IN FAITH
What is your number?
A man approaches God and says, “God, when you look at me what is the number?” God replies, “The number is 20,279,520.” The man goes away stunned. Ten years later he returns and says, “God, look at me and tell me the number.” God replies, “The number is 25,535,763.” The man is incredulous. God says, “Make that 25,535,764—doubt counts as well.” In despair and frustration the man says, “That’s too many; I can’t stand before you.” The Lord says, “That is correct, but there is another way. I have provided my Son to be your substitute, to stand in your place.” Excitedly the man says, “Then God, don’t look at me, but look at your Son.” God looks away from the man toward his Son, and the man inquires, “Lord, what is my number now?” God replies with a smile, “Zero.”
“If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”
—Psalm 130:3-4 (New International Version)
What would happen if God were to keep a record of the sins in our lives? If God kept a record of how many times we’d lost our temper, how long would that record be? If God made a checkmark every time we’d failed to love our spouse or children or boss or co-workers, our neighbors or friends, or even our enemies, how many checkmarks would there be? If God kept track of how many times we’d failed to pray, failed to praise him, failed to give thanks, how long would that record be? We can’t bear to imagine it. Surely we must join the Prophet Ezra in his prayer when he says, “O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens” (Ezra 9:6).
When we consider the weight of our sins, we can truly appreciate what Jesus has done for us by taking our place on the awful cross. This is the peace that we have in the death of Jesus Christ: our sins have been paid for in full! No longer are they counted to us. Instead, God credits us with the righteousness of his Son. Our slate has been wiped clean. We have been washed spotless in the blood of God’s sacrificial Lamb—our Lord Jesus Christ.
Why is it that so many people still essentially ask God to continue looking at them, as though by some ability of their own they can make the number of their sins decrease. People need to know that this is an exercise in futility. When we try to keep an accounting of the good and the bad that we do, we always come up short. However, when, by faith, we look to Jesus and the work he has completed, we can stand before God, holy and forgiven.
Because Jesus Christ died for us, and rose again, our perfect status before God is guaranteed and the number of sins that will be counted against us is ZERO!
Pastor Golm serves Holy Scripture Evangelical Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
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