In Other Words for April 6

wretch
n.
1. A miserable, unfortunate, or unhappy person.
2. A person regarded as base, mean, or despicable
3. a despicable person
4. a person pitied for his misfortune

Wretch, what an awful sounding word and an even more horrible description. Who wants to be pitied? Who wants to be regarded as a miserable, unfortunate, unhappy or despicable person? Not me!

And, yet, that is exactly what we all are. If we could see ourselves draped in the mire, muck and slime of our sins, that is exactly the kind of person we would see. We may think that, "oh, just because I don't have that kind of sin that he does, I'm not as bad of a person."

WRONG!

The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "for ALL have sinned and (ALL) fall short of the Glory of God". None of us are "good enough" to get to heaven on our own. Not one of us is "better than" the sinner beside us. Sure, we may not have committed adultery, or killed someone, but we all have lied and put something or someone else before God. And, the Bible says that whosoever looks at another person with lust in their hearts has already fornicated/committed adultery with them. The Bible also says that whosoever has hatred in their heart for their fellow [man], it is as if they have committed murder in their hearts.

Ouch! That doesn't sound so good does it? So, according to the Word of God, even if we haven't physically committed adultery or murdered, if we have those thoughts and feelings in our hearts, it's like we have done it anyway.

How can we expect God to forgive us if we do not forgive those who have wronged us? How can we, with a clear conscience, go before God and ask Him to forgive our sins if we do not forgive those against whom we have been holding a grudge.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

It's SO IMPORTANT that it is in the Lord's Prayer. It is in the model of the prayer that we are to emulate when we pray, yet, very few churches are teaching that these days. Forget being a wretch in those churches! You can FEEL GOOD about yourself and your sins. Who needs to repent in order to stop being that wretch the song talks about? God's here to give you what you need, what you want, what you desire. He's not here to condemn you, He's here to love you and make everything ok! He's the new "Dr. Feelgood"!

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

The message of the Gospel is that WE ALL ARE SINNERS. Nobody is better than the other. In the eyes of God we all are wallowing in our sins, much like pigs wallow in their own filth.

The difficult thing is when the churches teach in error what Salvation is about. So many people go down the wrong road and are led there purposely by those who are supposed to be leading the flock.

Wonder why we don't have any huge revivals anymore? Why there are not people on fire for the Lord like they were in the time of Jonathan Edwards, Charles and John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon and Dwight L. Moody? Because most churches these days are not willing to talk about SIN or the need to REPENT or the dangers of HELL. Those are such . . . uncomfortable words to those who are lost and they're supposed to be! For unless we know just how lost we are, how can we know what we must do to find our way to God? He, who is the compass by which we should be directing our lives by.

My dear blogfriend, Esthermay, who is our hostess this week, has the most outstanding perspective on the dangers of the "seeker" churches in regard to this quote. I highly encourage you to head over to her and read her post!

The best part is though, that it is God's GRACE that saves us all, if we but repent and believe that God will save us, that He sent His Son to die for ALL of us. The thief, liar, adulterer, murderer, cheater beside us; the thief, liar, adulterer, murderer, cheater inside of us.

Without His grace, we would continue to wallow in our own filth. Without His grace, we would forever be that wretch the song refers to with no hope in life or death for all eternity.

Grace
n.
1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity
a. the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards man
b. the divine assistance and power given to man in spiritual rebirth and sanctification
c. the condition of being favoured or sanctified by God
d. an unmerited gift, favour, etc., granted by God

Grace is giving us what we do not deserve. Mercy is not giving us what we do deserve.

Grace, Grace, God's Grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, Grace, God's Grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin

AMAZING GRACE how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost,
But now I'm found.
Was blind
But now
I SEE!

To view other perspectives on this In Other Words quote, please visit our hostess this week Esthermay @ The Heart of a Pastor's Wife.