That’s Me!

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 KJV)

Yep – that’s me reflected in the verse, just as if I were looking in a mirror. Sinners = me. I am absolutely positive that verse applies to everyone living today. Just as that small Nambian sparrow, I’d be looking in the mirror at me if I thought I could see a sinner there.

There are several other words that mean “me” when I’m reading scripture, such as “all”:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)

Yep – that’s me, too. There are several verses that confirm we’ve not reached our goal, but there are others that include all of us, too:

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10 KJV)

Since we all were sinners, coming up short of God’s glory, we sure fall into the “that which was lost” category. Thank God (literally!!) He did send His son to seek – and to save.

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9 KJV)

There are dozens of salvation verses – but I really like this one which means that I will receive the end of my faith, even the salvation of my soul. Again, that’s me.

I can see my self in so many of the Bible’s stories. Most good, but some where one called by God comes up short. I also see that He does not abandon those who are called – even when they obviously fall short. The book of Hebrews, chapter 11, gives a wide range of people of faith. In addition to their faith, the Bible also tells about some of their failings, too.  That helps me!!  Through their stories I can see in many instances, that’s me, and God did not give up on them.

Jonah turned his back on God and ran away. God brought him back to Nineveh and worked with him when his preaching was successful and made him unhappy. That tells me God does not give up on His people.
Neither do His people give up on God – if we follow the examples of Joseph (where prison failed to destroy his faith) or Job (where the loss of material things dimmed with the loss of children and health.)  Then again, we may turn out to be examples of Balaam (who set out to curse Israelites in spite of God’s intervention) or Saul (who forgot who make him king, and why.)

The Bible not only gives examples of how we should be, it gives examples of people who missed God’s glory and their paths after doing so. None of them turned out well.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18 KJV)

Whosoever – that’s me, too!! My lack of belief did not condemn me – I was condemned already simply because I was human. I heard the message, but it took me quite a while to make the choice to believe what I was hearing. Once I did, I was obligated to do:

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22 KJV)

What example did James use for our deceiving ourselves?  Why, that old mirror image:

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:23-25 KJV)

That’s me – is it you?