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Monday, November 06, 2006

On my Inability to Save Myself

In The Ishbane Conspiracy by Randy Alcorn and his daughters Angela and Karina, the demon Prince Ishbane writes to his underling Foulgrin about tempting one of the protagonists.
Create a labyrinth of self-righteousness. Keep her wandering in the maze of self. Consume her with what she has to offer the Tyrant [God] rather than what He offers her. She believes her new life began by grace? Make her imagine it must be maintained by rule keeping. Make her motto, "God helps those who help themselves." Don't let her see that He helps those who realize they can't (p. 74).

Isaiah 61:5 says that "we need to be saved."
Over the past several weeks I've been realizing my depravity as a sinner. I am continuously finding myself doing things I shouldn't. Even my "righteousnesses are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).
I cannot keep all the rules. I cannot stop sinning. I cannot help myself. I cannot save myself.
We are saved, "not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" (2 Timothy 1:9).
It is God that saves.
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD. My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness..." (Isaiah 61:10 emphasis added).
oh, praise the One
who paid my debt...