We live in an age in which everyone is trying to boost their ego, trying to make themselves feel good about themselves. We use self-help books, go to counseling, watch videos, and talk to someone that we feel is trustworthy. We know it’s important for every individual to have a sense of confidence. However, for a better understanding of where we stand in comparison to God’s perfection is greatly lacking. We must look at this verse realistically.
The purpose of this blog is not to humiliate anyone. It is not to exaggerate the facts. Hopefully, we can have a deeper understanding of the reason Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He did not die for good people who gained that standing on their own. (Luke 5: 31. 32) Our Lord was totally convinced of the need that every human has facing eternity. He was so convinced that he allowed himself to be murdered after being put on trial illegally.
Now, let’s turn our attention to why we must understand how terrible we are in need of a Savior. We discover in Isaiah 1: 18 that our sinful condition can be compared to the stain of scarlet and crimson. Scarlet is a bright red color. Crimson is a dark deep color. In other words, Isaiah was using a drastic example of how significant sin has affected our souls.
Prophetically, David pictured the depths that Jesus took on Calvary by comparing a man to a worm who is reproached and despised. Paul anchors the thought of our terrible condition by saying that there is none righteous, not even one. (Romans 3:10) Every one of us is spiritually scarred, stained, and destitute of any potential goodness within ourselves.
It is vitally important for us to realize how terrible our condition has been without Christ. We have been a people without hope or help. We have been a people doomed to an eternity away from God our Creator. The depth of our need is bottomless. Lack of any way for us to be healed is profound. Yet, there is good reason for us to grasp the truth of our need.
When we are convinced for how desperate our condition has been, we will much more appreciate the work of Christ in his crucifixion. Our love for him out of that appreciation will grow monumentally and daily. By admitting how terrible we are without Christ, we can then discover an ongoing vision of what salvation really means. No longer can we take our salvation for granted. No longer can we assume on God and his love for us.
By looking at the extremes of how terrible we are and how wonderful he is, we can delight in the gifts that God has given us. Our appreciation for the promise of heaven will oversee the daily doldrums of what happens each day. When we say thank you to God, we can say it with a depth of genuine conviction that lifts us up above and beyond what would normally trouble us. We are all sinners, but some of us are saved sinners. Others are sinners who are lost. The Lord and his mercy can become more real, more active even beyond the time when we first asked Jesus to be our Savior.
Christian Writer 