it's not too late

Psalm 24 is beautiful. Verses three and four, for instance:

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? 

Or who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, 

Nor sworn deceitfully.

Oops. Wait. Stop. That's not me.

I'm sunk.

I just did a cursory online concordance search, looking especially at Proverbs, for words like fool, wise, righteous. Scanning these verses, beautiful and true as I know them to be, the same refrain still echoes in my mind every time I read them. This is what I see on the page:

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, 

But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse... (Prov. 10:32)

The desire of the righteous is only good, 

But the expectation of the wicked is wrath... (Prov. 11:23)

The thoughts of the righteous are right, 

But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful... (Prov. 12:5)

The wicked flee when no one pursues, 

But the righteous are bold as a lion... (Prov. 28:1)

And I know I'm on the wrong side of all these equations. Do I know what is acceptable? Do I desire only good? Are my thoughts right? Am I bold as a lion? Not even close.

In my sin and faithlessness, it's so easy for me to stop right there. So easy. Look at this mess I've made. Just look at it. And look at it. And look at it.

But is it too late? Am I beyond grace? Will God finally throw His hands up in frustration and kick me out?

Not even close.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Cor. 12:9)

My grace is sufficient for you. 

Me.


That exemplified man, described in Proverbs as "righteous," wasn't born with that label, and he didn't work his way into it. He didn't deserve it. It belonged to his Savior, like it does to mine.

This past Sunday I stood and marveled at the call to worship, so familiar, so seldom really heard. 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I just looked it up to find a reference, and was amazed at how often this astonishing greeting is repeated. I counted 17 occurrences in the New Testament, including a few slight variations on the theme in letters not attributed to Paul. 

Seventeen times God holds this promise out to us: Grace to you and peace. You deserve forever death, but I've given you life without end, bought with My own life. You were dead when you received this gift, and now you live only because of My Spirit within you. Stop trying to earn it.

Seventeen times: Grace to you and peace. No matter what you've done, no matter how often you've spit in My face, no matter how often you deny Me hereafter. The blood of My Son is sufficient to cover it all. Repent, and still believe.

Seventeen times: Grace to you and peace. The price has been paid. Be free.