I’m Not Worthy!

Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness.

C.H. Spurgeon

I’ve got to look better, act better, do better, sound better…I’ve got to be better before I can become friends with God. And if I try harder, pray more, study twice as much as I do now, then I will be qualified to follow Christ. I need to be holy in order to associate with the Holy.

I feel for the person who thinks this way. The fact of the matter is, he’s exactly wrong. Holiness is not a requirement for friendship with God or for participation in God’s church, the Body of Christ. Holiness is the outcome of surrender and commitment. Remember the line in that old hymn: Just as I am without one plea…O Lamb of God, I come.

I wonder how many people miss the richness of life in Christ because they are convinced they can’t make the cut? Not good enough. Not worthy. All the while, it’s not a question of worthiness. It’s the realization that I can’t do it all myself and the courage to take the chance. Holiness is the gift, and Christ is the giver.