Only sinners qualify for salvation. In the book The Transformation of the Inner Man, Paula Sanford tells of the unusual way she learned this. At the age of 11, she gave herself to Christ because the minister preached a loving Jesus.
Years later when Paula was an adult, a friend confronted her. “Paula,” she said, “you don’t know Jesus as a Savior. You’ve never known yourself as a sinner. Only sinners can know a Savior.” Deeply disturbed, she asked God to reveal her sin nature to her. Soon afterward, a godly pastor told Paula that before he was a Christian he was a male prostitute. Paula could hardly believe what she was hearing. He had obviously repented, but why was he sharing this? The subject changed and he left. Paula felt threatened and afraid. Was the Holy Spirit revealing that the same capacity to sin exists in everyone – and therefore was in her? For the first time, she recognized that by God’s grace, her family, upbringing, and circumstances were such that the evil part of her nature had never expressed itself. But given the same conditions as that pastor, she could have done the same or worse.
Maybe you’ve always loved Jesus and lived a good life, but you’ve never seen yourself as a sinner. Ask God to show you what’s really in your heart. Soon you’ll pray, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” Then you will know and love Jesus for who He is – your Savior. – Dennis J. De Haan
No one can say he doesn’t need
Forgiveness from his sin,
For all must come to Christ by faith
To gain new life within. – Branon
If you want to be good, you must first admit that you are bad.
- April 25, 1988, Our Daily Bread
For You 