Proper Comparison

“For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20

Beloved,

I used to think I was an excellent athlete. In High School, I compared myself to my peers and believed that I was a great, but when I was surrounded by superior athletes in college, I quickly realized that I was not as good as I thought. It is very natural to compare ourselves with others, but God gave his law to compare ourselves with Him. The law reveals God’s holy and righteous character. The law of God reveals His perfection. The law also reveals how vastly sinful we are in comparison to the Creator of the Universe.

No human being will be justified by their good works in God’s sight, because no human being is good. The law of God brings knowledge of our sinfulness. When we compare ourselves to God, we are fully aware of how sinful our hearts are and how short we fall of God’s expectations. It is this knowledge of our sinfulness that starts the process of our redemption. Listen to what John Stott says,

  No man has ever appreciated the gospel until the law has first revealed him to himself. It is only against the     inky blackness of the night sky that the stars begin to appear, and it is only against the dark background of     sin that the gospel shines forth. Not until the law has bruised and smitten us will we admit our need of the       gospel to bind up our wounds.
 
The law of God reveals our need for Jesus Christ. Jesus is always reading and willing to forgive, but we do not see our need for Him until we see the depths of our sin. The law of God shows us God’s holiness, our     sinfulness and our need for a Savior. Awareness of our sin should drive us to the Savior. The law was           given so we would run to Christ. So run!! Run to Christ!!!