“God knows we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requires no more than he gives, but gives what he requires, and accepts what he gives.” –Richard Sibbes
I know who I want to be as a husband and father. So often who I want to be doesn’t match who I actually am. Every day I sift through blog posts, I read books, and I even write some myself. What I’m doing, often, when I read these things is building an imaginary world. I’m envisioning how I’d like to be as a daddy. I read an article on family devotions with a few tips on how they should be done. As I read, I also picture myself putting all these things into practice.
Then I don’t.
Then I have terrible feelings of guilt.
I could have given any example above. I could have talked about being a good worker, a good son, a good friend, a good pastor, a good writer, a good anything. If you’ve got a desire for it, there is likely a book or a blog post giving you suggestions on how to be the best darn whatever you dream of being.
There’s nothing wrong with these articles. In fact they can be very helpful. So long as we understand 10 suggestions for something does not equal 10 commandments from God. This is why what Richard Sibbes says in that above quote is so vital. When I stand before God I won’t be held accountable for how well I carried out those twelve principles from that Gospel Coalition article. I’ll be held accountable for how I squared up to God’s explicit Word.
And I’ll fail miserably.
I’ll get a worse score than the time I got a .5% on a pre-calculus test in high school.
My only relief is in the next part of that Sibbes quote. God always gives what he requires. Through no accomplishment of my own I will be found not-guilty. I will stand before the Great Judge with an absolutely clean record along with an outstandingly perfect record of righteousness. And all of this because of the gracious union that I have with Christ.
I’ve done worse than fail at those 10 suggestions. I’ve blown the 10 Commandments. I’ve blown what God requires. Thankfully, in the person of Jesus, God fully gives that which he requires. But it does not stop there. He also “accepts what he gives”. This means that the Father is abundantly pleased in His Son. He accepts His provision. Fully. It’s not Jesus plus my muddy attempts at obedience. It is Jesus period.
So it is very important that I keep this in mind as I read through all of these books and blog posts. I want to follow Jesus and be the best husband and daddy that I can be. But I’m also a bonehead who is being slowly (oh so painfully slow) transformed into the likeness of Jesus. He is my standard. I never can meet that standard. But he has graciously provided for me. He accepts me because He accepts His own perfect work.
The better I know my Bible, the more equipped I’ll be to not fall into this stupidly legalistic cycle of guilt and effort. If I know my Bible then I’ll know what are suggestions and what are commandments. But more than anything, if I know my Bible I’ll know that my only rest is found in Jesus and His accomplishment. My greatest accomplishment will always be the accomplishment of another on my behalf.
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