Good enough

I have been reading "Spiritual Depression" by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  I'm into the 2nd chapter. The first chapter made a first address of the problem by looking at Psalm 43:5 where the writer of the Psalm questions himself: "Why art thou cast down, O my Soul?" The essence of this statement and the application to our lives is 'Do we speak to ourselves? Do we allow ourselves and/or our self talk to say things about ourselves that are not true.  We must first learn to speak to ourselves rather than let ourselves speak to us. We must be handled.

In the 2nd chapter, Lloyd-Jones states that before going further we must first understand that man is a sinner, incapable of saving himself. Jesus completely fulfilled the Law on this earth.  As a sinner, man's sins must be punished. But, as a sinner man has no hope of justifying himself on his own. By Jesus fulfilling the Law he satisfied the Law. Jesus kept the law.  Jesus obeyed it.  And Jesus bore the penalty of it by his death on the cross and then resurrection.

Our response is to see our need. We are to confess our need that we can not save ourselves because we are sinners first. And sinners can't save themselves. If we confess it, God will give us His own Son's righteousness.  God imputes God's righteousness to us when we declare to God that we need it. Then God declares us as righteous. He declares us to be righteous in Him.

This is what it means to be justified by faith.

In his discourse and explanation, Lloyd-Jones makes the comment that men and women often believe they are not good enough. He states that individuals are often not ready to be called a Christian because of a belief that they are not yet good enough.  Lloyd-Jones is stating that people are still ingrained with the belief that before coming to Christ we must be good enough.  This sermon of his was delivered in the early 1960's in London. My guess is that at this time people saw themselves as "not good enough."

In my conversations with people, the overriding sentiment I hear from people now is instead, "I'm good enough."  And by being good enough they already think they have Christ or they think being "good enough" is the means in which they win the After-Life Lottery. I see this as I take people through the 10 commandments and often they respond that they really haven't done anything wrong or if they have they are not unlike anyone else.

It is an interesting dichotomy. 

I think the secret here is the clear presentation of the Gospel to people and the repetitive presentation of the Gospel to people. People need to hear that one sin makes them imperfect and that God can only accept the complete fulfillment of the Law and not just a partial fulfillment. A partial fulfillment would then give rise to boasting. Many churches today and beliefs state that they are the true church and in so doing they put forth the idea that allegiance or alignment to a church renders acceptance by God. But, this is not complete allegiance to Christ. This is partial. "You have to rest exclusively upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect work." Anything else, is partial.

In the words of the hymn:

I dare not trust my sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesu's Name.