This month I’m reading Henry Blackaby’s book Experiencing the Cross. (I can almost guarantee you’ll hear me quote it in my upcoming Easter series.) Blackaby has already grabbed me by the throat with this quote early in the book:

“Not many people seriously think of themselves as God’s enemy. Even believers often resist this way of thinking. They’ll say with all sincerity about their past: ‘Well, I wasn’t really going against God; I just wasn’t going with Him.’ But they’re sincerely wrong. God’s perspective is all that matters, and He says in His Word that we were His enemies (Colossians 1:21). Or as Jesus put it, ‘He who is not with Me is against Me’ (Matthew 12:30).”

Henry Blackaby goes on to talk about how we fail to understand the gravity of sin, and therefore we miss the meaning of the cross and the depth of God’s love for us.

This squares with my experience, both as a preacher and a sinner (two words which don’t mean the same thing!) Few of us in church have dramatically transgressed the ever-lowering standards of the world. To paraphrase 1 Corinthians 1:26, “Not many of you were ax-murderers when you were called; not many were thieves, pornographers, drug-dealers or email spammers.” Our very respectability works against us in understanding God’s grace. We say, in effect, “I meant no offense, God, by my rebellion. I’m sure you didn’t take it too seriously.” If we feel any guilt about our sin, it probably has to do with the areas where we broke trust with our families and loved ones. This is an important area, of course, but by no means is it the only place where we have violated God’s holy standards. Besides, it isn’t our feelings of guilt that define sin. God has done that already, and His standard is perfect.

Why do I bring this up? Because without an understanding of sin – OUR sin – the story of the cross is only a lot of religious talk. But when we finally get it, His grace becomes magnificent.