Now, in order to fully appreciate the gospel of Jesus Christ we must first recognize who we are. Without a proper understanding of who we are, we will never recognize our need for Jesus or appreciate his sacrifice on the cross--we will not understand the gospel. The following is a list of some of the words that describe us apart from Christ.
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- Mark 10:18/Luke 18:19 - And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."
- 1 John 1:8,10 - If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us.
- Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
- Isaiah 64:6 - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
- Romans 7:18 - For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.
- Romans 8:7 - For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
- Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please [God]
- Jeremiah 13:23 - Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.
- Romans 3:10-12 - None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.
Apart from Christ our minds are set on the things of the flesh and we cannot please God. Whatever "good work" is not good enough and is like a "filthy rag". So then, we are evil sinners who cannot do any good apart from Christ in us.
All credit for our salvation and new life belongs to God. For, "no one can come to [Christ] unless the Father who sent [Christ] draws him," (Jn. 6:44). The only reason we love him is because he first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19). So let us not boast in anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus which paid our penalty for sins. "For by grace [we] have been saved through faith, and that not of [ourselves], it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast, " (Eph. 2:8-9).
Finally, let us remember the true gospel when we go out to make disciples and teach all the Jesus commanded. Let us not neglect to warn people of the judgment that awaits them. Let us not be so focused on the present need that we forget the eternal one. Feeding the homeless is not good enough; we must also give them the bread of life, who is Christ Jesus.