Journey of the Word

A new year brings reflection. Sorrows and joys of the past. Fears and hopes for the future. Who I was. Who I am.

{So that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 5:21}

This year, my ponderings might be summed up in two wonders.

{For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
Rom 6:10}

First wonder. My unworthiness.

{So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 6:11}

I am nothing. Laden with sin. Helplessly and hopelessly lost. The greatest possible value I bring is completely meaningless and insignificant. Like a dirty rag. I am incapable, unusable, and unimportant. What is most daunting is the fact that I bring myself not only to futility, but also to powerlessness, alienation, hostility, and condemnation. It’s done. And I can do nothing about it. I am not able to do what it takes. I have in me no heart that desires it. I cannot. And even if I could, I wouldn’t, because, why would I? Who would want me? I am unworthy.

{For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Rom 6:14}

Second wonder. My worthiness.

{But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Rom 6:22}

I have everything. Sin lost. I am found. Possessing righteousness not my own, I now bear this radiance that gives the strange appearance of purity, and beauty, and loveliness. An appearance that runs deep. All power is mine. And that means I cannot lose. I cannot fail. I cannot die.

What I did not know while in my filthy, unworthy state, was that my unworthiness won for me a perfect worthiness.

How, you ask? The cross.

{For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 6:23}

A new hymn text from Getty Music for your contemplation:

Two wonders here that I confess
My worth and my unworthiness
My value fixed – my ransom paid
At the cross

[image credit: wikipedia.org,
journeyoftheword.com;
video credit: gettymusic.com]