattern. Everyone had considered him to be a leader in the community who was above reproach. He never spoke evil against his opponents or really anyone. When looking throughout the community for someone who could be considered as ‘example citizen of the year’, He would surely be at the top of the list.
So, when this little diversion from his stellar conduct took place, you would think there had been a big enough build up of the good stuff he’d done to outweigh this little thing. Shouldn’t all those years of faithful service be sufficient to displace at least a portion of the guilt? Hadn’t the right way he’d lived his life account for anything at all? It was almost like this thing, that had seemed so insignificant at the time it was committed, had been turned into a terrible condemning act of an unacceptable and evil person. All those voices that had spoken so highly about his kind acts and obviously successful future had taken on a tone of- ‘I always did wonder about him’, and, ‘what a terrible example for our community’.
It really only takes once. In fact, sometimes the transgression of the ones who have lived their lives with an attempt at being ‘right’ and ‘good’ is made to be a bigger deal than the sins consistently committed by others. To enter into the righteousness arena alone is a very risky game, because there is no amount of built up goodness that will avert the personal responsibility for any committed infraction. Whether or not it is one or a thousand, righteousness is lost with the presence of any sin, and a penalty of death must be paid. Even though the greatest prophets may have foretold a bright and hopeful future, the personal inability to maintain the requisite of righteousness prohibits any realization of their prophecies. All positive words spoken and good deeds performed are forgotten and insignificant in the judgment hall of righteousness where even one wrong deed’s been committed. It’s punishment is inevitable, and no amount of self-righteousness will avert its requirement.
There is, however, a provision, a gift of the necessary, penalty averting righteousness. It is an infinite heavenly reservoir that has been filled with the blood of the sacrificed Lamb of God. In the court of holiness, there is no hope of dismissal without the counsel of the only One who earned righteousness himself and yet freely gives it away by taking the guilt of every other transgression committed. While one sin is enough to disqualify from righteousness, one drop of Jesus’ blood is more than enough to fulfill the penalty for a lifetime of failures.
It is a dangerous thing to depend on one’s own ability to be ‘right’ before the Lord. No one other than Jesus has ever done it. What a wonderful option it is, though, for the one who’s never accepted Him as Lord, and for the one who has professed His lordship for some time to both be clothed with the righteousness they never could attain on their own. By receiving the free gift offered by our Redeemer, they are able to gain full repentance from the penalty of any and all infractions, and enter into a life of reward rather than destruction. It only takes one sin to disqualify, but it also only takes one drop to purify.
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.