3 He being an emanation of God’s glory and stamp of his substance, and upholding the universe by the utterances of his power, after by himself making purification of our sins, has taken his seat on the right hand of the Majesty on High.
Heb 1:3 (MontgomeryNT)

Had to work on our PT Cruiser this week. The wheel bearings were shot and were making a roar that increased with pitch and intensity as you accelerated. After checking around as to what my options were, I ended up removing the pieces they were attached to, and looking for a shop with a special tool needed to free them from those pieces. After checking at a couple different places with high prices, I happened to remember a place on the way to Hunter’s school that was on a side street. I pulled in to the sand covered parking lot with large puddles of water from the rain that was coming down, and proceeded to find out if they could help me. They didn’t have a nice reception area like the other places I’d gone to, just a few large open bay doors with several men working on vehicles. Not knowing exactly where to go, I went on through one of the doors on the side and proceeded to look around for some help. These guys were really focused on their work and I found myself feeling as if I might be out of place until one of the uniformed workers let me know that I would need to talk to ‘him’, pointing to a somewhat older gentleman who also appeared to be ignoring me. I took the man’s direction and approached ‘him’ with an element of uncertainty. Instead of consulting with a computer and having to ask someone else who ‘knew more’, he just took his time, sort of squinted one eye, and told me a price that was half that of any other shop. While all the other men in the shop might have adequately told me something having to do with the bearing repair, if I really wanted to get to the bottom of the matter I would have to talk to the ‘boss’, the owner, and the only one who could really provide the answer and directive to get the job done. I discovered that it was by the word of this one man’s power that the shop successfully existed to provide excellence in service.

Oftentimes there’s a roar going on in our lives that seems to just get louder and more obnoxious the further we go down the road. Something has become worn and in need of repair that can only be done at the shop with the right tool. When you do find that place, it will be one that might have several people intent on their work who may be friendly and capable enough themselves, but who will always refer you to ‘Him’. It may initially appear that He’s not all that interested in helping, until there is a bold approach made to him and a face to face discussion as to what the problem is and what is needed for its restoration. There may be many others with possible solutions, but when it comes right down to it, there is only one ‘Him’ who upholds everything with ‘His’ utterance or His word. Wise counsel may come from elsewhere, but when you really want to get the job done correctly and at the right price, you’ll have to go to the One who’s words created all and sustains all with the expressions of His power.

This day may be in need of adjustments or repair. There may be issues that have been just building over time. I’m so thankful for Jesus and the way He has made right to the throne of grace where help can always be found. With boldness and great confidence we can advance to that throne where the job will get done who was the original Creator and who is right now the only one upholding all things by the word of His power. It may even seem that He is just ignoring and not really interested in helping, but as soon as an advance is made, there is always a discovery that He is the only one with an answer that doesn’t require reference resources. He is the one who will look you right in the eye and reveal the exact solution and provide the means to get the job done right.

Hebrews 10:22 KJV
(22)  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

So it’s actually possible, after having experienced a clouded and diverted conscience, to obtain a true heart that is confident in approaching the throne of grace. No matter how deep the engraving of sin on the heart, and no matter how strong its hold, there is a shower, a washing, a sprinkling that will transform it from the tarnished and unpresentable to the clean, clothed and acceptable. While there is a progression in transgression that will take the originally innocent to a place where once there would have never even been a consideration, there is also transformation in Jesus that will take that same heart and make it new and untarnished.  There is no claim that can be made on the heart that cannot be reversed and removed under the cleansing stream of His blood.

For those who have fallen in the mud and for the ones who have become covered in grease there is a need to confidently enter in to the shower room with an assurance that the only way their condition will be permanent is to avoid the purification of its water. While there may be a natural tendency to become self-conscious, letting the substance that has covered become an identity and reason to stay away and avoid exposure, condemnation will never be a part of the cleansing process, only restoration and purification. Why stay away from the place where the blemishes will be removed when there is only acceptance and understanding waiting there?

No matter the stain, no matter the blot, there is a way to a cleansed and true heart in the presence of the Father today. There is no need to attempt a self-cleansing in order to be somehow presentable before Him as the only way to real purity and righteousness is allowing the sprinkling of Jesus blood to wash all. There are open and accepting arms just waiting to receive all who will but draw nigh with confidence and faith in His incredible mercy and love. He will never fail to forgive, cleanse, renew, restore and save to the uttermost every one who takes their place with full assurance in Him.

Jeremiah 2:13 KJV
(13)  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

You’re supposed to read the fine print, and, of course, all the instructions before using. But now, there is such a need to just go ahead and get started, and everything seems to be working all right anyway- might as well just read through as quickly as possible and see how the thing works. This may work for a little while, but there will come a time when details from that owner’s manual will show themselves to have been quite necessary information all along. You’ll find yourself at some point with something that no longer works at all or at least not in the manner for which it was designed, and one quick look back at the manual will reveal the reason for the breakdown and that the fault had nothing to do with the machine’s design or construction.

This is where I found myself recently with regard to my pressure washer. It really did work very well right out of the box, and I even made a quick read of the instructions, but some critical information was never fully known or misunderstood, and at a point when I really needed it for a job it was no longer able to produce pressurized water. It was broken. Now the manual became a means of discovering a solution to my problem, rather than prevention from it. These are some of the things that had been neglected to some degree or another:

1. You should never run the pressure washer without being connected to a water source.
 (Though designed to make use of and handle water, the lack of water for any period of time would  actually destroy internal parts of the pump that needed it for cooling and lubrication.)
2. You should never run it for over two minutes without activating the trigger so the water can flow through it.
2. Certain chemicals like bleach or acid should never be run through the pumps detergent injector.
3. The oil for the washer’s engine has to be checked and changed periodically. (This particular engine actually has a protection feature that will shut it down if the oil level gets too low, before serious damage.)
4. There is a separate oil reservoir for the pump that must be checked and changed even more frequently than the engine’s.

Well there are more, but these are some that definitely had critical relevance to my recent predicament with my pressure washer. I had been using the machine several times already with great results, and when I needed to clean off a big oil stain from a driveway I ran to Home Depot to get some chemical help. I read on the bottle that it could be used with a pressure ‘sprayer’, and, not realizing that this meant a small pump up sprayer rather than my gas powered machine, purchased it and began using it on the driveway. Before too long the pressure went down dramatically and the hose began to pulsate whenever the trigger was pulled. Long story short, I became much more interested in the instruction manual, and rather than just replace the pump, I began to discover how easily replacement parts could get me back in business.

Grace works really great right out of the box. The moment when new life in Christ begins is a wonderful time of sweet forgiveness and freedom. There are, though, some critical instructions that go along with this free and powerful gift:

1. In order to operate for any period of time, there must be a direct connection to our Water source. Attempting to run without maintaining a relationship with Him will guarantee blown seals and low righteousness production.
2. There is also a need for the Water to be flowing through us. Overheating and internal damage may result when there is no fresh flow passing through us. For Him to be His best in us, He must be flowing through us.
3. Our anointing oil needs to be checked continually and kept at a full level through praying and living in the Spirit.
4. In the areas we consider to be part of our personal purpose and our place in the kingdom, there must be an additional submission to and emersion in the oil of God’s Spirit. It will always be by His power and never by our strength.

I’m so grateful for the solution and the answer right here with us continually. Things break and they will (sickness, death, loss, sin, etc.), but the solution for prevention and complete restoration has promised to never leave or forsake us. By just becoming more interested in the Bible, the instruction manual, there will be first of all complete repair of broken and discouraged hearts, and then a return to functionality in the kingdom. And while you’re there, so much more can be discovered about the greatness of the Grace that will empower us with everything we might otherwise never know about or live in.

Broken? There’s repair and prevention info right there in the manual. Just learn to love it.

Joshua 22:5 KJV
(5)  But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Philemon 1:6 KJV
(6)  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 132:8-9 KJV
(8)  Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
(9)  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.

Growing up in the Behrman household there was always a sense of confidence that if something were wrong with anything around the house, Dad was not only more than able to fix it, but he most definitely would make certain it was remedied. It was something that I probably never realized or appreciated all that much then, but now, as a home owner, I look back longingly to that time when living with Dad meant having everything maintained and functioning. Every little drippy faucet and burned out light bulb would not remain in its state of ill repair for long- as long as he was around.

Even in the present day there is an added blessing to each of our homes every time Dad and Mom come to visit me or my siblings. It will not just be a wonderful time sitting around the table or the fireplace talking; Dad will most probably notice that broken board or hole in the sheetrock, and before their visit comes to an end, make it appear that there had never been a problem. Wherever Dad goes there is a mending that’s going to take place. There is a problem that’s going to get solved. Though he and Mom come to just hang out and find fulfillment in seeing their grand kids, they bring with them an attitude that insists on making our home a better place before they’re done.

God has prepared in us this place that is uniquely capable of bringing Him pleasure and rest. He longs for the fellowship that comes from just hanging out with His children and experiencing the joy that was set before Jesus so long ago. Although this is something that you would think He could just claim and occupy on His own, He insists on waiting for our invitation, for our welcome sign and invitation. He doesn’t just barge in the front door without ringing the bell, although He is on the front step continually knocking and desiring to come in.

Once our Father is actually welcomed in to abide in our hearts, though, He does so much more than just pull up a chair and watch Andy Griffith with us. Wherever He goes it isn’t just a presence that leaves things as they were when He arrived. As long as He’s in the house, things are being continually remedied, repaired and restored to their original capability and potential. Where our clothing revealed where we’d been- maybe a bit soiled from the substance of sin and failure, He provides us with the pure and impeccable clothing of righteousness. We’re able to go places we could have never gone in our old duds, and where the air may have been thick with oppression and fear, the atmosphere is transformed to that of joy and peace. When He’s allowed heart entrance our Father brings with Him the ark of His power, the demonstration of His ability to completely renovate the place and give it the protection and provision it needs so very much.

As each day dawns and as our hearts are exposed to and filled with the elements of earth living, there is ever a knocking at the door, even for the seasoned God residence. He is continually dependent upon the welcome  invitation, but given the reception as His presence is our choice, He comes in with an ability to not just notice everything that wrong or broken, but repair, refinish, and make everything right in the home of our heart. Although it is His face we seek and His glory that is our passion, with Him always comes the force of His mending ability and the enabling of our abode to realize our full potential and purpose. Things will never be as they were when He arrived. Those things that may have never even been noticed and as they just grew to be a part of the home’s ‘character’ will be removed leaving this wonderful perfection of His hand’s doing.

I love it when Mom and Dad are able to make it. I know it will be incredible just being with them, but as we’re being so gratified by their faces and words, there will be changes taking place as Dad grabs his tools and gets with it. So, the face of our Father is such a passionate pursuit and just sitting down to eat the bread of His word and drink from His water of life brings fulfillment in itself. There will, though, ever be something else going on in our hearts as the Father’s tools are working their magic and bringing brightness and rightness to the place of His rest.

Genesis 15:5  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
:6  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

I got stopped the other day. An officer who is charged with making sure everything is ‘right’ on our neighborhood roads observed something out of order with my vehicle. I had failed to notice the outdated registration sticker on the window, and, not having received a renewal notice, never took care of the yearly requirement. As I slowly moved to the side of the road and to a stop, though, I found out that my officer had become very wary of other possible discrepancies in my character. As I leaned to one side to remove my wallet from the back pocket of my jeans, I was told with a loud voice to stop moving around in my vehicle. The young man then approached my window very cautiously while his partner snuck up on the right side peering suspiciously through the windows. I was told to keep my hands in view and a screw driver that I had left on the dash was removed to insure the officer’s protection until my identification could be verified. I had apparently quickly become a person of very shady character and unworthiness to pass this way. One detail out of order had opened a whole door to other possible disqualifications- if I’d only taken care of that sticker. I could have actually been all those other things they had become suspicious of, but they would have never been given the opportunity to discover it if I’d had that one thing in order. 

While there is definitely a high level of ‘rightness’ that is required with vehicles and how they’re driven on our streets, there is an infinitely greater amount of righteousness that is necessary to live and move in the kingdom of our God. He requires that everything be just so according to His specifications so He may rightly bless and protect. It is really impossible to fulfill everything that would qualify us for passage, but unlike the officer in my case looking for one thing out of order, God is looking for one thing to be in order- our belief. There will most certainly be a whole slew of things in me that would otherwise keep me from passing through to His presence, but by simply observing and embracing with belief a simple promise He’s made all those other shortcomings are made to be right before Him.  By simply believing, according to I Peter 2:24, that Jesus took all our sins with Him to the cross so that we could have the free gift of His righteousness, we are set free from the penalties and restrictions that should restrict and condemn us. For some this promise might be comparable in its magnitude to the promise of  Abraham’s seed. Could this actually be, that all those things that should surely disqualify us from His presence are actually forgiven and made to be right in Christ? This is, in fact, true, and when it is really believed, a whole new way of living is made possible as all those other ways of living are actually put to death with Christ.

It sure felt good to get my registration in order. I can drive confidently once more, without the worry of coming under the scrutiny of my ‘friendly’ local COPS-influenced courtesy officer. How much greater, though, is this incredible sense of peace and security that I’ve found in letting all those things that I know are completely exposed before God in their unrighteousness, be totally made right in Christ. I can boldly come before the throne of grace, not because of what I’ve done right, but because of the righteousness of Christ that’s been freely given to me by His love. Really believing this opens up endless doors of opportunity for blessing, favor, and victory in the Kingdom, as belief in every other promise He’s made is also naturally embraced in Him. In that belief is found all that is needed to remove the punishment and replace it with fellowship and acceptance by the Father of righteousness Himself. Getting that one thing right changes everything.

 Romans 5:17  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Phillipians 1:12  But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

When righteousness is the pursuit and fellowship with God is the passion, there can be great confidence that even the worst of times may be used for the kingdom as an advantage. On the other hand, if Paul had fallen out of fellowship to some degree by bemoaning his predicament and questioning the direction from God who had brought him to his state of bondage, there would have been no resource to draw from in the magnitude of the opportunity before him in Rome. If the goal were a mega-ministry with largest attendance and world-wide impact, it would surely have seemed that Paul was living an unfulfilled and, therefore, misguided life. But in his pursuit of God’s heart alone, there was a place designed specifically for him in Rome that would touch hearts and lives through the ages with a revelation of our identification with Christ. A place of discomfort, no doubt, it was yet a necessary and perfect place for Paul to devote time to communicating- both in the courts and through his letters- the incredible work of Christ in us. It is so good to draw from Paul this attitude that everything works together for the good, in all things we’re more than conquerors, and God will complete the work He’s begun in us right where we’re at.

Growing in faith in and relationship with God is finding in every element of life, no matter its difficulty, a way to further the Gospel and grow in the grace that comes from lifting our eyes to Jesus’ face in the midst of both the good and challenging moments. As long as peace is followed after and joy from His presence is bringing strength and confidence, circumstances of life are merely pawns in the hands of the Maestro. He can and will use anything presented as an offering from a heart that is satisfied in Him. Though it might appear that someone else is lifting up a more significant offering, we’ll only be kept from fulfilling the opportunity before us if our hearts are led into frustrations and avoidance of the very presence of God. Things are ‘happening’ to us, but each one of those things, when given to God, can become significant in His plan. From whatever position we find ourselves, there is a unique approach to our world that is important to God in shining forth His true from every angle. Growing in this graced understanding, and living a life of complete trust in God Almighty is our privileged opportunity. To see anything other than opportunity and potential in what we’ve been dealt is to miss the chance to see God make much out of a little or a masterpiece out of broken pieces.

No matter if its high or mighty low, our position right here and right now has Gospel substance when placed in the hands of the Master Craftsman. Thanks, praise, honor, worship, obedience and trust will allow Him to make lemonade from our lemon and kingdom significance out of worldly position no matter what that may be.

Zechariah 1:6  That Message did its work on your ancestors, did it not? It woke them up and they came back, saying, ‘He did what he said he would do, sure enough. We didn’t get by with a thing.’”

A few years ago some guys from another part of the world thought they would inflict a terrible blow on America. Their ultimate purpose was and still is to take us down, destroy our economy, alter our way of life, and ultimately destroy us altogether. I’m not sure if they really thought this would work, that we would run cowering with our tails between our legs, but there was no way that our President was going to let them think they were getting by with anything. I’m sure there were several days of celebration for the terrorists as it appeared that their plans had succeeded, but this celebration period was brought to a end when our response to their attacks finally fulfilled all its prerequisites and was launched. They might have misunderstood our position based upon the louder voices of passivity that always gain prominence, but what they didn’t fully realize was that there is another voice that has declared what will happen to those who attempt to destroy us. This is the voice of that one that volunteered and shed his blood for liberty. It declares that there will be severe repercussions for those who choose to inflict any damage upon our nation. What those guys from far away discovered was that they would get away with nothing, that we would rise again much stronger, and their own way of life would be the challenged one.

Taking ‘In God We Trust’ off the money, prayer out of schools, and any sacred reference from public properties seems to be an attempt to eliminate God from our lives as a nation and people. This has been tried before and there have been periods in which terrorists to faith have apparently succeeded, but a voice has spoken from the One who volunteered and shed His blood for our freedom. He has declared that there will be victory and there will be no ‘getting by’ with anything. Those who would strut in their intellect, philosophy and even piety are set to discover that Jesus’ proclamation of freedom and liberty for all will be fulfilled despite certain contrary appearances and circumstances. We will be able to rise against any attack and, by the power of the Spirit, be strengthened even more to prove the Lordship of Jesus in our lives and in the world.

Our enemy may have taken down our towers, burned our stuff, and broken our relationships, but he’s not going to get by with anything. The voice of the Lord has spoken defeat to the oppressors and restoration of all things to His rule of peace and freedom. There will be a day of reckoning and all will know for certain that He meant what He said.

Joel 2:11  And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Psalms 138:8  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

I like watching a true craftsman at work. There’s this guy on public television that takes an old house in ill repair and transforms it, doesn’t just restore it, into something much better than before. To watch him work is like ‘poetry in motion’. There is a definite rhythm and sense that very little time is occupied with deciding what and how to do something. He has this confidence with every motion that reflects a definite vision of where each step is being taken as part of a completed project. Although he has all these cool gadgets, gizmos, and widgets for accomplishing some of the most challenging tasks with great precision, there is often a specific forming that requires improvisation- coming up with a way to use whatever is available to complete his purpose. And, completing his projects is something that happens every single episode and with every challenge he is given, there is no doubt that by the credits at the end there will be this incredible work of perfection- no awkward misfit or blotched finishes. 

It really is amazing and inspiring to observe the craftsman, and the ease with which he performs would almost make one believe that it could be done by anyone. Yet, there are things that will be accomplished by the experienced master that will never have the slightest hope in the inexperienced hands of the wannabe. Though he would imply that he is instructing somehow, there is, in reality, just an observance taking place of a skilled  perfectionist, doing what only he can do. While he may be an excellent teacher, when it comes to actually bringing perfection to the project, it’s much better to just get out of his way, and let him do his thing.

Every day is a work of art. It’s a stroke and a chapter, a planing and a forming. Though it might only look like a hopeless block of would on the bench, there is a master Craftsman that sees exactly what He needs in that block. Sometimes there may be blemishes in the materials He is given, but He always sees past the imperfections and knows exactly how to make whatever would appear useless into something that is both beautiful and functional.  As long as He’s given permission to ‘touch’, there will always be progress made towards the fulfilled and completed projects of His heart’s vision. Wherever He is worshiped, His methods for perfection are being applied to the raw material of our hearts and He is using whatever He’s given to craft the most beautiful and completed projects of perfection. While we might like to think that ‘it looks easy, even a cave man could do it’, in reality, the work He does should never be attempted by wannabes anywhere, and when something obviously needs attention, it is most  necessary to just get out of His way and let Him improvise, scrape and drill. There will be a completed work in the end and all the credits will include Him as the Master in every area- directing, writing, operating, engineering, etc.

Got some concerns? Today’s a great day for some perfection.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Ezekial 36:23  And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
:24  For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

So, what is it about that dirt that’s so appetizing? And, what’s so thrilling about playing on the edge of the cliff? Why would anyone go out and offer themselves as target practice for terrorists, even putting a nice big bull’s eye over the heart to help them out? It might have been funny in a cartoon, but who would ever consider offering their perfectly functional and normal brain for experimental, open skull surgery? What would be so enticing about swimming in shark, parasite, or piranha infested water, even on a very hot and muggy day? And, what might be so appealing about playing with the pigs in the mud, even though they are considered to be one of the brightest animals and have movies made about them and stuff?

Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, eh? It might be cool and dressed up with frosting all over it, but if sin could really be seen for what it is, the filthy, life destroying substance of death it is, how could it ever be embraced, defended, or sought after? Put it under a microscope and see what it’s really made of and what it’s up to and it might not be quite so popular.

I worked for a few weeks one summer at a feed lot, a place where a large number of cattle are kept in many pens and fattened up for their ultimate end. It’s one of those places that you are aware of by its aroma even before it is seen. The corrals are full of corn that has passed through the creatures’ systems and it is quite necessary to use rubber boots to wade through the stuff. One thing I noticed about working there all day long was that you could almost get to the place where you didn’t notice the smell. Well, it didn’t have the vomit inducing affect as it once did. If, however, you were to attempt entry to any dining places or public gatherings after that long day of work, you were sure to get some offended looks from those that hadn’t been with you through your desensitization. What had once just been on the ground and in the air was now all over you and producing a very objectionable stench. However dulled the senses, though, it was so wonderful to finally feel the water of the shower beating down on your whole body, removing the dust that was really just a dried powdered version of what we had waded through.

Initially quite offensive to the innocent spirit, the filth of sin can get to the place that it really isn’t noticed too much anymore. Words of offense and profanity are quickly and easily spoken, where at one time they were unacceptable. Partaking of temple destroying substance becomes second nature and even habitual as the body begins to demand the very thing that ensures its demise. Images that once brought a blush and turned head are looked upon with intensity even though they are instilling a lasting and harmful imprint upon the memory and heart.

There is a cleansing stream, though, that can remove the putrid substance of death and return to innocence and wholeness the damaged and guilty heart. For all those who will but enter the shower of worship, where the holy Lord is honored, revered, and served there will be an exposure of any destructive presence and it will be completely disabled from inflicting its offensive smells. In the light of God’s glory and love all that is disruptive and filthy will be seen for what it really is. Embrace of those damaging ways, thoughts, and habits will be released in the pure waters of His holiness, and the good that we were designed for will be given its health and freedom to produce and live unhindered by the chains of sin.

When seen for what sin really is, why would anyone not want to take a shower- get clean.

Ezekial 36:25  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

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.