Blogging for me has the nature of thinking out loud sometimes, and testing words. Most likely we all change in some ways over time in how we express things as we hopefully gain a more full and mature understanding of life and of truth. The thought here today I am especially aware of fitting into this category.
When one looks at the characters of scripture, as a rule it seems that over and over again they fall short of what they could have been. David is a classic point in case. Of course there are notable exceptions to the rule. Though little is said of Enoch, he would seem to stand as such an exception. Then of course there is Paul. God went to great lengths to keep him from becoming conceited, though Paul had a calling in which such was necessary for him. And perhaps the Lord was honoring Paul’s commitment. In the end all is a gift, and as Paul himself exclaimed, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” But are we faithful stewards of God’s gift to us?
Israel fell short, even into sin and captivity. Jesus comes and fulfills all Israel was called to be. He is the one for sure that never fell short for a moment, even if he did fall short time and time again in the eyes of the people. Expectations that are out of line with God’s will are common. We have this and that in mind as the ideal, and if people don’t measure up, they let us down, we think. But our ideal is almost certainly not God’s. And only God knows the ideal inside and out.
I don’t believe in sinless perfection, or even in a Wesleyan version of that, which I think can come much closer to the truth. We will sin, we do sin. Therefore because of that alone, we all fall short of God’s will. Yet as we walk in the light as God is in the light, we experience cleansing through Christ’s blood, and ongoing repentance in our lives as we confess our sins to God.
Jesus is the one who did not fall short. And as we continue in him individually and together, we too will be carried as well as protected, blessed to be a blessing to all. Yes, we do fall short. It is not us, but Jesus who we point others to. As we tell his story, and seek to live in his ongoing story, one that helps sinners like you and I go on and grow together in and through Jesus.