How good is “good enough?”
Oct 30, 2009
The Case for Grace - part six of a study of the book of Romans
Mike Gaudet
Can anyone live a life that meets God’s approval?
Let the bar a high jumper must clear represent the standard of performance God would determine to be acceptable.
“Clearing the bar” means that you made it! God accepts you! You have been “good enough” to merit God’s approval.
The question is, how high do we need to jump in order to clear the bar? The Ten Commandments are an enduring description of God’s will for our lives. How well do we need to keep them before God says we have “cleared the bar?" How good is “good enough?”
Jesus used two of the Ten Commandments to demonstrate how high God’s standard is.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment . . . You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:21-22
The people in Jesus’ day reasoned that if they never committed murder or adultery, they had nothing to worry about. Jesus corrected them. He informed them that someone who uses angry words has broken the commandment “Do not murder.” He warned that someone who has lustful thoughts has broken the commandment “Do not commit adultery.” Pretty tough standard, isn’t it? We would like to believe that if we try hard enough, we can live a life that is “good enough.”
God’s standard is too high. God does not grade our lives using A’s and B’s for those who try hard, C’s and D’s for those who don’t try as hard and F’s for those who don’t try at all. God grades Pass/Fail. To pass you have to keep the law perfectly. One slip . . . just one . . . and you receive a failing grade.
It is impossible to “clear the bar” by trying hard to obey God’s Law.
“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24
We face a standard of righteousness that none of us can clear. This is why God gives us another option. He offers us ”righteousness apart from law.” This righteousness is not based on what we do for God. It is based on what God does for us.
There is a story in the Bible about Naomi, an Israelite woman who loses everything. Forced to leave Israel during a famine, her husband and two sons die in a foreign country. With one daughter-in-law, Ruth, in tow she returns to Israel.
She has one hope.
Redemption.
Someone needs to pay the price required to enable Naomi and Ruth to return home.
When Naomi’s husband and sons died, she lost all claims to their land. Unless one of her husband’s relatives pays the redemption price, the land that once belonged to Naomi and her family would never return to original ownership. She and her family will remain homeless.
Boaz, a close relative becomes her redeemer. He unselfishly pays the price for the land, and marries Ruth in order to carry on the family line. Naomi and Ruth can return home.
The action of Boaz is an example of “redemption.” It means to pay a price so that what became the property of someone else may return to original ownership.
This is how we are to understand what Jesus Christ did. According to Jesus, “everyone who sins becomes a slave of sin.” John 8:34 Through sin, we pass from God’s ownership to sin’s ownership. We are unable to liberate ourselves.
We have one hope.
Redemption.
Someone needs to pay the price required to enable us to return home.
God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to do for us what Boaz did for Naomi and Ruth. Redemption “came by Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ unselfishly paid the price to return us to original ownership . . . to return us to the God who loves us.
Jesus Christ came to earth to be your redeemer.
He paid the price to free you from slavery.
He paid the price to return you to God.