LifeLink Devotional

Friday, June 7, 2019

We are not perfect. Whether it is politically correct or not to say so we must accept the fact that none of us has any true righteousness in us. We cannot measure up to the righteousness of God by anything we attempt or accomplish. We have been duped by the Devil into believing that we are good enough by comparing ourselves to others whom we consider worse than ourselves. We have learned the satanic system of self-righteousness. We must wake up and understand that all self-righteousness is pretending.

Former NBA center and coach Johnny Kerr said his biggest test as a coach came when he took over the expansion Chicago Bulls. His biggest player was 6’ 8” center Erwin Mueller. “We had lost seven in a row, and I decided to give a psychological pep talk before the game,” Kerr said. “I told Bob Boozer to go out and pretend he was the best scorer in basketball. I told Jerry Sloan to pretend he was the best defensive guard around. I told Guy Rodgers to pretend he could run an offense better than anyone, and I told Mueller to pretend he was the best rebounding, shot-blocking, scoring center in the game. We lost the game by 17 points. I was pacing around the locker room trying to figure out what to tell the team when Mueller walked up, put his arm around me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it. Just pretend you’re the best coach in basketball.’”

Moses warned the people that they were not to pretend that they were better than the people living in the Promised Land, or that they were more deserving of the land because of their spiritual status. Moses reminded the people that all actions taken against the people of the land was based on a comparison to God’s holiness and not to theirs.

Deuteronomy 9:4-6 After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

We can learn some valuable lessons from this:

1. We are no more deserving of salvation than the worst of sinners as defined by society, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
2. We are no more deserving of recognition or reward than any other Christian regardless of our self-imposed pride in the attainment of a spiritual standard. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land (Deut. 9:5)
3. We are what we are because the righteousness of God has been granted to us through Jesus Christ.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference (Romans 3:22) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

All self-righteousness is pretending. Pretending may make you seem more acceptable to people, but true freedom comes from knowing the truth. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What is the teaching to which we must hold? Jesus went on to say that we are slaves to sin, and when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior He sets us free from that bondage, so we are free indeed.

Pretending to not be a sinner is Satan’s subjugation of our spirit. Jesus wants to set our spirit free. That freedom begins with a humble heart that admits sin, confesses sin, and is granted the forgiveness of sin by God’s grace.

Stop pretending. Face the reality of who you are. Forgiveness is available and it’s free. When you receive it, you will be free.

Pastor John