By A.R. Gallaher and David A. Sargent
“Yes, I made a mistake. But nobody’s perfect.”
Have you ever heard that statement? Have you ever said it?
Consider the insights of A.R. Gallaher on “nobody’s perfect”: “It
is a statement normally used by such as you and me to expresses a fault
in each one of us. This statement though is not used in a negative
connotation. It is a positive statement expressing that compared to
everyone else, I am the same as they; therefore, I am normal and to be
accepted by everyone else… We use the expression to excuse ourselves or
others of receiving blame or guilt over some kind of behavior.
Expressing “nobody’s perfect,” we find commonality with all those around
us and sometimes even feel better that we are not like the murderers,
rapists, thieves, or other commonly held notions of ‘REAL BAD PEOPLE.’
“I ask you to contemplate how terrible and totally depraved that
statement is and the one who utters it. We are not saying that it is
wrong to make the statement; only that the statement expresses a
horrible truth that absolutely needs a remedy.”
“Murder is wrong, raping is wrong, theft is wrong; but so is
lying, gossip, seeing a neighbor in need and not helping, greed,
fornication, deceit, pride, disobeying parents, envy, jealousy, and much
more given in Romans 1.
We are all guilty, guilty, guilty! There is no "degree" of sin
with God [in the sense that ANY sin makes us guilty before God]. There
is no “lesser of two evils.”
When we realize that we are lost and need something from God to
make us acceptable, then we will never use ‘nobody’s perfect’ in a
positive way. It should rip out our insides and cause us to fall on our
knees and release any dignity and pride we had to ask God to forgive
us. I believe with every fiber of my being that until the complete
knowledge of how loathsome my sins are to God, I will not comprehend
what God did for me in sending His forgiveness in the person of His
Son.”
It’s true. Nobody’s perfect. “For ALL have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God,” and the wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23).
And the holy God can have nothing to do with sin. Habakkuk the prophet
spoke the truth when he said to God: “Your eyes are too pure to look on
evil; you cannot tolerate wrong” (1:13). Nobody’s perfect, and that
condemns us all.
But God sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we
might have forgiveness and life (Ephesians 1:7). “For God made Him
[Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “He himself bore our
sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for
righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
In order to accept His salvation and the gift of eternal life; one
must place his faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin
in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of
sins (Acts 2:38).
It’s true. Nobody’s perfect. That’s the problem! We need a Savior.
Jesus IS that Savior.
Won’t YOU submit your life to the Savior?
- A.R. Gallaher and David A. Sargent; David A. Sargent, minister for the
Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of
an electronic devotional entitled Living Water." To learn more about
this excellent resource contact David via their website:
http://www.creekwoodcc.org
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