In my devotional reading this morning, I was struck by these graciously piercing words from Deuteronomy:
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt…Know, therefore that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people (Deut 7:7-8; 9:6, ESV).
Contextually, God’s people have been promised a good land to possess, and they are close to crossing the Jordan to obtain it. But what a danger there was for God’s people of old to forget that from beginning to end His goodness to them began and will continue by His own pleasure. In other words, Deuteronomy 8:17 was a temptation: Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ How stubborn God’s people can be—thinking they have possessed blessing because of indwelling goodness.
Aren’t we thankful we aren’t like “those people” found in Deuteronomy. Time out. We must realize that we are daily prone to think similarly. We often are “those people.” God has promised deliverance from the domain of darkness and entrance into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus to those who express repentance of sin and faith in the atoning work of Christ (Col 1:13-14; Rom 10:10). But how easy it is to forget that it was not by our righteousness that we have obtained favor from God. God’s love has been lavished on us in accordance with His good pleasure (1 Jn 3:1; Eph 1:11). “We stand forgiven,” as hymn writers Keith Getty and Stuart Townend put it, “at the cross.” Our righteousness is an alien righteousness—the very righteousness of Christ not deserved but graciously granted (2 Cor 5:21).
How stubborn we can be, agreed? I’m the first to admit it. (“Hi, my name is Jason and I am a stubborn child of God.”) How easily we forget that left to ourselves we would forsake every gospel-centered thought and every way declared right by God. But thanks be to God, Jesus Christ has overcome our stubbornness. By His magnificent power and grace, He is keeping us as His own and will present us blameless one day before the Father (Jud 1:24). It is then we will embrace eternity with unhindered zeal for making much of Jesus. What a glorious day that will be. But let’s not forget that God has ordained every day of our lives for good. Every day is an opportunity to remember God’s goodness to us. Remembering is exactly the discipline Moses highlights in the early chapters of Deuteronomy. (Now would be a good time to stop and read the first nine chapters!) “Forget not that the Lord is Your deliverer” is the banner waved throughout the text. So it must be waved before us daily. The Lord has been good to us, dear brothers and sisters. Let us never fail to recognize how undeserving we are of His favor toward us. Let us always rejoice in the gracious act of God to send His Son to die in our place that we might have life in Him. We no longer are enslaved to sin, so let us give glory to God and remember often that our salvation is truly a merciful gift (Eph 2:8-9).
To help us remember the goodness of our Lord to us, let us keep close to us the words of this hymn:
No list of sins I have not done,
No list of virtues I pursue,
No list of those I am not like,
Can earn myself a place with You.
O God! Be merciful to me—
I am a sinner through and through!
My only hope of righteousness
Is not in me, but only You.
No humble dress, no fervent prayer,
No lifted hands, no tearful song,
No recitation of the truth
Can justify a single wrong.
My righteousness is Jesus' life,
My debt was paid by Jesus' death,
My weary load was borne by Him
And he alone can give me rest.
No separation from the world,
No work I do, no gift I give,
Can cleanse my conscience, cleanse my hands;
I cannot cause my soul to live.
But Jesus died and rose again—
The pow'r of death is overthrown!
My God is merciful to me
And merciful in Christ alone.
Not In Me
By Eric Schumacher & David L. Ward
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