I stumbled upon a neat blog called 'Of First Importance'. Its premise is to provide a daily shot of Gospel Centered excerpts/quotes . One of the recent posting was an excerpt called 'More Than We Ever Dared Hope' from Tim Keller's Paul's Letter to the Galatians: Living in Line with the Truth of the Gospel. I received this bible study a long time ago, but I never got around to it. I guess it might be time to pick it up.
Regardless, as I was reading this entry, I couldn't help but think how radical and counter intuitive the Gospel can be. Many times I get caught up in what feels good to me not realizing the Gospel's work in my life is suppose to renew me and help me not see myself first, but God first. After I see God, I see myself in my true form, in my very needy form. However, this new vision cost a huge price.
The Cross allows me now to see myself as I should see, but I think I have trouble at times accepting how hopeless I am. But that's not all. The Cross shows me a hope that doesn't focus on me or my improvement, but on Jesus and how he has perfectly done it all.
Early on, when I first believed, this was a big problem I experienced. With every failure, I exerted effort to improve my situation, which ended in another failure, not realizing that the failures ought to have signified to me an ever increasing need for God, not an ever increasing need to find the solution in myself.
I guess we all have to go through something like this, in my case rapidly, until I understood God's grace. But still I need more. Whether its my character, deeds, words, or thoughts, may I not try to 'defend' myself, but accept my sin and come to the Cross and God's grace and believe in what is of first importance.
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